In 2018 at the era of digital marketing, it would be wrong to think that a press release is an outdated tool. It is actually still journalists’ favourite work document when writing about organisations. Journalists process tons of information. In that matter, a press release gathers all the general information needed about a news story and helps the journalists to be more efficient in their job.
It is a powerful and free tool that would ensure credibility to your organisation.
You will find in this article some tips and examples to help you spread your news more efficiently.
The main purpose of a press release
A press release is the main tool used in Public Relations. It is a short document - usually not more than one written page - introducing, for example, an event, the launch of a new product or a milestone sent to journalists in order to inform them. If you want your press release to be picked up by journalists or other media influencers, make sure not to make it sound like an advertisement. If interested, a journalist would reach out to you, get more information and write an article based upon the press release.
The main objective of a press release is to achieve (free) media coverage for your organisation. This means that you need to raise the interest of journalists. Indeed, your goal is to make the journalists want to write about your organisation.
Small companies, startups and freelancers should not distance themselves from press releases.
The format of the best press release
If you want your press release to appear professional make sure that the following sections are included:
Headline: The reader must have a clear understanding of the content that will follow.
Date: Specify the release date.
Subheading: Be concise. This should not be longer than five lines. Have in mind that a journalist in a hurry would only read this section.
Body/Content: Deepen your information here, from the most important information to the least one.
Boilerplate: Briefly present your organisation here. The section may include a link to your website.
Contact information: Specify the press contact information. Journalists need to be able to reach you directly. Make sure to include your name, position, phone number and mail.
So now the structure is under control. But what about the content? How do you get that awesome press release read? Have a look at the steps below.
6 tips to nail your press release
Your main information should be visible and understandable in both the headline and subheading.
Don’t be fluffy, use short sentences, you need to go straight to the point.
Get a quote from a key stakeholder.
Don’t use technical jargon or acronyms, the journalist won’t spend time on decoding your information.
Keep away from superlative words. Your goal is to arouse interest, not to sell your product or service.
Again, keep it simple, your objective is to get the media's attention and facilitate their job.
The format and length of your press release matter. Especially when you know that a journalist will spend only a few seconds on it before deciding to toss it or not. This is not an exact science but a good press release should fall into 300-600 words.
You are almost there, your press release is structured and the content is professional. It is time for you to distribute it.
How to distribute a press release?
You spent a lot of time on the writing and the validation of your press release. What will come after is key so this would not have been done in vain. It is time for distribution.
What you want now is your press release to get picked up by the media. Then you need to target your audience. Send your press release to a relevant list of media, journalists, reporters, bloggers and influencers. You need to figure if your news is more relevant for generalist or specialist media people. For greater reach, you can also use an online distribution platform such as Hype.News - which is a free press platform, that allows you to publish your press releases.