10 Essential Tips for Writing a Press Release and Getting Noticed

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Usually, a company’s marketing strategy involves a combination of email marketing, social media, and events, among other tactics. But one thing that almost every company still sleeps on is the importance of a press release and how effective it is as a marketing tool. If written and distributed correctly a press release can multiply the results of your marketing campaign and send a wave of new customers on your way.

So how do you write one? Writing a press release is an absolute art and it is not everyone’s cup of tea. However, there are some essential tips for writing press releases that will fetch you the most attention. But before anything else, you must learn what is a PR and what components create one. So let’s move on that first.

What is PR?

A press release is an official statement that companies make regarding some newsworthy incident or event and is directly sent to the media. This document announces a newsworthy story about your brand or company that the media might want for their story. This content also provides all the important information the reporter or the editor might need to publish the story. Some outlets will publish your story only based on the press releases you have sent. Other times, they might call you up and arrange an interview for additional information but the base remains the same, the press release you have sent.

What are the Types of Press Releases?

There are several occasions that a press release is handed out, and based on these occasions we have different types of PRs. Here are the categories.

Launching a new product, service, or a business
A new event announcement
New hiring announcement
Change in management
Partnering with a celebrity, or any charity for a cause
Rebranding the company
Holding a contest or competition
Announcing new merger and acquisition
Winning awards
Crisis management

What are the Benefits of Sharing a Press Release?

Now that you know how many types of press releases are out there, let’s focus on the benefits publishing a press release can give you. They are –

Publishing a press release helps you control the narrative of your story. You can share what is important for you with the media and call for attention. At times of crisis, you can put out a PR and take the chance of telling your side of the story to control the negative publicity.
Secondly, PR is an effective yet affordable marketing tool. Since most of the PRs are published online now, you just need to hire a professional distribution company and you will get published in the top-rated media sites.
You will get major SEO benefits as well. Press releases are nowadays carefully crafted with keywords that will increase your ranking on the search engine results, and improve your brand’s visibility online.

How Can You Write an Effective PR: 10 Golden Rules

After understanding what a PR is, what are the kinds, and what benefits you will get from it, now it is time to know those rules that will make your PR effective. As the press releases are sent to the media directly there will be a high chance of your story not getting picked up by the journalists. They are extremely busy individuals who receive hundreds of PRs daily. So if you want to make your content stand out, follow these rules.

1. Make Your PR Newsworthy

The first and foremost rule of writing an impactful press release is to find a newsworthy angle. If you are not telling something newsworthy in your content, there is no chance the journalists and editors of the media outlets will actually publish it. If something is not happening in your content, it will not be shared.

2. Maintain the Proper Decorum of Writing a PR

There are some writing rules which need to be followed when you are writing a PR. you need to keep the content brief, Aim for a maximum of two pages, but if it can be done in one page, it is even better. Use simple languages that can be understood by everyone and maintain a formal AP style.

3. Ask Yourself the Important Questions

Before writing a press release, ask yourself some very important questions that will help you craft the PR in a way that is an instant hit. ” or “How will people connect to what my company is trying to share?” When you have your answer, incorporate it into the content so that your target audience can actually relate to what you are conveying.

4. Use an Attractive Headline

Professional writers use as much time in crafting a headline, as they need to write the PR. your headline should be attractive so that people will actually pull up your story and read it. It should be catchy, yet easy to understand.

5. Add Subtitles

Summarize what you want to say in the subtitles, which ideally should be one sentence and support your headline. It will help your readers have a taste of the content that follows.

6. Stress on the Language and Style

The usage of plain and simple language is not limited to headlines. Throughout the content, you need to focus on simple and easy-to-understand language that even people who are not experts in your industry can understand. Make sure to avoid excessive use of adjectives.

7. Provide Content and Supporting Information

One thing that makes your PR content one of the most reliable sources for the media is how unbiased it is, even though it is coming straight from the establishment. So you need to maintain that unbiasedness throughout the content where you state facts and nothing but facts.

8. Expand the Content, but Keep it Lean

Do not add information, just for the sake of it. As mentioned before, your ideal PR should not be more than two pages, so each paragraph should add interest and color to the story. Which means avoiding unnecessary waffles. When the reader reaches the end of your content, every important question they had about the story should be already answered.

9. Include Some Good Quotes and a Photograph

As discussed before, a press release has a very distinctive format of writing, which sometimes makes it monotonous and boring. To spice things up, you should add some good quotes from industry specialists or even from your CEO. At the same time, do not forget to add a photo.