How to write the perfect press release
You want to write a press release, but don’t know where to start?
If you’re not sure what one is, a press release is sort of like a blurb on the back of a book. It has a summary of the story you want to tell, and even some quotes from relevant sources. This is what you pitch out to journalists and broadcast planners to get them to feature your story.
Firstly, why do you want to write a press release? Do you have a story that’s newsworthy? Is it new information? Such as a significant announcement like a new product launch?
Journalists and broadcasters are after attention grabbing news, do you have a campaign launching that’s going to shake up the status quo? They don’t want to hear about smaller news like product tweaks, minor hires or office moves.
What you need to include:
Killer headline
You need a killer headline to introduce your press release, it can be around 15 words. This is where you need to pump all of your creativity, think snappy, and add a pun if you can. Look at newspaper and magazine headlines. Most importantly, read the room where you’re pitching to. A medical publication might not be the best place to add a pun, but still try to use clever wording.
Usually it’s best to write the headline last.
Have a look at our example below:
Tribepad launches Stop the Bias Report
Explore more with a subheading
Then a subheading with no more than 20 words, here you can expand a little on your punchy headline.
New report reveals what candidates feel is stopping them from landing their next role.
Summarise stats and facts
Add impressive statistics and product data to help sell the press release, you can bullet point these at the top of the press release. Try to keep factual, this is a presentation of facts, not an advertisement.
Less than 1 in 4 (23.2%) trust that diversity information is being used to their benefit
2 in 3 people think they’ll be seen as too old; ageism carries biggest bias worry
1 in 4 worried that kids will negatively affect prospects; women doubly concerned
Accentism is rife with strong local dialects causing twice the threat of bias
The main copy
When writing the bulk of the copy you need to make sure you mention your who, what, when, where, why and how. This information will need to be easily inserted to quickly let the journalist know what’s in the press release. Think about when you’re watching a news program and they announce breaking news, it’s to the point and impactful; that’s what you want to do here.
Sheffield, for immediate release: Specialist talent acquisition software provider, Tribepad (www.tribepad.com), has today launched its Stop the Bias Report. Featuring insight and analysis on the current state of recruiters’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the report reveals a culture of uncertainty among applicants who feel that diversity data is fuelling bias rather than combatting it.
Alongside analysis and insight from Tribepad’s team of experts, the report centers on a study that examines the opinions of 2011 UK adults. The data provides a snapshot of the current mood among candidates and highlights the issues that they feel are stopping them from landing their next role.
Add credibility
Pop in customer and/or spokesperson quotes on the topic to build credibility, these are the only things that the journalist can’t change. It’s extremely important you make the most of the quotes you place in the press release. Try and use these to add some new insights that you haven’t brought forward already.
“Thanks to the ubiquitous diversity, equity and inclusion forms that form part of modern applications, today’s candidates are as used to sharing personal information with potential employers as they are salary expectations and start dates,” said Tribepad CEO Dean Sadler.
“But despite the massive amounts of data companies are collecting, our research shows that these efforts have become little more than a tick box exercise, one that Britons believe is harming their employment prospects rather than helping them.”
Things to note
Remember, the gatekeeper to the audience is the journalist. Make your copy easy for anyone to understand, cut out any confusing jargon that only you or your company will know.
You also want to make sure your targeted journalist keeps reading; write in short quippy sentences. Don’t use clichés, hyperboles or be repetitive. These take the emphasis away from the point that you’re making, by in turn not really making a point but using buzzwords to beat around the bush. Write in ordinary language and cut down to the good stuff.
Write ready to publish copy to make the editor or journalist’s life easier, this will also make your press release easier to get published. Make sure your writing is fresh and grammatically correct.
Now you have your press release ready to go, right? Even after you’ve written your perfect press release, you need to think about how you’re going to pitch and to whom. Who should care about this piece of news? Think about suitable publications this piece of news would compliment. You need a couple of lines in your email to introduce the topic, to say why it’s newsworthy and how it suits their publication.
Additional Information
Below the press release you should add a boilerplate, this adds some background information about your company or client, this will help journalists develop their articles, along with a relevant URL. You can also add a point of contact, which might be yourself.
Email subject line
Think about what to write for the subject line. Journalists get hundreds if not thousands of pitches and press releases daily, so your subject line needs to grab them. This is the press release equivalent of that aesthetic instagram post that makes you stop and ‘like’ the post.
Candidates Call for Unbiased Blind Applications Says New Research
Don’t be put off if you don’t hear back from journalists, it just means they aren’t interested in it right now or it might not be right for them. Always do your research on who you are sending press releases to, so you can maximise your results and not waste your own time.
You can always follow up a few days later and possibly offer something else.
