Do you want the media to cover your company or event? You’ll need to write an effective press release. Press releases are a great way to get publicity for your business and tell customers about new products and services. They’re also easy to create with this step-by-step guide!
Get the reader’s attention.
The first thing you should do when drafting a press release is make sure it is attention-grabbing.
The headline of your PR should be powerful and concise so that people will want to read more. It’s also important that the title matches the content of what follows.
A good way to get started with writing headlines is by using a quote from your company or client as a hook. If you don’t have any quotes, try interviewing someone in your organization who can provide interesting insight into their job responsibilities or how they think about their industry; this will make for an excellent starting point for creating a strong headline.
Also, make sure that you use all 5 W’s: who, what (and why), where, and when (or how). This helps readers understand what’s going on with every sentence in your story—it also makes it easier for them to share stories on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter!
Develop a compelling headline.
You’re a journalist. You want people to read your work, and you want them to share it with their friends. That means you need a good headline.
What makes a good headline?
- It’s different from the body of the article: Headlines are meant to be short and sweet, so they don’t have time for details or nuance—they should give readers just enough information to get them interested in reading more.
- It’s specific: A vague headline won’t bring readers in (and could even have the opposite effect). Make sure your title is clear and concise so that people know exactly what they’re getting into when they click through to read your article.
Use the 5 W’s and the H in the opening paragraph — Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
The opening paragraph of your press release should include the 5 W’s and the H.
Who is the target audience? What is the problem? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Why does it matter? How does it affect me?
Include a quote.
Quotes are a great opportunity to add credibility, emotion, authority, and value to your press release. They’re an easy way to make your content more interesting and engaging for readers. Remember that the best quotes are always from people who have relevant expertise in the topic at hand.
For example: An expert on the topic of automobiles could say something like “This new feature is going to revolutionize how we drive our cars!” (credibility). Or maybe you want one of your employees to say something about how excited he or she is about this new product or service (emotion). Or maybe you want someone with a lot of experience talking about why this news matters (authority). When done right, quotes can help increase reader engagement with your content while also adding some much-needed spice!
Write your boilerplate copy.
A boilerplate copy is the information that appears at the top of a press release. You should include who, what, when, where, and why your business is releasing this information in your boilerplate copy.
The who section should be filled out with the name of your company (or organization).
The What section provides information about why you are releasing this press release. This might include any new products or services being released by your business or if there is an event happening that has generated interest from the media.
The Where section will help journalists know where they can find more information about your company and/or event taking place. It’s also important to let them know how much time they have left before it ends so they can plan accordingly for coverage on their end as well!
Each one of these elements will make sure journalists get everything they need from a single source rather than having to hunt down multiple sources across different platforms or locations – which saves both time AND money!
Make your content shareable by adding social media buttons to your press release and posting them on your social channels.
- Make your content shareable by adding social media buttons to your press release and posting them on your social channels.
- Share with the world! Once you’ve published it, don’t forget to share it with people who will find it interesting. You can do this by posting links on Facebook and Twitter or embedding newsfeeds from these sites into your site or blog via a plugin (e.g., Jetpack for WordPress).
Choose a press release distribution service that suits your needs and budget (and check out our list of affordable PR services).
Press releases are a great way to get your name out there and get some publicity, but they’re not always successful. Studies show that only about 20% of press releases ever receive any attention from the media! If you want your press release to be successful, you need to use the right distribution service and make sure it’s well-written.
To pick the right distribution service for your needs and budget, check out our list of affordable PR services.
The key to a successful press release is following best practices for press release writing, distribution, and promotion.
The key to a successful press release is following best practices for press release writing, distribution, and promotion.
Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your efforts:
- Include a compelling headline in the first paragraph that answers the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, and why) or “H” (who/what/where/when/why). You can also use an acronym such as “WHO DID WHAT WHEN WHERE.”
- Add a quote from an expert in your field at the end of your article. This could be someone from within your company or an industry expert who agrees with your message.
- Make sure you include links back to social media accounts so readers can easily follow along with future content related to this press release without having to go through each site separately.
Many steps go into creating an effective press release, but if you follow the tips we’ve provided here, you can create one that will get your audience’s attention and generate results for your business or organization. If you have any questions about writing a press release or would like more information on how to distribute it properly, feel free to reach out – I’m happy to help!
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
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