When to write a press release and how to publish it
A press release is more than an announcement about what is happening in your business. It is a sales tool and works especially well if there is a newsworthy story behind it.
You can write your release as if you were an outside reporter, providing some good quotes and information from the main drivers and shakers, whether within your company, clients, or field. Then you need to figure out who to send it to to make it worth your while.
The setup of a press release is standard across the industry. You need to write it this way for any news organization to take it seriously.
Headline
There is a right way and a wrong way to write a headline for a press release. They should be bold, capitalized with the first word, carry the correct keywords, and grab the attention of your audience as well as the gatekeeper.
Body copy
You have to put the name of the city and state, as well as the date, on the first line. Then include an attention-grabbing first sentence that leads the reader to want to read more about the story. You want to avoid using filler words and make the body of the text as compact as possible. State only the facts and save the smoke and fluff for another marketing copy.
Who, what, when, why, where and how
As you type, try to answer the five w’s and the h’s as well. This will help you keep your copy short and to the point. You want to put the most newsworthy information at the beginning and end of the press release.
Make it press ready
Remember that no one is going to edit your content for you. It should be ready to print and edit. Check your spelling and verify the information you include.
Give them more
At the end, you can include links or even a QR code that directs people to find out more about your event or business. Providing that little bit of extra information can make the difference whether your press release gets published or not.
Send it to the right people
A great key to getting your press release out is getting it to the right people. Many press release companies are not sincere when it comes to this part. They cover the press release regardless of where it goes. Do not do that. Send it to the right people. That may mean you need to do some research first.