Press releases are a timeless, yet current public relations avenue for communicating news, events, and updates regarding your business or organization to media outlets. These brief, informative writing pieces have managed to weather the test of time, with millions being emailed to newspapers, TV outlets, and radio stations every single day.
The media loves press releases. They’re like tiny bundles of news stories dropped on reporter’s laps. Given that the media cycle is in constant need of content, you should be taking advantage of press releases with every opportunity possible.
Here are a few basic tips for writing a good press release:
- Brevity. Reporters don’t have time to comb through 2-pages of your business announcement. It’s recommended to keep the release between 300 to 500-words, effectively communicating your message without boring the reader.
- Catchy Title. In order to catch the reader’s interest, you need a one-of-a-kind news-spun title that isn’t also over-the-top.
- No Sales Language. A press release is about communicating the news. It’s not a time to promote your sales and services in an obvious way.
- Don’t Try Too Hard. A press release isn’t a creative column submission with the local opinion editor. It’s a news announcement. Treat it as such.
- Quotes. Including quotes from the business owner or spokesperson is a great way to humanize a press release. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity, including 1-2 quotes from someone important at your business.
Posting The Release
Once your release is done, you have two options: you can either email or call it out to local news media personnel, or you can submit it to syndication platforms like PRWeb.com and Newswire.com. The two aren’t mutually exclusive – for a wide variety of coverage, consider doing both, provided there’s value in spending money on doing so.