The Foundation of Successful Media Relations
Press releases are the foundation of a successful media relations campaign. They are used to communicate with the public and to draw the attention of target groups and stakeholders to company-related issues.
The purpose of a press release is to raise awareness of the company, its products, and services, inform stakeholders about essential issues, and highlight innovations and personnel changes. But the benefits of a press release go beyond disseminating information. They can directly or indirectly affect your company's image.
Purpose & Strategic Value of Press Releases
Understanding why press releases matter for your business growth
What Is The Purpose Of The Press Release?
Press releases are widely distributed to people interested in news stories related to your company or brand. However, a press release does not necessarily mean a news story in the real sense at all. It is a guide for journalists to help them create content for consumers.
Key Insight: A press release should adequately convey a specific message. Remember that only an organization issues a press release, not an individual journalist. This press release has to contain detailed information, but not too much or offensive information.
With The Help Of Press Release Writing, You Can:
The Foundation: Mastering The W Questions
Essential framework for effective press release writing
Who? What? When? Where? How? Why?
When writing a press release, you should start with the most critical questions. This information should be included at the beginning of the press release, just like any other information.
A common mistake when writing a press release is to include the wrong information. The most important information is in the first or second paragraph. However, the subject of the press release should be clearly stated in the headline.
12 Essential Steps For Writing A Great Press Release
Proven methodology to ensure your press release gets read and published
Know The Value Of Your Release
Company events and news lend themselves particularly well to writing a press release. Find out whether your news is of interest to your target audience or the industry and its professionals.
Examples of Topics:
Follow The KISS Principle: Keep It Short And Simple
Always keep this in mind when writing a press release. If possible, format the text so that it can be published. This means that the text should be as short as possible. Do not use structured sentences when writing a press release.
Who is actually "one"? Describe exactly: who did what? Use active verbs. Do not use passive verbs when writing a press release. There's a reason your company is liked by your competitors. Pronouns often lead to passive voice. Your company doesn't give advice, but customers like it when you do.
Difficult words are often unpleasant and can be paraphrased. When writing a press release, try to clarify unnecessary words and omit unnecessary words and acronyms. In the end, everyone should be able to understand the text. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who is not familiar with this area and reread the last sentence of Stained Glass. Notice the repetition of the words. Synonyms can make the message more attractive.
KISS Principle Checklist:
Structure Your Message According To The 5 W-Questions
Make notes on the answers to the most critical 5 W-questions in your message:
What?
- What is the central message of your message?
- What is the central subject of your message?
- What is the news?
Where?
- Where does the event take place?
- In which places does the message have an impact?
Who?
- Who are the main protagonists (people, company, and brand)?
- Who is affected by it?
- To whom does the subject of the report have an impact?
- Who is affected?
How?
- How does the subject matter of the notification affect it?
- How does it work?
- How does something work?
Why?
- Why is something done?
- Why does something have to take place?
- Why is it worth reporting?
Prepare A Professional Press Release Format
A good press release will get the attention of journalists if you write it well crafted and will be taken seriously. A press release has several parts. After a journalist gets a press release, they look for information that they believe their readers will be interested in. Therefore, if the information is inaccurate or incorrectly described, the press release may be deleted or discarded.
The structure of the press release depends on the distribution channel. When sending a press release to media outlets such as blogs or newspapers, follow the press release structure suggested on this page. If you send a press release through a news portal or PR network, always make sure you follow the guidelines.
Each press release consists of several parts, which should be written in a specific order. This is important for clarity and effectiveness.
Front Page - Headline
Your headline sets the title of the press release. This title should make it clear to the reader what the press release has to say. A good headline grabs the reader's attention and makes them want to know more.
Place And Date
The date section of the press release tells the reader where your organization is located and how relevant the information is. For example, if your organization is based in New York City, the date section would look like this: New York, November 19, 2024.
Main Content Section
The main section should include all relevant information and be divided into three parts:
- Body/Introductory text: Briefly describe the topic in 2-3 sentences immediately following the date
- Introductory paragraph: Provide information on the main subject, should be self-contained
- Central part: Focus on the subject providing additional information about service or product
Company Profile
At the bottom of your text, include information about the organization that created it. This information should include basic information such as the year the organization was founded, the purpose of its activities, and the services it provides.
Contact Details
Allowing journalists to contact you is essential. Provide the postal address, telephone number, and email address of the person who can contact you about this article. You may also include links to your organization's website and social media accounts.
Meeting The Official Criteria
The press release should be one A4 page in length. A press release should average between 3000 and 5000 characters. It should not exceed two pages and should include a title, logo, and contact details.
Use Paragraphs And Subheadings:
This will make it easier and faster for the reader to understand the content. Paragraphs that are too long make reading difficult.
Consider The Reading Behavior Of Online Press Releases:
Online users first scan a horizontal line at the beginning of the page. Only the first paragraph receives increased attention at the beginning. Therefore, use a subline to tell the reader right at the beginning what to expect.
The user then begins to scan the page vertically along the left margin. In doing so, the first words of the paragraphs are read. The reader does not consciously notice words in the right-hand area.
Subheadings and paragraphs give the eye orientation. They help the online reader to grasp content during the first-page scan.
Provide High-Quality Images:
A professional press release provides suitable images to illustrate the message and for use in the media.
Enter A Contact Person:
Mail address, telephone number, and website are a must for journalists who have questions or need additional material.
Address The Right Distribution List:
The right addressees and the proper distribution list are crucial for the success of your press release. Either use contacts you already have at regional or national daily newspapers or the trade press relevant to your sector, or use the PRnob service.
Observe Basic Stylistic Rules
Write Precisely
A press release is a purely informative text. When formulating your text, make sure that the reader immediately understands your text's central added value. Avoid filler words and keep your sentences as simple as possible. Avoid box sentences and long flowing texts without paragraphs. Use subheadings so that the reader can quickly find their way around.
Avoid Technical Terms And Foreign Words
This way, your sentences remain easy to understand and can also be read by addressees who are not experts. This is a significant issue in online PR, as press releases reach the general public and thus laypeople right from the start. If technical terms are indispensable, you must always explain them.
Stay Factual
Promotional press releases tend to be perceived as uninteresting and unserious. Limit yourself to facts, figures, and data instead of using superlatives and exaggerations. Filler words distract from the facts and make your release challenging to read.
Write Actively
Active constructions make your sentences more readable and appealing. If possible, formulate with verbs (activity word or time word) and do not use Nouns.
Example:
Use Quotations
Quotations loosen up the text and make the content more authentic. They are also an opportunity to include subjective and evaluative statements.
Have Your Text Proofread
This will ensure that your text is understandable and the content is correct. Avoid mistakes in spelling and grammar at all costs, and it looks unprofessional.
Use High-Quality Images
Free, technically flawless image material significantly increases the chance of publication.
Technical Requirements:
- Offer pictures in portrait and landscape format
- The minimum requirement for print media is an image resolution of 300 dpi. A higher resolution rarely makes sense and unnecessarily increases the data volume for digital transmission.
- For pure online media, a resolution of 72 dpi is sufficient. Print media require images in CMYK color mode, online media in RGB.
- The most suitable file format is the widely used JPG format, which can be displayed by most professional graphics processing programs and offers a good ratio of image quality to data volume.
- Each photo must be accompanied by precise information: Who and/or what is being seen?
IMPORTANT: Only photos whose rights of use you have in writing may be used. This applies above all to the persons depicted. This can be particularly problematic at events.
Avoid Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Company-Centric Focus
The press release only serves the company's interests and ignores the target group of journalists. Inexperienced writers often primarily consider the company's interests and try to satisfy their management with the press release. In doing so, however, you are ignoring the actual target group, the journalists. Please note: Just because a topic is essential for your company internally, it is not automatically interesting for journalists.
Mistake 2: Confusing PR with Advertising
The Press Release Is Confused With An Advertising Text. A press release is a public relations tool, not an advertisement. Promotional press releases are perceived as uninteresting and unserious. In the case of daily newspapers and popular magazines, advertising in the editorial section is even prohibited and subject to warning.
Remember Editorial Deadlines
When planning and setting up your press distribution list, consider that many media have an editorial deadline for publication. In the case of urgent reports, a late dispatch of your report can hinder a timely publication. But even for less urgent, longer-term topics, it makes sense to keep an eye on the media's editorial deadline. For example, specialized media often have a long lead time for submitting topics. You can usually find information about the editorial deadline in the media data of the relevant medium. Create different press distribution lists which you structure according to the submission deadlines.
The Boilerplate - Your Business Card
Don't forget to inform the reader about the sender of the press release with a compact company portrait. The boilerplate is a short, factual paragraph of text with the most critical information about your company that should appear at the end of every release. The more unknown your company or products are, the more details you should include.
Mandatory Information:
- Full name and company form
- Head office of the company as well as other locations and branches
- Date of foundation (if applicable, details on founders and deviating field of activity)
- Industry / field of activity / product portfolio / specialization
- Popular products or brands
- Number of employees/company size / relevant turnover figures
Optional Information:
- Innovations / patents / milestones / awards
- Special customers / references
- Corporate mission
What Should The Press Release Not Contain?
Inaccurate information in a press release can frustrate readers. In addition, the press release should contain only one piece of information. Create a separate release for each new item. For example, if you plan to launch a new product and organize a special event, you should not combine both in one press release.
It is also important not to mention competitors in the press release. Remember that the purpose of a press release is to promote your company. The journalist writing the article will read the press release and, if necessary, seek information about the competitor. Of course, you can also mention partnerships with other organizations if they are relevant to the press release's content.
Strategic Distribution Of Press Releases
Once you have prepared a compelling press release and checked it for errors, you can send it to journalists, bloggers, and news agencies for publication. Compile a list of your favorite media outlets and check their websites to see if they have requirements for press release distribution. Many news organizations specify to whom press releases should be sent and in what format. Most organizations accept Word, PDF, and hypertext files.
You may be tempted to send a press release to all media outlets in your area. However, make sure you only send the press release to media that are interested in the topic. For example, if you are organizing a live event, you should only send the press release to publications covering the event. Do not send the press release to media outlets that do not have a calendar of events. Sending multiple press releases can backfire.
You can distribute a press release online through a press release distribution service such as Prnob.com, which can be helpful if you are in a crowded market or have not yet managed to get the attention of journalists.
Best Practices And Tips
A press release is a professional document. Proper grammar, spelling, and formatting are essential. A serious tone is also essential. Avoid making exaggerated claims about your product or service.
Avoid exaggerated descriptions and words or phrases such as "best," "easiest," or "most luxurious." Exaggerated claims are biased and annoy journalists who want to judge the value of the product, service, or event they are covering. Fortunately, exaggerated descriptions are relatively easy to avoid. For example, instead of "this product is the easiest for consumers to use," you could write, "this product is designed to be easy to use."
The Important Steps: Checklist For Writing A Press Release
Complete verification guide for perfect press release execution
Tone And Style
Structure Verification
Final Review
Master Press Release Writing
If you have written the perfect press release, check out our press release distribution services. However, if you don't have much time, can't find topics, or would like to have your press release written, get our professional support.
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