Build a Better Press Release

Engaging readers with concise, consistent, accurate copy

There are two false presumptions that prevail when first learning to write press releases: that it will be really easy, or really difficult. Approaching the task with either of these extremes in mind will undermine writers from the get-go, because in fact, the truth lies somewhere in between.

With a little preparation and a basic understanding of both your company’s needs and the requirements of your newswire, crafting an effective press release can be speedy and painless. On the other hand, skipping that step – like neglecting to read the manual for your new digital camera or gas-powered barbeque grill – is a recipe for general frustration at best, and a flaming mess at worst.

Keep it Snappy and Smart

Your headline is the first thing anyone sees, so seize the opportunity to craft a statement that is short, eye-catching, informative and enticing. Subheads, when used, are a chance to provide readers with the extra boost to lure them into the full press release. They too must remain concise.

However, brevity is not the only goal here. Headlines and subheads that garner stronger search engine results are those that include the name of the company in question and terms that venture beyond the generic. For example:

Weak Headline and Subhead
Dumpling-Eating Competition Winner Declared on Saturday
Many people participated in the world-famous challenge

Better Headline and Subhead
Beijing Dumpling-Eating Contest Sees Surprise Winner
7-Year-Old Girl Triumphs Over Hundreds

The stronger headline and subhead still manage to convey all the information of the lengthier versions, while doing so in a way that has a better chance of convincing readers that the content is interesting or relevant to them.

Journalists who receive your content have a choice in whether or not to run with it, but the majority of content ends up on the web via other channels, so it’s essential that the headline, when viewed as standalone text as on a news page or Twitter feed, be written appealingly in order to encourage readers to click through to the full press release.

But the pressure doesn’t end there. You’re reading this on a screen right now, and so you know as well as anyone else how readers are bombarded incessantly with information. Those who make it past a headline and subhead may read the first paragraph and then move on to the next story. It is therefore essential that that first paragraph relays all the information time-strapped readers require, while still trying to draw them further into the story.

One way of ensuring readers and journalists don’t toss a release to the side is by keeping the content as newsworthy as possible. Do this by providing information that is useful to the target audience, taking care not to get distracted with overly flowery language or tangential topics. For most subjects, around 400 words is plenty.

Consistency and Credibility

A company will never need just one press release in its lifetime, so it’s important to maintain consistency in how they are presented. Not only does this increase the company’s credibility in the eyes of journalists, stakeholders and the general public, but making sure certain boxes are ticked each time a release is drafted ensures that it efficiently moves from production to distribution.

Basic points to check before sending a press release include:

• Is the dateline accurate?
• Is the point person’s contact information appropriate and correct?
• Is the company or product name correct and used consistently throughout? (It seems straightforward, but this appears as a problem more often than one might think.)
• Is the source of the release clear?
• Is the content attributed correctly?
• Are all URLs and anchor text links configured properly?
• Are references to celebrities, legal matters or public companies done in accordance with the standards of the newswire?
• Do you have an appropriate image to include with your release?

Sensational content or that which makes unsubstantiated allegations will send up an immediate red flag with readers and reporters, as will broken links or errors in names and contact data.

All of this information should be cross-checked during proofreading. Establishing a style guide, while time-consuming at the start, is an extra step that will help you and your proofreaders eliminate many future questions about spelling, punctuation and grammar.

As the saying goes, “An ounce of caution is worth a pound of cure.” A lot of trouble can be saved by getting the little things right the first time around.

Beyond the Facts

Content accuracy is a clear and essential component of any good press release, but a great press release goes beyond presenting readers with a correct but staid blob of text. High-quality content should read like a news story, immediately catching the attention of the journalists who receive it. And what components are needed to make a press release appear most newsworthy?

• For journalists, the best content is informative and appears to have no bias. The material should not be able to be confused for an advertisement;
• Content should be clear, straightforward and written in the third person only, with the exception of quotes;
• Quotes from a relevant and prominent individual in your company give your release authority and provide a space to allow for more opinionated or colorful content. A quote makes a press release far more interesting to journalists than one without, unless that quote is rehashed, generalized information about the company that doesn’t tell readers anything new.

Know Your Audience

These days, journalists are no longer relied upon as the exclusive gatekeepers of content. The internet enables companies to reach every audience imaginable, but gearing content toward everybody isn’t really an effective strategy for maximizing a press release’s potential.

When writing, keep a tight focus and think about keywords – the kinds of words you would enter in a search engine when seeking this content instead of providing it. Try not to think only about what it is the company is trying to say; think as well about what the audience needs to hear.

By paying close attention to these details, not only does the process of crafting a press release from start to finish becomes streamlined and painless, but the potential for the information to reach a wider audience is maximized. There’s no reason, then, to allow bad press releases to hold information back when clean, credible and concise content can be boosting your company’s good name.