The Book on Marketing: Send Out a Press Release.

Send Out a Press Release.

This is an excellent oldie. Making sure your press release is about a story worth covering is the trick. Starting a new newsletter, for instance, is not always a newsworthy development (but it might in certain niche markets for smaller publications). It might be newsworthy to issue a press release announcing a sizable donation you are making, complete with a pertinent backstory. It all depends on the magazine and your target market (s). If editors believe there is news for their audience, they will take up press releases. They don't give a damn about you or your business. That's how your press release must be written. Here, the phrase "what's in it for me" is crucial.

For preparing a press release, there are particular instructions that cover everything from news angles to press release format. In our comprehensive guide on how to create press releases that gain attention (and results! ), you will find all of them, along with professional comments. 

But what ought to include in a press release? How do you wrap up a press release? What about the structure of a press release? Fortunately, we have all the solutions.

How to Write a Press Release.

Target audience.

The most crucial step is picking the angle that matters to your target audience before you begin crafting the press release itself. 

Keep in mind that a specialist magazine's readers will be much more interested in a subject from a different perspective than those of a local newspaper. For the various groups you are aiming for, you should really write separate versions of your release. 

Remember that journalists are among your target audience in addition to potential readers. Writing effective press releases won't help you if you don't do your research and target the wrong media. 

Structure.

Understanding the press release structure is also crucial if you want to be able to write an effective news release. 

Headline. First things first: for your press release to be effective, it must have a compelling headline. People will read it first and decide whether or not to continue reading afterward depending on what they have read so far. Try to make it brief. As long as it's no more than 110 characters, it will seem more appealing, be simpler to read, and perhaps even inspire a tweet. Make it new, intriguing, and noteworthy because it takes the average person 3 seconds to make a decision.

Lead. Crafting the lead is the second most crucial step in producing a press release. The five W's—what the news is about, who is involved, when and where it happened, and why it matters—as well as other crucial questions will all be answered there for the impatient. 

Use the "miniskirt rule" when writing this section, which states that the lead should be both brief enough to maintain interest and long enough to include the fundamentals. Avoid wasting the journalist's time; you need to stimulate their interest rather than provide them with all the information at once.

Source. Make sure to cite any outside sources on which your press release is based. In doing so, you will increase your audience's perception of your credibility. Be sure the content you link to is authentic and not false information. Except when you are citing your sources at the bottom of your press releases, we do not advise publishing the entire URL. To make your links appear more natural, use anchor text.

Essentials. Provide your audience the pertinent information. And by specifics, we imply the fundamental knowledge required to understand why this press release is noteworthy. Don't create a novel; simply provide a succinct explanation to pique the interest of the reporters so they will write about it.

Quotes. Quotes from press releases are always welcome. Why? They increase the text's diversity and add a new point of view. Quotes can easily increase the readability and interest of your writing, which should be sufficient justification for include them in your press release.

Contact information. Don't forget to include your contact information so that journalists can reach you or anyone else who is worth contacting. It's crucial since they might want to inquire further about the tale. If you overlook this step, your chances of having your release published are next to none.

Boilerplate. If you're wondering how to end a press release, this is the solution: use a boilerplate. If the journalists were interested in you and continued reading to this point, they probably want to learn more about you. They will find any more information about your business or you in the boilerplate. Make it entertaining and fascinating; after all, it serves as your business card, and you want to look good.

Press Release Format.

Let's concentrate on press release format now that we've discussed press release structure. It's actually the same with terrific cuisine or a wonderful gift when it comes to press releases; even if it's exceptional but delivered in subpar packaging, it loses its worth. The majority of us are primarily stimulated visually, thus first impressions are crucial. 

So how should a press release be formatted? There are many ways to distribute a press release, but for now, we'll ignore faxes, snail mail, and messenger pigeons and only pay attention to those that are most frequently employed. Here are some press release formats to take into consideration:

PDF. A few years ago, sending press releases as PDF files was extremely common. The fact that they are hefty, sometimes difficult to copy information from, and don't really seem to be a favorite with journalists make them problematic even though they appear the same on all devices. As many businesses still publish press releases in this format, it is regarded as a standard; nonetheless, it is not a good idea to get acclimated to something that will cause readers so many problems. 

Plain text. Plain text is the next press release type to consider. Although it is unquestionably a safe option, it is also very boring. The whole point of a good press release is that journalists will want to write about it because it is so intriguing, unique, or worthwhile. The release will probably not be recalled if it resembles all the other emails they have read that day.

Interactive press release. It's probably the most recent press release format available. Even though journalists might be a little apprehensive at first, they will undoubtedly remember it. This form is also the most user-friendly because it is simple to copy, download, and forget.

A decent press release should keep in mind that times are changing and that what would have impressed a journalist a few years ago won't do so now. Consider the upcoming trends today and implement them.

Common Mistakes.

Priorities come first. Is your tale really a tale? Is it novel or fascinating? Will those outside of your company actually be interested in it? If you can affirmatively respond to these inquiries, you could be onto something. It might be a good idea to think of something else if it's not brand-new, engaging, or you're not sure if anyone would care.

Get the information out fast and succinctly, and your chances of getting a press release from an email to an editorial meeting will soar. Nail the story in the first few phrases. Because journalists are under more time pressure than ever, it is crucial to convey the main points of the story in the first few lines of a press release. The sooner you get to the point, the better because it's likely they won't have time to read the entire thing.

Make the people quoted in a news release sound human, whether it's a young kid discussing how pleased they are to have landed an apprenticeship or a CEO discussing the most recent financial statistics. Remember to keep your story seeming genuine. For instance, the aforementioned young person is unlikely to use terminology you'd need a dictionary to comprehend. Just try to make sure they're not 'delighted', even if they are. If you're interested, you can find more press release blunders here.