Learn How to Write an Effective Press Release in 4 Steps

Written by Michael Bass

An effective press release provides an additional solution for building backlinks, increasing online exposure, and gaining web traffic.

Though, if your press release doesn’t deliver the right message, it won’t be effective. A press release isn’t the same as a blog post or sales page. You need to pay attention to a few important details.

Here’s some advice on how to write a killer and effective press release in just 4 steps.

Choose the right topic for your press release

You need to choose the topic before you start writing. The topic needs to have a newsworthy angle. This means that the topic should be relevant and current.

Examples of common press release topics include:

New store opening
New business launch
Brand new product or software release
Major update or development

Always ask yourself if the topic is something that you’d read about in a newspaper or in a blog. Searching for press releases will provide examples to give you a better sense of common topics and writing style.

Introduce the newsworthy information

Write two to three paragraphs discussing the topic of your press release. Don’t worry about an introduction. Just jump right in and start writing about the details of the news release.

Remember to write in the third-person (he, she, her, him, they, and them).

These paragraphs are the main body of your press release. This discusses the newsworthy topic in a straightforward manner.

Don’t use any hype. Stick to the facts.

You need to address the following details with your press release:

Who will be interested in this topic or who is it about?
What is the subject of the press release?
Where can people find more information?
When will this event or product release occur?
How does this benefit the reader?

Answering these questions will help you stay on track. You have limited space.

The press release will typically be between 300 and 700 words. This doesn’t provide an endless word count to go into great detail.

Write the Introduction and Conclusion

After you’ve written the main body of the press release, you can write the introduction and conclusion. The intro paragraph should summarize the body in several lines. It introduces the topic and your business or personal brand.

The conclusion offers a short bio for your business or brand. You can discuss your area of expertise and provide some background information.

At the end of the conclusion, you’ll typically have a spot to provide contact information, such as your email address, web URL, and phone number.

Create an attention-grabbing headline

The headline should be the last thing that you write. You’ve already written the body of your press release, so you already know the exact message or story that you’re promoting.

Summarise the main message of your press release in a single sentence. Press release headlines are often longer than a typical blog headline. Make sure that it fully explains the topic.

You may also have the option to include a sub-headline. The sub-headline should provide further information about the topic of your press release.

It’s an extension of the headline. Don’t repeat what you’ve already stated in the headline.

Before submitting your press release for publication, make sure that you check it for spelling and grammar errors.

You should proof read it by reading each line aloud. This is the best way to catch errors and also to find ways to improve your content.

Writing an effective press release isn’t difficult. Take it one step at a time.

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Image Sources:
Boardroom Executive Suites. (2016). Image of newsworthy information: Pr: Introduce yourself to the media. Retrieved from https://boardroomdenver.com/pr-introduce-yourself-to-the-media/
Rowland, S. (Posted: October 8, 2015). Featured image: Human interest: The key to writing an effective press release. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/human-interest-key-writing-effective-press-release-sarah-rowland
Sheridan, L. (Posted: September 5, 2016) Image of an attention grabbing headline: 6 simple ways to create an attention-grabbing headline. Retrieved from http://www.neopr.co.uk/2016/09/attention-grabbing-headline/