Press Release Tips

Write ~ Send ~  Services ~ Publicity Resources

How to Write a Press Release

First, make sure your press release is newsworthy and has broad, general interest. Some examples of topics that publications are likely to cover are:

• Announcements of new products or services, or of sweeping changes to existing ones
• Expert opinions about legislation or current events
• Exceptionally good news about a company
• Interesting tidbits of information or trivia, such as noteworthy statistics or unusual events

Topics that have little direct impact on readers, such as changes in management, are not likely to be covered.

Write your press release clearly, and avoid hype. Editors read thousands of press releases, and they aren't likely to be swayed by marketing pitches. More importantly, a clear, concise statement of the news is more easily written into an article or brief.

The best press releases follow this general structure:

Two-Sentence Abstract

This is what editors use to evaluate the press release. The abstract should clearly state the news and explain why it is important.

Detailed Explanation

Give all the details of the news, and explain its implications. It helps to offer your interpretation of the news, especially if it may be hard to understand. Explain how this compares to other happenings in the field. Provide some history, if possible.

Background Information

Provide information that non-specialists need to know to understand the news. Remember, the press release will eventually be presented to the general public. Also, the editor may not be familiar with the topic, and may need background information to evaluate the news.

Offer to provide more information, if you can. The easier it is to write about your news, the more likely it will be published.

Company Information

Give a brief description of your business, and include corporate background or history if it is available. This helps editors understand your business so they can write about it.

Editors honestly do like publicizing the information they receive in press releases. Sometimes, though, a press release has been so poorly written that it is difficult to use. When this happens, it is usually because the author of the press release is trying to sell his/her product or service rather than provide information about it.

Remember to stick to the current news. Don't try to impress an editor by listing everything your company has ever done. Your accomplishments may be astounding, but if they're not timely and relevant they won't be published.

Provide the facts so that editors have something to report. Don't fill your press release with puffery and hype. At best it will be ignored as unfounded conjecture. At worst it will seem disingenuous and cast doubts on whatever news you have.

Here's a suggested format for your news release (check with your local paper):

NEWS RELEASE

 Attention: Editor or Section
Date release sent

 Contact: You or your manager's name and title
Address:
Daytime phone:
Evening phone:
E-mail address:

Date for release to public

Title [centered]

Copy (body of release, align left)

-End- [centered]

Here are tips and tutorials on writing press releases:

Publicity Resources:

A Publicity Primer
GuestFinder
press-release-writing.com
The Tenagra Corporation - Internet Publicity Resources

To send out a press release:

Internet Wire
OnlinePressReleases.com
PRWeb
WebWire first release is free

Send it yourself: