Your boss has just asked you to draft a press release for your company’s upcoming event and your heart sinks to your stomach—you’ve never written one before!
Relax—knowing how to write a press release isn’t as scary as it sounds. A press release is simply a short document that your company sends out as an official statement, notifying the media as to the news you have to share.
With a few tips, you’ll find it easy to write a press release that’s sure to impress your manager. Keep reading to find out how to write a professional press release, even if you’re a beginner.
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Start With a Killer Headline
If you need help writing a press release, here’s our first step—start with a catchy headline. If your headline is uninspiring, then no one is going to bother to read the rest of the press release.
Journalists and media are likely to get dozens of press releases each week, so you really need to make yours stand out right away—otherwise, it’s likely to get ignored.
Try to think of a timely, exciting hook that will draw in the reader—convincing them that they absolutely must keep reading to learn more!
What’s Your Angle?
Your press release will also need an angle—why now? Only send a press release if you have something timely that you want to communicate, like the opening of a new business, an upcoming event, or something noteworthy that the media will want to know about.
If you send out a press release when you don’t have anything particularly exciting going on, it’s not going to generate much buzz, so save press releases for occasions when you have amazing news that you want to shout from the rooftops!
Identify Your Target Audience
As you write a press release, think also about your target audience. Who will you be sending it to and what action do you want them to take as a result of reading?
You’ll want to keep the reader in mind as you write, catering it to their style and preferences.
For example, if you’ve just opened a new hotel, you might send out a press release to journalists, encouraging them to write about the beautiful new resort. In that case, you’ll want to include a few photos and give plenty of enticing descriptions, encouraging them to want to learn more.
Only send your press release to relevant people who are likely to be interested—you don’t want to spam journalists with press releases that aren’t related to their work or interests.
Keep It Short
Short and sweet is always best for press releases. Because your reader is busy, you want to quickly present them with all of the facts, without taking up too much of their time.
It can be tricky to fit everything into a press release without sounding long-winded, so you might find it helps to use a press release template. You can learn more about press release templates from eRelease here.
Generally, all of your press release should fit onto one page—it doesn’t need to be much longer than that.
Include All of the Key Details
Remember to include all the important details the reader needs to know, including the what, when, why, how, and who. This is particularly important for an event, if you want people to come along or RSVP by a certain date.
It can also be helpful to include the key details at the top of the press release, before going into the body of the release, so that readers can find the key data right away.
Don’t Forget to Include a Contact Person
If someone has questions about your press release, or wants to learn more, who should they contact? The bottom of your press release should contain a contact session, with the name, email, and phone number of a person they can reach to find out more.
For many companies, this will be your head of marketing or a related marketing position.
Edit Your Work
Another top tip for making your press release stand out—always edit your work. There’s no way to turn off readers quicker than sending out a press release full of grammatical errors—it looks unprofessional and won’t do your business any favors.
Take the time to edit your work, looking for common grammar mistakes like spelling issues or too much use of passive voice. Since it can be tough to edit your own work, you might find it helpful to hire an editor before sending out the press release.
Decide on Your Distribution Method
While most press releases will go out via email, decide if you want to send the press release in the body of an email or via a PDF attachment. A PDF can sometimes get flagged by email servers as spam, so it can often be better to send your press release within the body of the email—but the choice is yours.
Learn How to Write a Press Release With These Easy Tips
Now that you know how to write a press release, use these tips to craft an irresistible press release that’s sure to get results. While it may take some time to hone your press release writing skills, after a few attempts, you’ll have it down pat.
To get started, make an outline containing all of the key information that needs to be included—then, start writing! Your awesome press release is sure to attract plenty of media attention for your business or event.
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