Press releases are formal and official announcements about a significant event about you, your business, or your employees. In today’s digital age, the press release should increase the stock of your business and improve your digital marketing campaign, as well.
A great press release can fetch you free publicity. It can result in multiple published articles about you and your brand. You can say it’s cost-effective, but not all press releases can do this. Most of the press releases out there are just scrolled out of the press’ feeds. Here are some tips for nailing that press release:
Ensure that your story is newsworthy
Before anything else, ask yourself if your piece is newsworthy. Is it something new? Will the people benefit from it? Would somebody be interested in it? If one of your answers to this question is a ‘no,’ stop and see whether a press release is a suitable format for sharing your information. You can also go back to the heart of the news; the new product or promo may still need more tweaking.
Write an attention-grabbing headline
To begin your press release, write a headline that will make the press open your email. Some journalists don’t bother opening emails with boring subject headers. So you need a compelling subject header that summarises your story and catches the attention of the reader. Also, spend some time on what you think your chosen journalist would be interested in. It would help to know what they write about to capture their eye with your subject header and email’s top line.
Get right to the point
Your title or subject line may make the press open your email, but your first sentence should make them continue reading. Your first line should contain your story right away. Make sure the five Ws (Who, What, Why, When and Where) of your event or news is on the first few sentences. You also have to be concise but thorough. Your email will determine if they would want to dig in deeper. Include some sources and links to help them get more information. It would also help if you write as if you are doing the real article, so it would be easier for the journalists to compose theirs.
Write flawlessly
These journalists are critical. One mistake would make or break the chance of your press release being published. So, proofread your write-ups. If you are not satisfied with that, ask someone else to go over your press release it again. Be as critical as they are.
Attach your contact information
Do not forget to include your contact information on the press release. Your journalists will need this if they need to confirm or clarify some information. It’s also best if you put it on top of the page.
Include quotable quotes
Journalists love quotes. They even write them as is. If possible, include a quote from your CEO. It can provide insight and information to those reading them. Just make sure that the quotes are not business cliches or full of business jargon. People won’t understand that. Your goal is for them to love your CEO and in extension, your thriving carport company or your new fast-food brand.
Writing a press release can be daunting, but you shouldn’t give up or feel too pressured. Be open to learning new tricks. The press is swamped with the same write-ups every day, so it would really take you a few times to get it right and get their attention.
