Hey there,
Thanks for rejoining my TED Talk on all things PR and the PR Journey (Hahahaaaa)! We will be continuing our discourse on how to write a good press release that is outstanding.
In the previous article, we had highlighted 3 important steps to take in writing a good press release. To summarize, we had said that you should think of a news angle to your story, write a powerful and captivating headline, use the inverted pyramid style where you start with your lead – the most important gist of your story – and then end with the least important.
In this post we will be continuing with our tips on how to write a good press release to get you started and thriving on your PR journey!
- Summarize the main points in a clear and concise manner: When an editor is reading your story, he wants to be sure that the main points are clear and succinct, therefore it is important to summarize your story in a concise way that tells the key points. If it is a product launch, then talk about the product, where it is launching, its features and benefits in a manner that is not advertorial but in a newsworthy manner that tells the media and the audience what the product and the launch is about.
- Plan the length of your press release to suit your audience style: If you are writing for an online platform, it is quite different from a print or traditional media format. Therefore, always write with your target audience in mind. Online press releases are usually shorter as people have low attention span and can be easily distracted by other pop-ups, hence, it is important to write the stories in a clear, short, simple style. Print press releases can be longer to fit the width of a newspaper space, therefore, it is imperative that whenever you are writing a story, you write with the audience in mind. It is also noteworthy to remember that sometimes, an editor snips out information that is too long in a press release, which is why it is recommended that important messages are put at the top and the least at the bottom, as they usually trim from the bottom of the story.
- Get your facts right: One thing that is so important in writing a press release is to get the facts right. Imagine sending a poorly written and unfactual article to the media and they then ban your press releases because the writer is dishonest or worst case, they use the story and it is later reported to be incorrect. It is always important to cross-check and double-check facts when sending to the media so that the right message is passed across. Take out time to conduct proper research and do your due diligence before writing that press release.
- Write from an editor’s point of view: When writing, it is advisable to write as if the editor is going to post or publish your article the way it is written. This is because a number of editors do not have the time to rewrite the news story and when your stories are easily usable, it stands a better chance of getting published. This is why it is advised that you write your stories from an editor’s point of view to make your press release more appealing and easily usable.
- Remember that your Press release has to be timely and relevant: In all that we have said, it is imperative that your story has to be timely and relevant. You don’t want to carry last month’s news to the media and report it after the news worthiness is now null. It is best to use a story when the incident is still relevant and timely to ensure that it gets the right attention that it deserves. As long as it is relevant, its timeliness will help to make the press release reach a wider audience.
As an addendum, I have added a beginners guide to writing a press release:
Headline: Mayor of New York Unveils New Healthy Food Option for Citizens as MegaGolsom Foods Launches 3 New Variants to its Category
Location, Date – The lead (the hook that will attract the editor and your audience eventually in not more than 30 -35 words)
Queens, New York, May 31, 2022. It was a special day in the city of New York, as the Mayor of the City, Leslie Stone, announced the launch of new healthy food options for its citizens in partnership with food and beverage company, MegaGolsom, at a grand dinner and ball held on the 5th of May 2022 at the Arlo Midtown hotel.
The first supporting point:
The food option, which is part of MegaGolsom’s three new variants, is purported to reduce the current widespread obesity in the city and encourage healthy living among the citizens. The 3 new variants A, B and C which scientists have said contain ….
A quote from a prominent person that is related to the campaign:
Speaking at the launch, the Mayor said “For a number of years, health has been a burgeoning issue ….”
The second supporting point
This initiative comes on the heel of the 2020 research conducted by XXX, which explained that 85% of people ….
Final supporting point.
### or *** or [END] to signal the end of your press release.
I hope you enjoyed reading up to this point, thank you! Join me weekly in my journey into the PR world where I discuss challenges, tips, pointers and wins in the PR career space. See you soon!
Warm regards,
The PR Chic
