Press Release Writing: Main Requirements

Companies’ corporate life is a fulfilling one. Every day a lot of things happen there, and it cannot go unnoticed but must be shared with the public instead. Media encourage precious information about in-house shifts or innovations installed. However, it is not always possible for them to cover this or that event. This is because media professionals, i.e. journalists, simply cannot go into every case and search for material to be published. It means that even all-important news can stay hidden. In such cases, it is necessary to turn to the news release.

The Definition

In a nutshell, it’s an article that covers events that the company would like to announce to the public. Imagine that the corporation hired a new manager of the financial department, and he managed to successfully carry out the financial reform. The leadership will surely want this event to be disclosed. In this case, the responsible employee is assigned a task to write a handout concerning this event. Thus, the public will discover corporation achievement.

Winning Press Release

For lots of ordinary people, as well as for experienced writers, the task of jotting down a handout can be bewildering and even lead to a dead end. This is the feeling when you seem to understand what to write about, but have no idea how to start.

First of all, it is necessary to understand that this kind of writing is not an ordinary article in which events are written according to a predetermined standard. The structure of a press release is presented in the form of an inverted pyramid, in which the most important thing comes to the fore, and the secondary information is taking a back seat. Well, therein lies the central difference between a press release and a standardized essay.

Title and Everything Pertinent to It

The press release should be straightforward and striking. The fact is that journalists receive press releases from numerous companies that want to promote their news on a daily basis. This means that every day they look through dozens of similar requests. The first thing you need to focus your attention on when writing a news release is the title.

Your title should not be lengthy. Try to highlight the main keywords in your letter and convert them into a succinct but informative caption. Firstly, this way you will be able to provide the reader with a brief account of your press release. Secondly, the usage of keywords will help you to promote your article on the Internet.

In addition, the title should be eye-popping. Market it in the right package, so that your target reader likes it.

The press release is a good way to break the news about a company and promote it in the best possible light. In this case, it will be helpful to use the basic colors of the company and its logo.

All the above-mentioned relates to the content of the title, but how to arrange it right? Here are the main points to remember.

1. The title should be put down in bold to stand out over the whole text background.
2. Make sure that the number of characters is maintained. Up to 60 characters are just perfect. This way, the reader will be able to quickly grasp the main idea and understand whether he or she should proceed reading.
3. Do not capitalize each word.

It looks awkward, so articles, prepositions, and other words less than four characters long must be law-cased.

Before you continue writing the main body of the press release, you should specify the DATE and indicate your LOCATION, or at least the city. First and foremost, it will help the reader clear things up a bit.

Another critical point needs to be mentioned at the very beginning of your press release is the urgency of its publication. If you want this information to be published immediately, you must put down [For immediate release]. If you want to postpone the publication, you can specify it by mentioning [Hold release until].

Now let’s move on.

Rules Regarding the Main Body

The main part is basically the subsequent text that follows the title. However, do not rush to pour all your thoughts out into one solid paragraph. The main part has to be written according to certain rules. As mentioned earlier, the structure of the press release resembles an inverted pyramid. This means that the most important information will be placed at the beginning. This part is also called a lead paragraph.

Master writing the first paragraph of your press release

The first paragraph is about putting down the basic information you want to convey to the reader. Highlight the main points you would like to share with the public and present them in the first paragraph. The information should be illustrated clearly, so try to stay on point. The more evident the facts, the gladder the reader will be.

Try not to take advantage of complex sentences. Instead, give preference to simple ones.

To make it easier for you to create the first paragraph, you should answer the basic questions that are known as 5 W’s and H.

1. Tell us WHO you are, what your company’s policy focuses on and what your press release is about.
2. Explain WHAT is the pivotal issue of your message.
3. Explain the reason WHY you want to talk about this event.
4. Let your reader know WHEN the major events are happening.
5. Describe the location WHERE the episode occurs.
6. Explain HOW this information can be beneficial to your reader.

These are the main points to mention in the first paragraph. Don’t forget that it should be closely related to the topic and disclose as much as possible of the details of your press release.

Nevertheless, the main body cannot be restricted to one solid paragraph.

In the following paragraphs, you have to provide your text with information that is no longer vital but still discloses the particulars of the issue. It is some supplementary facts to enhance what you have already said. These may be small details that do not need to be thought of first but should be mentioned for a clearer understanding of the situation.

Finish your work strong

To make your press release look complete, you need to frame it correctly. Compile a few final sentences that summarize the situation and draw conclusions.

Contact information must be attached as well

When an important event has been covered, you need to add the so-called boilerplate information. In this part, you will need to give more details about the company, the scope of your activities and your main responsibilities. Focus on your key principles of work and company policies. This is an essential aspect to put down, as an enthusiastic reader will be interested in discovering more about you.

How to get in touch with you

At the end of the article, you should always list the ways other people can use to contact you. Usually, the address of the company, a work phone and a link to the site, if any, is mentioned. In some cases, you can also attach the contact information of certain employees, if the press release is directly related to their identity.

How to End It

Your press release cannot be considered exact unless you put an END or ### at the end of the text. Don’t ignore this step to follow the required rules. This will let your reader know that you are done with your report.

Tips for writing a press release

1. Be concise. Try to put all the information in 400-500 words.
2. Try to avoid adjectives, especially those that may have multiple meanings. This will confuse the reader.
3. Be impartial.
4. Try to put yourself in your readers’ shoes and see at the issue from their perspective.

Why Do You Need a Press Release

It should be noted that with the help of a press release, media employees will be able to easily write an article on a given topic and cover it in the media, based on the data received from the company.

Why can make a company resort to writing press releases and how the company benefits from it? When is it obligatory to publish a press release and what purpose can it be used for?

We have the answer to all the questions above.

1. First of all, a company needs a press release when it launches a product or adopts a new draft. In other words, the company is undergoing considerable transformations and wants the global community to follow closely the ongoing developments.
2. A press release is a great way for a company to make a statement. On occasion, the company happens to re-brand. In such cases, in order to attract new customers, the company resorts to a press release.
3. If the company is experiencing the worst-case scenario and the management understands the crisis is just around the corner, the press release is a great way to announce the situation first. Thus, no one will have a question about the company’s market position.
4. With the help of the press release, it is possible to promote the company adequately. Always make sure that the press release should be properly formulated and well structured.