How much do consumers know about your brand? Are they well informed about the product or service you offer? If customers can’t find the information they’re looking for online, they might take their business elsewhere.
Around 80% of consumers research a business online before they make a purchase. Creating a press release could help you offer consumers the information they need.
At the same time, press release writing can boost your digital marketing strategy. You can generate more brand awareness, trust, and website traffic. That’s only the start.
Not sure how to write a press release? Here are the tips you need for success!
With these tips, you can write a press release that stands out from the rest. Journalists will start distributing your releases, helping you reach more customers.
Read on to learn more about press release writing today!
The Basic Outline
Before you create your first press release, it helps to understand the structure. Journalists will expect you to follow this format. Otherwise, they might toss your release into the trash bin.
First, you’ll need a strong, attention-grabbing headline. Make sure your headline is clear and focuses on the meat of your release. It should grab the journalist’s and reader’s attention.
Without a strong headline, your release might head straight to the trash.
You’ll need to include the date, time, and location at the top of the page, too. Let the reader know if you’re scheduling an upcoming event. Otherwise, mention your company’s location.
Next, you’ll need to create a strong lead paragraph. The lead should highlight the who, what, when, where, how, and why. If you don’t provide the relevant information in the lead paragraph, journalists could stop reading.
Then, you’ll use the inverted pyramid style to organize your body content. The inverted pyramid style focuses on the most important information at the top.
If you need to trim your press release down, you can start from the bottom of the page.
You’ll need to include a boilerplate, too. The boilerplate mentions relevant details about your business.
Finally, you’ll include your contact information at the bottom of the page. These details will ensure journalists can get in touch if needed.
9 Tips for Writing an Effective Press Release
Now that you have an idea of what your press release should look like, let’s discuss press release writing. Here are a few tips that can help you write an effective press release.
Don’t forget to edit it thoroughly once you’re done with your first draft! You don’t want to send a journalist a release full of typos. They might toss your release out otherwise.
1. Determine the Angle
First, consider the article’s purpose and angle. How will people perceive the story? When determining the angle, you can focus on the five Ws:
- Who is involved
- What happened
- Where it happened
- When it happened
- Why the audience should know about it
Maybe you want to discuss the impact an event will have on a local community. Perhaps you want to discuss a milestone your company achieved. Either way, the angle will keep your article focused.
2. Use an Attention-Grabbing Headline
You need to grab the reader’s attention as soon as they look at your press release. Otherwise, you’ve already lost readers.
Keep your headline short and concise. It should also:
- Sound honest
- Use vivid adjectives
- Feature action-oriented verbs
- Communicate excitement and urgency
Make sure the headline focuses on the article’s main purpose.
You can add a short subheading under the headline to hint at a little more information.
3. Improve the Lead
The lead paragraph should include:
- The story’s angle
- The five Ws
- Reasons for audience engagement
Put the most important information in your lead paragraph. Keep it short and concise. Don’t forget to use the inverted pyramid style.
4. Demonstrate the Story’s Value
What value are you offering readers? Why should a journalist bother distributing your article?
Make sure the press release suits your target audience. Otherwise, they’ll feel like their effort was in vain. You can use market research to make sure your release suits your audience.
Write with each distribution channel in mind, too. You can learn how to submit your press release to a distribution channel here.
5. Include Quotes
Add quotes to your release to give it more credibility. Try to quote important designations holders or investors.
Make sure the quote is relevant to the context of the release, too.
6. Remain Clear and Concise
As you read over your press release, make sure to cut out the fluff. You don’t want to waste the reader’s time. Instead, keep the writing clear and concise.
7. Think Like the Reader
It helps to think like a journalist as you learn how to write a press release. Make sure the content is engaging and high-quality. Keep it short and crisp.
Otherwise, you could lose the reader’s attention.
8. Add Multimedia
Four times as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read an article. Meanwhile, conversion rates could increase by 15% if you add videos to your landing pages.
Consider adding multimedia to your press releases to grab and keep the reader’s attention. Multimedia can add more depth and value to your press releases.
Adding imagery could help your press release stand out from the hundreds that journalists receive each day, too.
9. Include Your Info
Don’t forget to add the boilerplate and your contact information to the bottom of the press release. Journalists and readers might want to get in touch with you.
Include the:
- Name and designation of the media contact
- Email address
- Phone number
For your boilerplate, you can add a brief description of your company. You can also include the:
- Name of the company
- Company goals
- Company size
- A short statement on the goals you’ve achieved
- Date of foundation
Include the boilerplate with every release you create.
Writing a Wow-Worthy Press Release: Your Guide to Gaining Media Coverage
Don’t miss a chance to boost brand awareness and reach your customers. Instead, keep these tips for writing an attention-grabbing press release in mind. With these tips, you can increase your chances of gaining media coverage.
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