How To Write A Press Release That Helps You Get Media Coverage

When you’re trying to get media coverage, it’s tempting to skip over the press release. After all, how hard can it be? You write a few sentences about your product or organization and send it out. Easy-peasy!

However, if you want your release to actually get read by journalists (and earn you some free publicity), then follow these tips for writing the perfect one:

How to write a press release that gets the media’s attention

Key Takeaways
1. Craft attention-grabbing headlines.
2. Focus on the most important information in the lead.
3. Incorporate quotes from relevant stakeholders.
4. Provide detailed and relevant background information.
5. Highlight the unique aspects of your story.
6. Follow proper formatting and style guidelines.
7. Include accurate contact information for media inquiries.
8. Distribute your press release strategically.
9. Consider using multimedia elements for visual appeal.
10. Follow up with media contacts and build relationships.

Table of Contents

Start With A Compelling Headline

You’ve probably heard that a headline is important, but let’s break it down:

Short. The ideal length of a press release headline is five words or less.

This can be tricky because you want enough information to capture the reader’s attention without being too vague or long-winded. It’s also important not to use any industry jargon or acronyms that might confuse readers.

For example, if you’re writing about social media marketing strategy and your headline reads “Social Media Marketing Strategy,” you’ll lose some people right off the bat what is this “social media marketing strategy”?

Is there such a thing? If so, then why do I need one? On the flip side, if you write something like “Improving Your Social Media Marketing Strategy,” then we know what your article is about but no one knows why we should care (unless they’re already familiar with this topic).

If someone doesn’t know what these terms mean when they see them in their news feed or on Google search results pages but does see them in headlines from other articles (otherwise known as “link bait”), chances are good that person will click through and read them anyway; after all, curiosity got them here!

Crafting an effective press release involves more than just words. Learn the 17 tips that can elevate your press releases to a new level of impact. Explore our guide on putting together a press release to master the art of communication.

Keep It Short And Concise

One of the most important things to remember when writing a press release is that it needs to be short. Unless your company is making a major announcement, you should try to keep your press releases between one and two paragraphs long.

If there’s one thing I can tell you from experience, it’s that nobody likes reading long-winded documents or websites. The same applies to press releases the shorter and more direct they are, the better! This will help readers digest what you have to say quickly without losing interest or becoming confused by information overload.

Make sure that each sentence in your press release has a point or purpose; if not, cut it out! Remember: no matter how much research you put into something (including this article), there may still be other information out there that contradicts everything we know about writing effective content so don’t be afraid of making changes based on those findings!

Don’t Make It About You

It’s easy to fall into the trap of making your press release about you. After all, you’re an expert on what you do and have lots of knowledge about your company, products, and services. But that doesn’t mean it has to be all about you.

The biggest mistake people make when writing their press releases is using first person pronouns like “I” or “we.” Instead, use third-person descriptions such as this: “Our client…” It will help keep readers focused on the content rather than being distracted by who wrote it.

Another way to avoid sounding self-centered in your language is to avoid using words like “ourself,” which sounds too formal for readers who are used to casual language from blogs and social media accounts like Twitter or Facebook.

If possible (without losing effect), use a different word or phrase instead: “We’ve been working hard,” instead of “We have been working hard.”

Want your press releases to resonate and spread like wildfire? Discover the strategies for creating press releases that go viral and capture the attention of a broader audience. Dive into our insights on viral press release creation to unlock the potential of your media outreach.

Make Your Angle Unique Or Surprising

The purpose of a press release is to get media coverage for your organization. To do this, you need to write a press release that is unique or surprising. We’ll talk more about how to do that in the next section.

What makes your angle unique or surprising? It can be something related directly to your organization or something related indirectly (like how it helps others). Some examples include:

The first nonprofit organization in town that offers free flu shots
A small business that has been featured on Shark Tank and seen exponential growth as a result
An engineering firm whose client was recently featured on an episode of MythBusters and had their product tested by TV’s Adam Savage himself

Include Who, What, Where, When, How And Why As Appropriate

Who: The company or person making the announcement (if it’s not you).

What: The announcement itself. This can be a product launch or service update, a new hire or promotion in your company, an upcoming event that you’re hosting that involves a speaker from another organization (such as an industry conference), etc.

Where are you making this announcement? A press release doesn’t need to be only emailed out to media outlets; it can also be used to promote events by inviting journalists to attend them in person and get a sneak peek at what’s happening beforehand so they can prepare their stories on-site before publishing them later on social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook.

If your press release has special details about where exactly an event will take place (like if there will be food served), share those details here instead of at the bottom of your email blast under “For Immediate Release.”

When: When is this happening? Is it happening today? Tomorrow? In two weeks? How much notice will people have before something happens if there isn’t enough time between now and then?

A well-structured press release can make all the difference in delivering a powerful message. Find out the essential elements to include in your press releases for maximum impact. Get expert advice on maximizing press release impact to ensure your content stands out in the crowd.

Include Specific Details In The Body Of Your Release

The body of your press release should include the details of what happened, where, and when.

What: The announcement needs to be clear and concise so that readers know exactly what they are reading about. For example: “Company X has announced today that it will be hiring 5 new employees.”

Where: Include specific geographic locations, such as cities or regions if relevant. If no location is important to the story, then leave this section out entirely.

When: Make sure you include both a date and time if they apply (e.g., January 1st at 10 am). If no date or time is relevant to your story, leave this section out entirely.

Why: The reason behind an announcement can help explain why something happened in more detail than just stating “it did happen.” For example: “Company X has decided to hire 5 new employees because its sales have increased exponentially over the past few months.”

Or “Company X has decided not to sell its product in stores anymore because it wants customers who prefer shopping online.” It’s also helpful for readers who may not be familiar with your business or industry if you mention why something happened within context is it part of an ongoing trend? Is there something about this news that ties into larger cultural movements?

Look For Quotes That Will Enhance Your Message

Quotes are a great way to add credibility to your story and make it more interesting, but be careful not to overdo them. They should only be used as support for your message, for instance, if you’re writing about how a new product is getting rave reviews from consumers who have used it, including some quotes from those consumers.

But don’t use too many quotes or they’ll distract from the rest of the text and become difficult to read.

Add Some Quotes From An Authoritative Source To Back Up Your Announcement

As you’re writing your press release, be sure to include some quotes from an authoritative source. This is a good way to back up your announcement and strengthen the credibility of your news. It also allows for more information about the topic in a single sentence than you could ever fit into a paragraph on its own.

Quotes from experts and leaders in your field will help readers understand the importance of what’s being announced;

Quotes from competitors can show that there is demand for this product or service; celebrity endorsements add credibility; customer testimonials can provide reassurance, and business partner mentions demonstrate that this new venture has received significant support from outside sources who are interested in seeing it succeed

Learn from the experience of a seasoned press release writer. Gain insights and techniques from our guide on lessons from an experienced press release writer and take your press release writing skills to the next level.

Include A Call To Action Within Your First Paragraph

A call to action is a statement that urges the reader to take immediate action, such as filling out a form, buying an item, or making a purchase.

When writing your press release, it’s important to include a call to action within your first paragraph and again at the end of your document. A call-to-action should:

Be clear and concise (don’t use “please” or “if you would” in this section)
State exactly what action you want readers to take – try not to leave them guessing
Be simple enough that anyone who reads it can understand what they should do next

For example: “Please visit our website at http://www.websiteaddresshere.com/ for more information.”

Don’t Make Assumptions About The Reader’s Knowledge Of Your Topic Or Previous Experience With Your Organization

A press release is a marketing tool, so it should be written in the same way as any other piece of marketing material.

You can’t assume that readers know what you’re talking about or have heard of your organization.

To avoid making assumptions about the reader’s knowledge, avoid jargon and acronyms unless necessary. If you must use them, make sure to explain them clearly in context (e.g., “We use our XYZ technology to analyze data for clients who need help finding insights.”).

Don’t assume that everyone has already heard of your organization – even if they have heard of it, they may not know exactly what you do or how you can be helpful to their business.

Don’t assume that everyone knows what your organization does – even if they do know what it does, they may not remember when they last needed one of those services from another company!

It’s Okay To Include Numbers Without Explaining Them Up Front

If you’re trying to make a point, numbers can help you do that. But don’t use them just because they sound impressive or because they’ll make the reader think, “Wow, this person knows what they’re talking about.”

There’s a difference between stating facts and using statistics to prove your point. Saying something like “Our sales grew by 500% last year” doesn’t prove anything unless you explain what that means.

For example: “Last year I sold 100 widgets; this year I sold 500.” And even then there are still questions you have to answer: Are those numbers an increase of 5% or 50%? Is it an increase over the same period last year or compared to another period?

Getting media coverage through press releases requires a strategic approach. Discover the secrets to successfully getting press coverage with well-crafted press releases. Explore our comprehensive guide on press coverage with press releases to expand your reach and influence.

Give Context Around Numerical Data By Explaining What They Mean

When you write a press release, avoid jargon and use simple language.

A good way to do this is by giving context around numerical data. Make sure your numbers are meaningful and explain what they mean.

For example, if you have increased revenue by 10%, then say so in the third sentence of your press release: “Our revenue increased by 10% from last year.” That’s clear and straightforward and it will help get the attention of news editors who don’t have time to figure out what those numbers mean for themselves.

Avoid Jargon

When you’re writing a press release, it’s tempting to use jargon or industry-specific terms to show off how smart you are. But this is not what journalists want to read and certainly not why they chose your story from all the other media options out there.

By being specific and clear in your language, you’ll make it easier for them to understand your content without having to do any extra work.

In general, avoid using jargon in the first paragraph of your release or even in the first few sentences if possible.

This is where you should explain who you are and why readers should care about what happens next (more on that later).

Once that context has been set up, feel free to get technical with your descriptions of technology or processes if necessary! But until then, keep things simple so that people who don’t know anything about what makes up a new software update can still follow along at home

Keep Paragraphs Short

Keep paragraphs short. Paragraphs that are over a few sentences long can get daunting, especially if you’re trying to read them quickly or write them quickly. If you keep your paragraphs shorter, you’ll be able to read and write more easily.

For example:

Instead of writing this…

Paragraph 1: This is a long paragraph about how I used to be so shy and nervous when I talked with people at parties. Paragraph 2: Now that I’ve had some experience in public speaking and have become more confident, it’s much easier for me to feel comfortable at parties now because I know what to expect from any given situation.

Take Advantage Of Social Media To Share The News With Journalists

Social media is a great way to reach your target audience. It’s also a good way to stay in touch with them, build your brand and increase your reach.

To take advantage of social media:

Share the press release on social media channels
Create an event around the press release that you can promote through social media channels

Write Press Releases That Help You Connect With Media Coverage

Use social media to share the news with journalists:
Share the news on your social media channels, encouraging followers and friends to spread the word. You can also consider sharing it on industry-specific channels if appropriate (e.g., food bloggers will likely be interested in a release about a new restaurant).
Include a call to action within your first paragraph:

The purpose of this is for you to tell everyone why they want to read your press release and what they’ll get out of it but don’t overdo it or sound desperate!

Just make sure there’s enough information there so people know what they’re getting into before they click through or open their inboxes later on that day/weekend morning when they’re bored at work (or whatever time zone local context applies).

If possible, include some value proposition statements like “Learn how we helped our client increase revenues 50%!” or “Get inspired by these 10 tips from our experts!” Some examples might include things like “Learn more” or “Get our guide now.”

Conclusion

If you are wanting to get coverage for your brand, product, or service you must take the time to write a press release. A well-written PR can help you obtain more media attention and reach out to potential customers.

At first, glance, writing a press release may seem like a daunting task but with these tips from our team at Business News Daily, we hope this blog post helps give you some guidance on how to write one!

So let’s jump right into our five tips:

Keep It Brief – One of the biggest mistakes people make when writing their press release is that they don’t keep it brief enough;

They try cramming too much information into one document which makes them lose sight of what matters i.e., why people should care about what we’re writing about in the first place. If this happens then readers will just skip over your work entirely because there’s no point reading something if there’s no substance behind it!

That being said though, don’t worry too much about how long each section needs to be before hitting send because short sentences or paragraphs are just as effective as long ones so long as they still communicate clearly with readers’ mindsets

FAQs

How do I format a press release effectively?

Formatting a press release effectively involves using a clear headline, concise body, and appropriate contact information. Follow industry best practices to ensure your press release is easy to read and understand.

What elements should be included in a press release?

A well-rounded press release should include a catchy headline, informative subheading, compelling body content, relevant quotes, and the contact information of the media contact person.

How can I make my press release stand out from the rest?

To make your press release stand out, focus on a unique angle or story, emphasize the value proposition, and craft engaging content that speaks directly to your target audience’s interests.

When is the best time to distribute a press release?

Timing is crucial for press release distribution. Aim to send your press release during working hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays to maximize its chances of being noticed and covered by media outlets.

What’s the role of multimedia in press releases?

Incorporating multimedia elements like images, videos, or infographics can enhance the visual appeal of your press release and help convey your message more effectively, increasing the chances of media coverage.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.