From the sole trader to the multinational company, sending the right message to the public is
fundamental to the way they view the business. In fact, press releases can be a vital part of any business.
strategy, as well as its downfall if not handled correctly.
A press release or news release is a written statement addressed to the media. the statement is
written for the purpose of informing a target market about news that will be
of your interest through the publication. The press release will normally be sent by post, fax or email.
to a selected editor or writer at a newspaper, magazine, trade journal, radio station, television studio, online news site, or news broadcast network.
There are many rules and regulations for writing an effective press release and if a release doesn’t
doesn’t follow a particular format, publishers will often ignore it. The following guidelines will help you
to format your press release.
Destination Media List
It is very important to carefully select the target media list. Send the release to media titles
who have an interest in your industry or in the news of the release.
There are two types of press releases:
1. Consumer Press Releases – Directed to the general public, a consumer press release will be issued
distributed through local or national newspapers and consumer magazines. The release can
be written in a less formal tone, but should be newsworthy, thematic, or statistical.
2. Commercial press releases – Aimed at specialized commercial magazines, commercial press and
news websites. You are likely to have more success with the specialized press, although the
the number of readers in circulation will often be much smaller than that of the consumer press. You can also add
Appointments from the management team.
If you’re looking to promote your business to your stakeholders but can’t afford advertising, public relations
is usually the most cost-effective place to start. Your public relations campaign can be backed by a
advertising campaign once your brand has received recognition from the public.
Ultimately, a potential customer will have more time for your business after reading an article.
from an editorial standpoint, than they would from an ad that is selling your business
from a biased point of view. Customers will learn to recognize your brand from a trusted source.
Don’t be afraid to get creative – look at what people like Richard Branson have achieved through
public relations Also, remember the phrase that all publicity is good publicity. Although Branson’s original
balloon ride was a complete failure, Virgin received unprecedented press coverage
enforced its brand recognition with the public and ultimately helped the development of the
business.
The rules!
The truth is, there are certain rules you need to keep in mind when writing a press release. With
the concept of “free advertising” and the fact that the public relations industry is growing at more than 20% per year, it is easy to imagine the number of press releases that arrive on the desk of a journalist
every day. The vast majority of releases will quickly head to the trash can, but if you keep
a few ground rules and grabbing the attention of journalists, you’re halfway there.
TITLE Write the title PRESS RELEASE in bold at the top of the release
DATE Always quote the release date under the heading
TITLE The title should briefly cover the content of the release: make it interesting and no more than 10 words.
OPENING SENTENCE The opening paragraph, in bold, should introduce the story. This is a crucial part of the release to ensure that the reader instantly engages and follows through with the body of the story.
LANGUAGE Always write in the third person and never try to sell a product/service like you would in an advertisement. Think of the release as a story that you yourself would read in an article.
CONTENT Keep the main body of the release free of background information about the company; the release should focus on a hook that is relevant to the post and readers. As stated above, make sure the story is interesting, current, and relevant to your readers.
NOTES In the NOTES TO EDITOR section at the end of the release, company details, background information, and any other additional information should be included along with full contact details.
Publishers also like to see content follow a specific theme and these tips should help you ensure that content is of the right quality:
SIMPLICITY Keep it simple. Don’t be too fancy, just state the facts.
EDITING The key to a good press release is one that does not need to be edited by a journalist. Making their job easier by simply copying and pasting the release into the post will encourage journalists to use the
release
COPY DEADLINES Remember the deadlines: some monthly magazines have a copy deadline of three months, so if you’re looking to promote a new product for Christmas, you should submit the release in October. For this reason, planning a sustained and ongoing public relations campaign is crucial.
RELEVANCE In addition to current affairs, consider conducting a survey or using statistics to generate press coverage. Flag this information as news, and then mention how your business can help. Newsworthy stories, especially for the local press, can also be about anything that draws attention to your business. For example, you celebrate receiving your 100th unique customer by inviting all regular customers to a champagne reception. This is interesting for your local free weekly as it has a direct affiliation with readers, but the story is too localized for the Sunday Times, so go with a completely different angle to this type of media.
WRITING STYLE Journalists write in a style called ‘inverted pyramid’, which means that any paragraph can be taken and understood without being supported by the other text. If you can follow this system, the journalist will be more inclined to use the story since your editing work is limited.
RELEVANT CONTACT Make sure the release is circulated to the relevant news or article editor, as they are unlikely to pass it on to a colleague
Finally, don’t give up. A public relations campaign should be a long-term investment. Don’t be discouraged if your release doesn’t go live right away. Try to build a dialogue with journalists over time, and as long as your releases remain interesting and relevant, you should see results.
