The following list offers many examples of press release worthy situations. See if your news item is found somewhere on this list, but if not then you may want to examine things a little closer before deciding to write a press release.
- Recent book or other publication
- New product launch or major change to an existing product
- A significant corporate event
- Charities and fundraisers
- Recent collaboration or merger
- Corporate blog launch
- Free giveaway, contest or other competition
- Share recent statistics from a consumer report
- Welcoming recently hired employee or announce existing employee promotion
Now, let’s go over the fundamental elements of an effective press release, as well as how to format each of them.
The Headline or Summary: The headline of a press release is arguably the most crucial part, since it will determine whether or not a person reads it. Press release headlines should pack a strong punch — you must grab the readers attention with your headline, and not waste any time in doing so. Eye-tracking studies have shown that website visitors tend to focus on only the first few words of a headline, when scanning over reading material.
- Keep in mind, a press release is written for journalists and reporters so it’s absolutely essential to deliver a relevant message that matters to people. If your story is insignificant, don’t expect much of a response. Or your story may be truly inspiring, but your headline was written poorly and what you have to say will go unnoticed just the same. Also, remember that journalists and reporters sift through countless other news stories and press releases daily, so be sure to set yourself apart from others within your industry. Give them as many good reasons to keep reading as you can using only one sentence that will act as your headline.
- The sub-headline should back up the statement made in your headline. Think of it as a continuation, an extra nugget of information about the topic mentioned in the headline. This should also entice the reader’s curiosity, further convince them to read the rest of it. In some cases, it can even be a different way of phrasing the headline.
- As for formatting, the headline should always be in title case.
The Lead: The next part of a press release is the lead, which needs to answer the following questions: “who?” “what?” “where?” “when?” and “how?” (and sometimes “why” also). This should provide the most important information regarding your piece of news, since many readers will only scan over the first paragraph, without reading the release all the way through. Journalists will also be skimming many different news releases each day, so it’s important to answer the essential questions right off the bat.
- Use your lead paragraph to tell the reporter who is involved in your news story, what they are doing, why they are doing it, how it will affect others, why it matters, where it is happening, and why they should be interested in finding out more about it.
- Always write your press releases in the third person!
The Body: The body of a press release should expand on the points mentioned in the lead. It typically consists of 2-4 paragraphs that offer additional information about your piece of news. Use the body as an opportunity to illustrate a real life situation or example that helps bring your story to life.
- A great way to catch the attention of a journalist is to tie your story into a current event. If you own a green company that specializes in environmentally friendly products, then mentioning your charity efforts to help clean the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico would be an outstanding way to grab the reader’s attention and appeal to their philanthropic emotions. It automatically makes your story newsworthy when you connect it to a recently popular story or current event.
- It’s also pretty standard to include a quote somewhere in the body of the press release, to add some credibility. You can quote anyone involved in your news story. A couple of examples are the president or CEO of a company, or even the findings from a recent study publication. These help to reinforce your news story because the sources are considered authorities within their industry.
- Include a quote in the body, from an important person involved in your release
The Boilerplate: The last part of a press release is the boilerplate. Think of this as the “about us” section for your company or the organization behind the news story. This section should be labeled “about” and should generally be a short paragraph, usually 4 or 5 sentences.
- The boilerplate should offer a snapshot of your company’s history. Important information to include can range from names of key employees, notable products or services offered, major accomplishments, past projects, industry connections, or even goals and company visions. The boilerplate is really just a chance to show a glimpse of who is behind the story, to add a human element to the news. Always be professional, however. Avoid mentioning anything that does not have relevance to your story.
- At the end of your press release, include “###” (without the quotations) on a separate line. This is considered proper press release formatting!