5 Tips to Successfully Write Your First Press Release
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Did you know that the first press release was circulated in 1906 to report the facts about a railroad accident in the U.S.? Newspaper outlets appreciated that the release was honest, factual, and informative. To this day, journalists rely on press releases—official press statements from individuals and companies alike, announcing something new or significant—to make them aware of information they did not know. However, since many receive hundreds of these releases daily, we Laika Space Dogs would like to share some useful tips to help you write your very own press release that will get noticed.
Understanding Press Releases
Press releases inform journalists, content creators and interested individuals about news and facts that are relevant to them and their respective audience. They can then share this new information to their audience. This would help you increase your visibility in the media, build your reputation and help position you as an expert in a certain field or topic.
What do you need to watch out for? Well, the most important elements to consider is the topic, the quality of the text, the timing of when you send the release, and of course, the person you are actually sending it to. It’s important that the information you would like to share is concise, informative, and factual, always keeping the target audience in mind, and sent to a relevant, well-researched list of journalists, at the right time. Keep in mind, that even if your press releases are not immediately used for publication, they can very well be used as research sources by journalists.
But how do you even prepare a press release? Great question…
1. Be newsworthy—Share what’s important!
One of the first things to consider is the topic of the press release. It needs to be concrete, relevant, and interesting to whom you’re sending it to and their audience. That’s right, press releases are not merely there to sing one’s own praises. For others to pay attention, you must deliver something of value. What makes something newsworthy? It provides important and relevant information to your target audience.
Consider these points when writing your press release topic:
Relevance: Will anyone be affected by this information? Does this information have additional value for the target audience?
Timeliness: Is this new or urgent news?
Good Timing: Will your message compete with other topics, which may overshadow it?
It may help to think of it this way—will your press release help journalists share new, relevant and important (dare we say exciting), content to their respective audiences?
But how do you grab their attention? Great question…
2. Have a great headline—Get to the point!
Like we mentioned, journalists receive hundreds of emails from agencies, companies and other organizations every day. They quickly have to decide which topics and to whom they’re going to give the time of day to. Enter… headlines! A great attention-grabbing tool.
Headlines should not only be short, crisp, direct and get to the point, they should be meaningful and represent the content and message of the press release. Luckily, the Internet is a place teeming with inspiration and examples of well-constructed press release headlines. You can always start there. And to give you a better idea of what works, here are a few of our successful headlines:
Muscles instead of farting!—New cricket protein powder from Sens is good for body AND environment
Christmas for gamers and techies: These gift ideas belong under every tree
Climate-neutral NFTs meet wild carrots
LivingPackets unveils second generation of its smart packaging
Winter Chai from heydrate—water in the Christmas spirit
New study reveals what Gen Z wants from their jobs
What content do you need to include besides a great headline? Great question…
3. Know the 5Ws (and 1H)—Answer them!
A press release is not the best time to showcase your amazing plot-twisting creative writing skills—it’s not a novel! Instead of explaining how you got to the news, give actual information about the news.
This is easily done by answering the W-questions clearly and precisely in the first paragraph of your press release:
Who is doing something?
What are they doing?
When does it happen?
Where does it happen?
How does it happen/work?
Why are they doing it?
You should briefly outline all this in the first four to five introduction sentences, and then go into detail later in the press release. Space Dog Tip: Make sure the text is not purely promotional and avoid overused words like disruptive, seamless, unique or revolutionary (the list goes on…). Always focus on the facts.
What should the structure look like? Great question…
4. Be seen—Show yourself!
Your press release’s content should highlight all the relevant details of your news, as well as the brand’s positioning. Working with keywords is important—not only to produce clear copy, but to also be relevant to search engine queries. Use keywords throughout the text that potential customers directly associate with your company, brand, product, or service. For example, in the tech sphere, words such as certification, platform, and tool, can improve the visibility of your press release.
Have the most important details of your press release at the beginning, and least important information, such as backgrounds and explanation, at the end.
Utilize visuals! These days, stories work best when supported with visuals, video, or audio. You only have about 8 seconds to grab someone’s attention! In addition to the headline, photos, video clips or infographics can be used as eye-catchers.
When it comes to the basic structure of the press release, follow this proven framework:
Image or visual (not necessarily at the beginning)
Attention-grabbing headline
Brief introduction outlining 5Ws and 1H
Text that goes further into details
Strong quoted statements from relevant individuals
Boilerplate—a brief summary of the company
Press contact information
What else should be considered? Glad you asked…
5. Be someone—Include strong quotes and a contact person!
We all want to know whom we are dealing with. Therefore, in your press release, include one or two strong statements from relevant authorities. Strong quotes can be useful, compelling and offer additional context.
Do not forget to include a contact person at the end, who can be easily reached by journalists. Include a telephone number and email address. Journalists appreciate being able to quickly reach the contact person to get additional information.
Oldie but Goodie
It’s over 100 years old, and yet the press release is still a very important part of any PR agency, like ours. While there is no guarantee that every topic will always get picked up, with practice, these five tips should help you produce effective press releases.
And of course, we’re always here if you have any questions about how you can take your press releases, for your company or brand, to the next level. Don’t hesitate to get in touch.