Tips, Guidelines and Templates for Writing an Effective Press Release
The following information will assist you when writing a news release for distribution
through the PR Web press release network. A well crafted press release captures
the attention of journalists and is optimized for distribution over the Internet,
through e-mail and over PR Web's specialized network feeds.
Note: Some of the information contained in this tip sheet are specific
to the PR Web press release network.
Pay Attention to the
Content of your Press Release
When we talk about content we refer to the news story you are telling. Keep
the following points in mind when writing your press release.
Is your news "newsworthy"? The purpose of a press release
is to inform the world of your news item. Do not use your press release to try
and make a sale. A good press release answers all of the "W" questions
(who, what, where, when and why), providing the media with useful information
about your organization, product, service or event. If you read your press release
and it reads like an advertisement, rewrite it.
Start strong. Your headline and first paragraph should tell the story.
The rest of your press release should provide the detail. You have a matter
of seconds to grab your reader's attention. Do not blow it with a weak opening.
Write for the Media. On occasion media outlets, especially online media,
will pick up your press release and run it in their publications with little
or no modification to what you send. More commonly, journalists will use your
press release as a springboard for a larger feature story. In either case, try
to develop a story as you would like to have it told. Even if your news is not
reprinted verbatim, it may provide an acceptable amount of exposure.
Not everything is news. Your excitement about something does not necessarily
mean that you have a newsworthy story. Think about your audience. Will someone
else find your story interesting? This is a common problem. Let's assume that
you have just spent a lot of effort launching a new online store. Announcing
your company's opening is always an exciting time for any business, but the
last thing the media wants to write about is another online store. This is old
news and uninteresting. Instead, focus on the features of your online shopping
experience, unique products and services. Answer the question? Why should anyone
care? (Avoid clichés such as "customers save money" or "great
customer service".) Focus on the aspects of your news item that truly set
you apart from everyone else.
Does your press release illustrate? Use real life examples about how
your company or organization solved a problem. Identify the problem and identify
why your solution is the right solution. Give examples of how your service or
product fulfills needs or satisfies desires. What benefits can be expected?
Use these types of examples to powerfully communicate the benefits of using your
product or service.
If you are reporting on a corporate milestone make sure that you attribute
your success or failures to one or more events. If your company has experienced
significant growth, tell the world what you did right. Show the cause and effect.
Stick to the facts. Tell the truth. Avoid fluff, embellishments and
exaggerations. If you feel that your press release contains embellishments perhaps
it would be a good idea to set your press release aside until you have more
exciting news to share. Journalists are naturally skeptical. If your story sounds
too good to be true, you are probably hurting your own credibility. Even if
it is true, you may want to tone it down a bit.
Pick an angle. Try to make your press release timely. Tie your news
to current events or social issues if possible. Make sure that your story has
a good hook.
Use active, not passive, voice. Verbs in the active voice bring your
press release to life. Rather than writing "entered into a partnership"
use "partnered" instead. Do not be afraid to use strong verbs as well.
For example, "The committee exhibited severe hostility over the incident."
reads better if changed to "The committee was enraged over the incident."
Writing in this manner helps guarantee that your press release will be read.
Economy of words. Use only enough words to tell your story. Avoid
using unnecessary adjectives, flowery language, or redundant expressions such
as "added bonus" or "first time ever". If you can tell your
story with fewer words, do it. Wordiness detracts from your story. Keep it
concise. Make each word count.
Beware of jargon. While a limited amount of jargon will be required
if your goal is to optimize your news release for online search engines, the
best way to communicate your news is to speak plainly, using ordinary language.
Jargon is language specific to certain professions or groups and is not appropriate
for general readership. Avoid such terms as "capacity planning techniques"
"extrapolate" and "prioritized evaluative procedures".
Avoid the hype. The exclamation point (!) is your enemy. There is no
better way to destroy your credibility than to include a bunch of hype. If you
must use an exclamation point, use one. Never do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get Permission. Companies are very protective about their reputation.
Be sure that you have written permission before including information or quotes
from employees or affiliates of other companies or organizations. Any dispute
resolution will favor the other company, meaning that your press release may
get pulled.
About your company. Your press release should end with a short
paragraph (company boilerplate) that describes your company, products, service
and a short company history. If you are filing a joint press release include
a boilerplate for both companies.
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Formatting Your Press
Release
How you present your news is just as important as its content. Some of these
suggestions are specific to PR Web's distribution service.
Mixed case. NEVER SUBMIT A PRESS RELEASE IN ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS.
This is very bad form. Even if your release makes it past PR Web's editors (highly
unlikely) it will definitely be ignored by journalists. Use mixed case.
Correct grammar usage. Always follow rules of grammar and style. Errors
in grammar and style affect your credibility. Excessive errors will cause your
press release to be rejected by PR Web's editors.
No HTML. Never embed HTML or other markup languages in your press release.
Your press release will be distributed over a wide array of networks. Including
such formatting will negatively impact the readability of your press release.
More than one paragraph. It is nearly impossible to tell your story
in a few sentences. If you do not have more than a few sentences chances are
you do not have a newsworthy item.
Summary paragraph. PR Web asks you to include a one paragraph summary.
Some distribution points only receive your headline, summary and a link to your
press release. If you fail to include a summary paragraph you may reduce the
effectiveness of your press release.
Word processor. Write your press release on a word processor instead
of composing online. Writing online will not achieve best results. Take time
to do it right. Write, print, proof read. Rewrite, edit…
Do not include your e-mail address in the body of your release. Do not
include your e-mail address in the body of your press release. We have a special
place during the submission process for you to include your e-mail address.
If you include your e-mail address in the body of your press release you run
the risk of receiving spam. This is because your e-mail address will be available
to the public. Spiders routinely scour the Internet harvesting e-mail addresses
for spammers. Provide your e-mail address only in the space(s) provided during
the submission process.
Ticker Symbols. Never include ticker symbols of other companies without
their express written permission.
Follow a standard
press release format. Make sure your press release looks like a press release. The following can
be used as a template for your press release.
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Headline - Be creative. One sentence. Use proper title case,
capitalizing every word except for the following articles: of, it, the,
a, an, from, and, is, by …
City, State (PRWEB) Month Day, Year -- Grab their attention here.
A strong introductory paragraph should cover who, what, when,
where, why and how.
Put the body of your press release here. Expound on the information
provided in your introductory paragraph. Include quotes from key
staff, customers or subject matter experts.
The body of your press release should contain more than one paragraph.
The final paragraph should restate and summarize the key points
of your news release.
For additional information (or sample, copy or demo), contact:
(include contact information here)
You can include details on product availability, trademark acknowledgment
here.
About XYZ Company
Include a short corporate backgrounder.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Person
XYZ Company
555-555-5555
555-555-4444
http://www.YourWebAddress.com (if applicable)
NOTE: Do not include e-mail address here. We have a special place for your e-mail address.
Include safe harbor statement (if applicable).
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