Press releases can be your business’ best friend when it comes to putting your name out there to attract potential customers. Press builds trust with potential customers. Public relations (PR) can be tricky and it isn’t always the easiest task. A question most commonly asked is: How do you write a great press release that gets the attention of not only your target market but of journalists as well?

There’s no single way to write a press release, but there are proven practices that can help you write one that will peak journalists interested and get published.

On targeting writers and journalists

Similar to other marketing efforts, press releases need to be targeted at specific audiences. It’s important to consider who you’re writing for when scouting for publications because each website or newspaper has its specific target market and reader audience.

When you carelessly send a press release to a writer whose publication has little or nothing to do with your business field, it will almost always end getting ignored. The first step to writing a compelling piece is pinpointing your audience before work your way up the media within that market.

A proper structure is key

A good essay has three parts — Introduction, body, and conclusion. For press releases, it’s a tad bit more complex than that. 

“Heading“

The first thing people will read in your press releases is your heading, so you can already gauge how crucial it is to write one that will catch their attention. Keep it short, easy, and fresh. It takes a reader 3 seconds to decide if they want to open your article, so make the most out of it!

“Introduction“

Impatient readers want their information from the first paragraph they read. You need to draw them in.  This is what the introduction paragraph is for. Write what the news is about, when and where it happened, who is involved, and why it’s worth reporting on. 

“Details“

Dive deeper into your topic by giving your readers the essential details. An effective paragraph will get your readers and writers excited about what you want to publish.

“Quotes“

Quotes are an excellent way to make an experience relatable to your audience. When people share their thoughts on a business venture, it sounds less like an advertisement and more like a genuine recommendation. Use quotes to your advantage and make your writeup more exciting and convincing.

“Contact Information“

When sending in your press release, always include your contact details so the writers can get in touch for additional questions. Some might want to schedule interviews, a phone call with you or even visits your office.

“Boilerplate“

Your writers would want to know more about you and your company, and the best place to put that is at the end of your press release. This is likewise additional information that they can include in their writeup so that readers can get a glimpse of your venture.

File format matters

We often don’t think about it, but saving your press release in the correct format is essential, too! You can send it out as a PDF, plain text or interactive release. One thing to keep in mind is that it will ultimately depend on the writer and the publication you’re trying to reach. The format and overall look of your press release is their first impression of your writeup. It pays to create a strategy for this.

What shouldn’t you do?

Telling you what not to do is much easier than giving you tips on what to do. We rounded up a few things that you should avoid when writing a press release.

1. It’s an obvious advert

Consumers value authenticity, above all. When writing press release quotes, it’s easy to put words that praise too much and are too technical. Remember, the best quotes are the ones that seem like they came from an everyday person or customer. It’s important for the quote to be authentic.

2. Get to the point

Most readers are impatient. If you write too much before getting to your main point, chances are they will close the browser window within a few seconds of opening your writeup. Try to keep it as straight-to-the-point and straightforward as possible, with all crucial information available almost immediately after they start reading.

3. Your headline is boring

Without a headline to hook your readers, your press release is no use. Creative parts of the writeup are just as important as the facts and information you include in your piece. Give the readers something to be curious about, so you can translate those clicks into leads!

Now that we’ve laid out all of these for you, it’s your time to start writing a great press release for your venture. The one thing you need to remember when talking about your venture is this: Stay true to your brand and be authentic to your readers. Taking this advice will always pay off in the end.

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