How to Write an Effective Press Release: A Simple Guide
If a story is worth telling, it’s also worth sharing.
Sending a press release to a journalist or editor helps them to discover your brand, organisation and products or services, whilst encouraging them to write a story based on your press release content.
With clear objectives of generative media coverage and raising brand awareness, press releases are an essential part of content marketing.
Why is a press release important?
Put simply, a good press release is the first step towards the successful launch of a brand, product or service. Miss it out of your marketing strategy, and you also risk missing out on valuable publicity and brand awareness, placing you on the back foot from the onset.
A well-written press release should provide the recipient with all the information they need to pursue a story whilst building your brand personality and brand awareness. If your press release is poorly written, you risk alienating media outlets and damaging your reputation with them [and we really wouldn’t want that].
To ensure the journey to PR prestige is a smooth and rejection-free one, our PR specialists have shared their top tips for writing an effective press release below.
Notebooks at the ready?
Our [saucy] tips
Ensure there’s a hook in the headline
A newsworthy story will demonstrate value in the headline, with the opening paragraph providing further details as to whether this is a story that the recipient will be interested in writing. Statistics and research not only make your press release more compelling and newsworthy but also increase its relevance to wider industries and provide further context.
Linking your press release to a seasonal event or time-sensitive topic is a great way to create a hook with a sense of urgency in fast-paced newsrooms and editorial offices. Obviously, National Ketchup Day is a personal favourite for us [5th June, in case you were wondering].
Get straight to the point
Time is money and, roughly speaking, you have a 10-second skim reading window in which to sell your story. Make it clear who or what the press release is about, where and when the event took place, and why it matters. Starting with the important information allows recipients to scan all of the important information with a quick glance.
The first paragraph should use around 100 words to explain what you’re announcing and enable you to communicate the key facts of your story. It also sets the foundations for the content of your press release, allowing you to expand on the details later.
Add in some quality quotes
Emphasis on quality – they should add value to the content of your press release, either by offering expert insight or an industry insider’s perspective. Make use of the subject specialists in your organisation by including a direct comment from a representative to add a human voice to your press release.
Include a release date and contact details
A release date indicates how recent the press release is and gives the recipient an indication of how quickly they’ll need to turn the story around.
In the same way, including some context as to who you are along with your contact details helps to establish a positive relationship. Explain that you’re available to answer any questions as this is a big reassurance for journalists working to tight lead times.
Supply high-quality images
Pictures tell a story just as much as words do, so be sure to provide some high-quality photos to accompany your press release. As an important part of any story, they should relate to the content and put a face [sometimes, quite literally] to your organisation and people.
Keep it brief
Size really does matter, and there’s a target range to aim for. Try to keep your press releases between 300-600 words and no longer than one A4 page. If you’re sharing a particularly juicy piece of PR and have lots to say on the topic, you can make your press release easier to follow by using bullet points. This will help you highlight key information. It can also be useful to optimise your press release with keywords for better search performance [more on SEO content here]. If you’ve stuck to the previous steps, interested journalists will follow up for more information.
Your press release should be brief by name, but also by nature. A story that’s cluttered with jargon, long-winded sentences and unnecessary details is unlikely to entice the recipient. So, keep things simple with short sentences and non-technical language, and be sure to get to the point fast.
Don’t want to leave it to chance?
With an in-house team of copywriters, content creators and PR specialists, Ketchup can help you write everything from a content marketing strategy for launching your new brand to the press release that announces it to the world.
Our eagle-eyed wordsmiths can whip your story into ship-shape whilst making use of our links with local and national media outlets. Just take a look at our impressive PR and outreach services.