How to write an effective Press Release?

Do you have important news about your company that you want to share publicly? Then you might need a press release. If you don't know where to start, let's see how to do it together through a step-by-step guide. Let's start?

Premise

I tell you right away that if you want to write a beautiful and effective press release, the best way to do it is to hire a professional or to hire a PR agency.

Writing and distributing a press release is a complex activity that requires some experience and a number of pre-existing relationships, but I understand that we are not always in a position to afford this expense.

It happens that the budgets for marketing and communication are cut (which are often "perpetually "rolling"). But it also happens that sometimes there is no budget precisely because perhaps we are in a newly established startup and the capital must necessarily be used elsewhere.

In these cases the art of knowing how to get by becomes fundamental!

First: What is a press release?

A press release, also known as a news release or press release, is an official document that an organization issues to the media and the public to share relevant news.

A press release can therefore be a written or recorded statement that provides information about a new product or service, an event, a partnership, a promotion or any other news that the company has the desire to communicate externally.

Of course, a well-written press release can help gain free media coverage, generate interest around our brand, and help build our authority in the industry.

However, it is important to write a press release that is interesting, clear and easily understandable - as well as usable with great ease by journalists and our interlocutors.

But how to write an effective press release?

Let's see how to write it together, but it requires careful planning and a well-defined structure.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to write an attention-grabbing press release. Let's go by points:

1. Identify the goal of your press release

Before you start writing your press release, it's important to be clear about the goal of your communication. Ask yourself: What is the main story or piece of information you want to share? What is the key message you want to convey? What do you want to achieve by forwarding this press release?

Identifying the goal will help you maintain focus and consistency as you write.

2. How to choose an engaging headline for your press release?

The headline of your press release is the first thing journalists will see, so it's important to make it engaging and interesting from the very first line they read – the bold, bold headline.

Use clear, direct language and include the most important information in your opening sentence or if you need more space use a subheading.

The headline should grab the reader's attention and provide an overview of the story you're sharing.

3. Write an engaging introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of your press release is critical to grabbing the reporter's attention. Use this paragraph to answer the basic questions: who, what, when, where and why.

Provide clear and concise context about the story you are sharing and try to engage the reader immediately. Journalists receive dozens of press releases every day, we must give them a good reason so that it is convenient for them to dedicate their time to our press release and not to someone else's.

4. Develop your press release with details and quotes

After the introductory paragraph, develop your press release further by providing additional detail and pertinent quotes from some senior figure in the company, such as business executives or industry experts. In order to provide some authoritative contribution to the news.

Describe the news in detail, explain its meaning and the importance that the news could have for the public of that publication. This must be evident in the press release, because it is by no means certain that the journalist has the desire or the time to question himself and understand it independently. We have to help him. Wondering if we have to feed him ready-made baby food? The answer is yes.

5. Use a clear and organized structure

Keep your press release organized using a clear, well-defined structure. Use short paragraphs and separate key sections with headings, subheadings, and spaces. This will make your press release easy to read and understandable for journalists who decide to skim through it. Also, use bulleted or numbered lists to highlight key points and make all text flow.

I tell you this because the formatting and presentation of your press release is important to making it look professional and easy to read. Use a clear and legible font. I'm not telling you to use Verdana or Arial, but it must be readable.

Finally, make sure your text is well spaced. Use bold headlines and subheadings to separate key sections, and use bulleted or numbered lists whenever possible.

6. Include a link to a folder with photos

Include a link to a folder with any photos that might be useful to the newspaper. Product photos, close-ups of the speaker and who is mentioned in the press release, company photos, and any images or videos you think might be useful to anyone deciding to publish the article.

All high-definition images must be shared in order, with easily understandable names and files that can be downloaded with a click from a dropbox or similar. The journalist must not waste time.

7. Include contact details and company information

Be sure to include contact details prominently in your press release so reporters can easily call you for more information or interviews. Provide a valid phone number and email address and make sure they are easily visible at the top or bottom of your press release.

Also, include a brief description of the company or organization at the end of the press release, if you think the journalist goes to your site, if he studies it and summarizes the about us page, you really have no idea who you are dealing with .

8. Review and Edit

Before submitting your press release, be sure to review it carefully to correct any grammatical or typo errors. I always make someone else reread it too… because sometimes I can't see my mistakes by rereading it myself.

If you don't have anyone at all, wait a while and read your press release aloud to make sure the text is flowing and coherent.

9. Distribution of the press release

Once you've finalized your press release, it's time to distribute it to relevant reporters and media outlets. You can email your press release to specific journalists or use online distribution services that reach a wide range of media outlets.

In this case, be sure to follow the media release distribution guidelines and procedures of the media outlet you are targeting.

Of course, it is always better to build a relationship of trust with journalists in time, but if you are at your first press release, try at least to select journalists and contacts who have already written about topics related to your press release in the past. Don't pick journalists' names at random and then forward your release to them as a spam email. That too would be of no use.

Remember to always forward the CS also in Word. Of course, if you want you can send it in pdf format, but if your press release makes an impact, the journalist will never want to waste time copying the information he needs by hand. Journalists are in a hurry and if you help them, you increase the chances that the release will be published.

10. Press release promotion

Once your press release has been published in the media, it's important to promote it to maximize its visibility. Share articles in the press on your social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. They have satisfied you, let them understand that you appreciate their work.

Conclusions

Writing an effective press release can help you share your news with the public and gain media coverage. By following the steps and tips outlined in this article, you'll be able to write an effective and well-structured press release.