Writing a press release can be daunting and you may not have a lot of time to do so.
You may be asked to include different angles from different stakeholders and at the same time produce something that your journalists find interesting enough to write a story about it.
So here are some key elements to consider when you want to write a great press release:
Work hard on your title, make it punchy and interesting. My advise is to start writing the press release first and then add the title at the end
Use the sub title to explain briefly what the release is all about and what has been left unclear from the title
Don’t forget to include the location and the date right at the beginning. This is quite important as it provides context to your media contacts
Your first paragraph is the winner. This is where you need to have the main story in one paragraph.
Then have a second paragraph where you explain and provide more details
Work through the release using the inverted pyramid principle. The most important elements are on top and then details as you go.
Include one or two relevant quotes from your senior management team that can add a human voice to your release
Leave your with email and phone number at the bottom so that journalists can contact you at any time
Provide a brief company profile at the end and also details of the product or service that your are promoting
Finally, don’t forget the editors’ notes. Often journalists use content from this section that you can find at the bottom of your release. Here you can include links to websites, graphics, images, statistics, and any data that you think will be great to see featured on an article.
Above all:
be concise
be precise
be informative
be to the point (editors don’t have a lot of time)
be pro-active (think of likely responses)
be punchy if the situation allows.
If you need support for your media relations feel free to get in touch at any time at info@intelligoconsulting.co.uk