If you run a business and want to attract the media’s attention, publishing press releases, whether as social media posts or website blogs, is the best way to get media coverage. However, writing a killer press release requires a few skills and considerations.
As a beginner, you may not be familiar with the traditional formats or how to start and end your press releases. Don’t worry, though; we are here to give you a complete guide on how to write the perfect press release that can engage the audience and grab the attention of the media.
What Is a Press or News Release?
Press releases are great for promoting a business’s services or goods, however, they were not initially meant to be used for advertising. In essence, a press release tells a short, newsworthy story about a certain individual or brand. This story is emailed to media outlets, journalists, editors, and other forms of media publications. When your business is mentioned in a newsworthy story, it helps your brand gain exposure and popularity. This does not necessarily mean that you will be getting free advertising, though; journalists have their ways of detecting brands that use insignificant events to make up fake news and try to be featured in media releases. Business owners can also publish their own press releases on their websites or social media pages, or they can share them in newsletters, magazines, newspapers, and even e-zines.
Business owners use press releases to draw wider attention from the media and garner more attention for their brand. News releases also help small businesses build strong relationships with significant names in the field of media. This is because journalists need interesting stories released by organizations. By helping journalists and providing them with engaging, newsworthy stories, you can make new connections and expand your business coverage. Some of the best free press release sites have the tools for you to increase the exposure of your business with no costs.
Choose the Structure of Your Press Release
The structure of your press release will determine how the media presents your content and in what order. Most people write their releases using the inverted pyramid structure. This structure allows the audience to read the most important points first before they become too impatient or direct their attention elsewhere. To write a killer press release, come up with a creative and clear headline that describes the story you want to tell, then you structure your release according to the inverted pyramid template.
To create an outline for the release, try to answer as many of the five main W questions as possible; this is called the lead of your press release. In the lead, you should establish what your story is about, who is featured in the story, where the news took place and when, and why this story is newsworthy. The lead should be followed by the body, which typically contains all the crucial information, facts, and any additional details you want your audience to know. Finally, you end your release with the tail, which includes any additional information and may be followed by a boilerplate to provide contact information about the mentioned business or organization.
Release Newsworthy Content
Before publishing a press release, you need to ensure that it highlights new and relevant information that your readers will find interesting. On top of that, you’ll want to give journalists the kind of content they want. The folks from https://www.ereleases.com/press-release-writing/ explain that the lack of that journalistic tone in writing has ruined many press releases. To attract the attention of journalists, your content needs to provide relevant content that can engage different people. Your news story should include a unique aspect that can grab people’s attention and engage with their emotions. The more interesting and relevant your content, the more journalists will be interested in featuring your story.
Create a Catchy Headline
In order to publish a successful press release, you need to start it with a catchy headline. The headline of your release is how the media and audience tell what your story is about; it is like your sales pitch, but instead of pitching to potential investors, you are pitching to media outlets. Your readers will determine whether your story is worth their time or not based on your headline, so it needs to be short, clear, and straightforward. You do not have to worry about coming up with a clever title because chances are the editors or journalists will end up changing complicated or cryptic headlines anyway. Giving them a clear headline that describes your story in a better way to grab their attention and guarantee that your release reaches the media.
Write Your Press Releases in the Third Person
When you write your releases, you are not addressing your audience directly, but rather you are sharing news about your organization, which should be written from your client’s point of view. That is why you should write your press releases in the third person.
This means that your news story should be narrated from a third person’s point of view instead of talking on behalf of your organization and mentioning how your business sees the event from their point of view. For example, you should be writing “ (business name) signed a $4M deal with (another business name)” instead of “we signed a $4M deal with (business name)”.
Include Boilerplate Text
If a reader reaches your boilerplate, they are most probably interested in knowing more about you or your organization. Boilerplate text is how you end your press release after perfecting its body and structure. Use this paragraph as a business card, and include any additional information about your business or company as well as your logo. Boilerplate text is basically a subtle ad that promotes your brand at the end of an article, so make sure you include the most important contact information and business details about your company.
Writing a killer press release is the way to go if you are looking to expand your media coverage and share important information about your organization with the public. It’s a good way to grab your target audience’s attention and possibly attract new customers and investors. As long as you choose a catchy headline, write about a newsworthy story, provide engaging content, and follow the right structure, you will be all set to pitch your press release to journalists and editors looking for new content.
Interesting Related Article: “5 Worst Mistakes Businesses Make When Sending a Press Release“