Have you ever been faced with the challenge of writing a press release? Or have you ever started writing a press release and realized you have no idea how to structure it?
I surely have. During my internship appointment at Purple Giraffe, I was asked to produce a press release for a new product. I sat there at my screen for hours wondering how on earth I was going to write it.
My go to problem solver is Google; you can just about find anything you need on there. After conducting some research what I did manage to find was seven simple yet effective steps to follow for writing a press release.
A press release is an official document, which your company may or will issue to relevant media outlet providing them information on a particular matter.
1. HEADLINE
This is the most important step in writing your release. If your headline doesn’t grab the reader’s attention immediately then they won’t read it. This includes the email subject line when sending out a pitch. Not only should it be engaging, it should be accurate and relevant to your story.
2. GET TO THE POINT
Your first paragraph should get straight to the point of your story. You don’t want to lose people before they’ve finished reading your press release! The first sentence of your first paragraph should cover the who, what, when, where, why, and how question within the body content. This helps to keep readers interested.
3. LANGUAGE
When writing the body of your release try and avoid too many technical terms, although it may be relevant for some professions you don’t want to confuse your reader. Providing sources and ‘hard numbers’ is a good idea to back up your story. It proves you know what you’re talking about. Depending on the topic, quotes are also a good idea especially from a respected person in that profession. But keep it simple.
4. INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY
Don’t forget to write the name of the company the press release is coming from. You want to tell your readers what the company is all about and you want to get their message across.
5. PROOFREAD
Errors in grammar and spelling can kill your credibility. Make sure your press release is grammatically flawless.
6. CONTACT INFORMATION AND ACCESS TO MORE INFORMATION
Make sure you have included your contact information or the person who should be contacted about the topic/situation. A good idea is to have links in the press release, which allows the reader to get more information about the topic/situation.
7. TIE IT TOGETHER – END
When finishing your press release make sure you tie all your points together. A press release is no longer than two pages; one page is ideal but sometimes it’s not possible to cut down information that much. Anything longer than two pages and the readers won’t finish reading it.
As you can see, if you use this structure, it’s not difficult to write a press release. As long as you keep it simple and informative people will love to read more.
If you are still having trouble writing a press release for your company, don’t hesitate to Purple Giraffe.
