What should be written in a press release. How to create press releases: ready-made examples for use
A press release is a message to the press containing certain information. In particular, the organization either indicates news about itself or states its position on one or another issue. After composing the message, it must be published.
general information
The message, as a rule, sets out the official position of the organization in the form of a reaction to any news event. Government authorities sometimes issue press releases in the form of answers to questions. The first message in history was issued in 1906, on October 30th. Its author was the father of modern PR, Ivy Lee. The information in it was related to the tragedy that occurred on the railroad in Pennsylvania. The definition of what a press release is becomes clearer when considering its purpose. First of all, it must be said that this is the main PR document in the organization. It is thanks to him that journalists receive the most relevant, important and interesting information about events that have occurred in a particular area. However, a press release to the media may not always be interesting. Journalists pay attention to what they consider to be truly important events. Certain incidents may be further disseminated to a specific target audience or the general public.
Material Requirements
In order for a message to be published, it must be compiled according to certain principles. First of all, as mentioned above, the information must be really interesting - an uninformative press release is guaranteed to go unnoticed. How to write a message? What key points should be covered? Here are some recommendations from professionals:
- The information in the message should not only be interesting, but also necessary for the audience of the publication in which publication is intended.
- The information must be current and up to date.
- It would be good if the information could be associated with some socially important event.
- The presence of words in the message on the issue being covered will also have a positive effect.
The more points are met, the more likely it is that the press release will be printed. If an organization constantly sends uninformative information, then a not very positive opinion will be formed about other messages.
Distinctive features
To better understand what a press release is, you should consider its main features. Some novice advertising managers, and in some cases even business leaders themselves, consider direct advertising today to be insufficiently effective. In their opinion, greater results can be achieved by placing an article about a product or service in a newspaper. But, as a rule, the article comes out very promotional, and in some cases it does not work at all, because there is no energy and time for such work. In this case, it is better to start writing press releases. Unlike an advertising article, writing a short note does not require much effort and time. Thus, the main characteristic of a press release can be considered the conciseness and specificity of the information provided.
The objectives of an advertising article and a short message are also somewhat different. The ultimate goal for a press release is to create and maintain certainty in the eyes of the public. The writing style also has its own characteristics. A press release, a sample of which will be given below, is not drawn up in a narrative, conversational form, but in a “telegraphic”, impersonal one. There are examples in history when messages were composed in an artistic, lyrical style, more suitable for online literature. To write a press release you need a short note about some event or news. Therefore, the content is usually associated with a specific time period.
Types of press releases
The announcement provides coverage of an event that is about to happen. For example, a timely sent and published exhibition press release ensures the presence of press representatives at the event. In such a document, in addition to the essence of the event, it is possible to briefly highlight its background. This may further interest journalists. If the event has already happened, then they talk about a press release-news. In this message, in addition to the main content, you can add opinions and comments from interested parties. An informational press release talks about an unfinished, ongoing event. In this case, only a report on new developments in the case, current changes is expected, despite the fact that the essence of the event or news is already known. An example would be a press release for a contest or competition.
Message structure. Heading and first paragraph
The title is considered the most important part of the entire document. After reading the first lines, the journalist determines whether the news will be of interest to his publication or whether it is better to throw it away. Therefore, the title must be made in such a way that it can immediately interest any reader. The first paragraph is called the lead. It consists of one sentence that briefly summarizes the essence of the event, news, etc. The skill of coming up with headlines is very important. After all, what is a press release? This is a message that should interest you from the very first lines. And the first line is just the title. The lead or summary is also a very important part that makes up the concept of a press release.
How to write a resume?
In this part of the document, in one sentence, the author of the message must answer the following question: “What do I, as the author of the message, want to say?” The summary specifies the title. It is rarely published in publications and, as a rule, serves for technical purposes and determines the topic to which the message relates. It should be said that the work of writing a summary contributes to a better understanding of the meaning of the note. If the essence cannot be expressed in one phrase, then it is better to redo the press release. An example of a correctly composed part of the document is given below. As additional questions, you can use, for example, the following: “Who is the document being drawn up for?”, “Why is it necessary to write a message?”
It is important to provide basic information in this part of the document. In this case, the order should be as follows:
- who is the participant in the event or incident;
- the actual news or event itself;
- the place where something happened or will happen;
- causes;
- exactly how the event happened or will happen.
In other words, you should adhere to the rules of “what, when, where, how much and to whom.” In fact, the answers to these questions constitute the entire content of the message. Of course, it is necessary to correctly indicate the names of organizations, events, location and date, names of participants or interested parties, etc. The desired volume of the main part is about half a page of A4 sheet. This is approximately one and a half thousand characters. However, depending on the topic, the length of the message may vary.
Contact details
This part is very important for the author of the message and the organization on whose behalf he is writing. First of all, it is advisable to indicate your mobile contacts: Internet email address and phone number. It is also necessary to indicate where, if necessary, you can contact for clarification, comments or questions. The website address should also be indicated. Such information is especially important when, for example, a bank press release is being compiled. Information about the enterprise itself is a desirable, but not obligatory part of the document. It provides brief information about what the company does (its field of activity). This information will help message editors quickly understand who they are dealing with. At the same time, you should not abuse this part of the message and try to put various advertising texts in it - this will not make a very positive impression. At the same time, the organization should not pretend that it is so famous that the publishing house must know everything in advance.
Conclusion
The press release, a sample of which is given above, is compiled primarily for publication in various publications. In this case, the question may arise: why not spread the message yourself? This option is, of course, used by some organizations. But greater efficiency can be achieved by entrusting the coverage of an event to professionals. Press releases may be distributed to or sent via communications links (fax, email). In general, the message should not be very large in volume and fit on two A4 pages. The document should not contain evaluation data or advertising information. Typically, a press release covers one event or one piece of news. In addition, when composing a message, it is necessary to find out the requirements of the editorial office where it will be sent. The finished document should correspond to them as much as possible.
Example
When writing a note, you should not overuse the company’s advertising. After all, what is a press release? This is a message that should interest you. The abundance of advertising in it can have a negative impact on the image of the organization. A good example of writing a press release is the notes from Microsoft. Her press releases always contain brief information about the company in the final part. Information about services and goods is sometimes indicated here. For example, there may be some kind of promotion with a specific software product. In the main part of the release it is mentioned in passing, and in the final part - as if outside the text - a brief reminder of what the product actually is. If the message mentions several, for example two or three, companies that have entered into an interaction agreement, then it is advisable to provide brief information about all of them.
Start your press release with a catchy headline in bold. Begin the body text with the date and city where the press release will be issued. The first, also key, sentence should briefly outline the subject of the release. The rest of the text is important to reflect all the important details of the message: who, what, when, where, why and how. State the most important points first, then provide general information, and at the end do not forget to include contact information.
Steps
Writing a press release that stands out
- wikiHow is considered the most trusted source of information. Do you understand how it works? Now you want to know the details! The headline of a press release should capture the journalist in the same way that readers are captured by newspaper headlines. It may describe the organization's latest achievement, a recent newsworthy event, or a new product or service.
- Headings are written in bold! The title font should be larger than the rest of the text. Headings are usually written in the present tense.
- The first word is written with a capital letter, like all proper names. Most headlines are written in lowercase letters, but using capital letters with a suitable font can give the headline a more attractive appearance. Don't capitalize all words.
- Highlight important keywords from the press release. This is the easiest way to write a title. Try to construct a logical and attention-grabbing statement from your keywords. If the title is followed by a summary sentence, use the same tactics. Keywords will not only improve your rankings in search engines, but will also help journalists and readers immediately understand the content of the press release. Look at the actions listed in this first step and you'll realize that each of them could be the headline of a press release.
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Write the main text. The press release should be written the way you would like to see it in the news. Remember, journalists are always short on time, so instead of looking for more information about your special event, they will write a review based on your press release. So it should cover everything you want journalists to write. >
The text must be clearly connected. Who, what, when, where, why and how - the answers to these questions should clearly inform the reader. Let's look at an example of composing a press release on the above heading:
- Who? Publishing house Karpren.
- What's the news? Publishing house Karpren is releasing a book.
- When will this happen? Tomorrow.
- Where will this event take place? Available in all major bookstores.
- Why is this news? Because the book was written by famous writer Archie Kay.
- How would this happen? The writer will be signing autographs at a bookstore in Chicago and then touring the country.
- After identifying the main details, fill in the gaps with additional information about people, products, dates, etc., as long as it is related to the news.
- If your company is not the main subject of the news, but is the source of the press release, clearly indicate this in the text.
- Brevity is the soul of wit. The press release should not exceed three pages. The printed version should have double spacing between lines.
- You should try to make the press release newsworthy. This will increase his chances of getting into the press. Find out what's relevant to your sector and use that to interest a journalist or editor.
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Tie everything together. Add links to news and information sources in your release that are related to the news you are describing. Has the company whose press release you wrote posted any information online that would be useful to readers? Great, enter the link!
Secrets of the press release format
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Learn the basic structure of a press release. So, you know what should be in a press release. This is good, no doubt about it. Another question remains - how can all this be connected? For beginners, perhaps the main advice would be to try to present everything on one single page, no more. Unless you are writing about reports from the fronts of World War III, it is unlikely that anyone will spend much time reading your press release. Here's what you'll need (something, by the way, we've already talked about):
- Phrase PRESS RELEASE should be in the top left.
- If the release is timed to coincide with a certain date, you should write “PUBLISH...”, and then the date when it should be published. Without this note, the release will be published immediately (if, of course, there is one).
- Next comes the heading, highlighted in bold and located in the center of the page.
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Place a standard template below the release text. Which template exactly? Template with information about the company! When a journalist selects your press release for an article, they will need this information - it will need to be included in the article they are preparing! Therefore, provide it in advance in this section.
- The section title should be “About XYZ Company.”
- After writing the title, in one or two paragraphs (each 5-6 lines) tell about your company. The text must describe your company, what it does, and what policies it follows. Most organizations have professionally written brochures, presentations, business plans, and so on. You can take information from there.
- At the end of the section, provide a link to your website. The link must contain an accurate and complete URL (no attachments) so that when printed, it will print in its entirety. For example: http://www.your_company_website.com, not “click here to visit our website.”
- If the company website has a separate page for the media, then this must also be indicated and the URL provided. These pages provide contact information and press information.
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Add contact information. If your press release is newsworthy, journalists will need additional information or want to interview key players. If you don't mind the media contacting your key employees directly, you can provide their contact information in the press release. For example, if you write about innovation, then you can provide contact information for your engineering or research department.
- Otherwise, you must provide contact information for your PR department. If you don't have such a team, appoint someone to act as a liaison between the media and your staff.
- Contact details should be limited to the current press release and should include:
- official name of the company;
- official name of the public relations department and contact person
- office adress;
- telephone and fax numbers with correct country and city codes and extensions;
- mobile phone number (optional);
- opening hours;
- email addresses;
- company website address.
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If possible, provide a link to an electronic copy of the release. It's good etiquette, so to speak, so keeping a log of press releases on the company's website can't hurt. Moreover, this will make it much easier for you to both distribute the press release in electronic format and monitor it for archival purposes.
- Process each release, focus it on a specific sector and send it to a specific journalist who covers that particular topic. You can find all this information on the Internet. Don't take the easy way out by sending out the same press release across different sectors to different journalists.
- Send your press release via email, but be mindful of formatting in particular and file formats in general. The release should be attached to the letter, and not, in fact, placed in the body of the letter. The format of the attached file, in turn, is either the so-called plain text (.txt) or .RTF. You can, of course, send files created in Word, but there is a subtlety here - if you use newer versions of this text editor, in which files are saved in .docx format, then you must also send a .doc file along with such a file. You understand that software is expensive, and not everyone can update everything at once. In turn, .pdf files should only be sent when you are sending a press release that contains a lot of graphic materials. Of course, you don’t need to first print the release, then scan it and send it to the editor in .jpg format - this is a waste of time (both yours and the editor’s time). Send the release via email.
- Include a “call to action” in your release. This information is about what you want from the reader. For example, do you want the reader to buy your products? If yes, please indicate where to find it. Do you want the reader to visit your website and enter a contest or learn more about your company? If yes, please provide the company website address.
- Mention your company name in the title, subtitle, or first paragraph to help search engines find your release more easily. If you send someone a printed version of your press release, print it on company letterhead.
- Release time is very important. The press release must contain relevant and up-to-date news.
- Use jargon and technical terms only as a last resort.
- A follow-up call can help promote a press release to print.
- Phrase PRESS RELEASE should be in the top left.
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Write title . It should be short, clear and to the point: For a press release, it is important that the headline is as short as possible. PR professionals recommend writing a headline only after the press release has been written. Return to this point when you are finished with the main text. Remember, it is the title that catches the eye of any reader, so this point is extremely important.
For the last 10 years, PR people and other sympathetic people from the media industry have been burying press releases. Like, the press release is dead and now give all the media unique information. But there are cases when a company press release is simply necessary - for example, when you have a public joint stock company and you are required by law to notify the public about the company’s financial results or to report changes in top management. Or when the well-being of the entire city depends on the activities of your organization (for example, you are responsible for electricity, water or heat supply), and there is an accident on the line. Or when you organize a large-scale event and want to invite as many people as possible to it.
In all these cases, one or another type of press release is simply vital. But, despite the fact that a press release is the most basic PR text, journalists with suspicious frequency receive complaints that professional (sort of) PR people do not know how to write releases. We decided to write a short text with recommendations on how to make the release as convenient as possible for a journalist.
Rule #1: Follow the Inverted Pyramid Rule
The Inverted Pyramid rule arose during the heyday of print media in America. Then journalists came up with a very convenient system for writing news, which would reduce the time spent on editing: the main information of the news is contained in the first paragraph (lead), and further paragraphs contain details of the news in descending order of importance. This structure of the text made it possible, if there was not enough space on the page, to cut off paragraphs without looking, starting with the very last one.
An ideally written news story is one in which you can leave only the lead, and at the same time the reader will still be able to understand what the news actually is.
Later, PR people also found out about this rule, and in order to increase the chances of their news getting into the newspaper, they began writing press releases according to the “inverted pyramid” rule.
The most important thing to remember here is that the first paragraph should contain all the key information about the event. Very briefly, this information can be put into the formula 5W1H: what, who, where, when, why, how, i.e. The lead should contain answers to the questions “what happened?”, “who participated/organized?”, “where did the event happen/will happen?”, “when did the event happen?”, “why did the event happen?” and “how did it happen?”
Remember - the lead should be news in itself. It is not necessary to put all the information into one sentence, but it is advisable to fit a couple of sentences with answers to key questions into one short paragraph.
Rule #2: Choose an informative title
Some companies still prefer to send press releases without headings (or with the heading “Press Release”). This makes the work of a journalist very difficult, who receives several dozen or even hundreds of letters a day. If the headline interests the journalist, then he will read the lead; if the lead is interested, then he will read the news to the end.
There are three basic approaches to news headlines.
- The first approach is that you simply squeeze out the main idea of the press release in the headline. For example, “Company N did such and such” or “The CEO of Company N said so-and-so.”.
- Approach two: imagine how it will look in the media as news, that is, cling to an interesting and socially significant detail. For example: “On June 17, interruptions in hot water supply are possible in areas X, Y and Z” or “Due to Event X, streets in the city center will be blocked”.
- The third approach is to include in the title an interesting quote from a speaker of your company who comments on the news. For example, “Ivan Ivanov, General Director of Company N: “The situation with X is the machinations of competitors”” or “Ivan Ivanov, N: “Employees who made a mistake have already been fired.” All three types of headlines can be informative and interesting, but in each case you need to choose the most appropriate strategy.
Rule #3: Give an expert quote
A quote brings the news to life very well and allows you to write into it something that cannot be included in the official text of the news. But there are several rules here too.
First, the quote must be from someone knowledgeable on the subject and/or high-ranking in the organization. By the way, this does not necessarily have to be the general director.
For example, a technical director can comment on the safety of users of an Internet service, who will explain in human terms why your service is so difficult to hack, and an HR director can comment on news about new internship opportunities in your company.
Some companies involve comments from experts who are not employees of the company for their releases - for example, the launch of a new line of production of healthy products can be commented on by a qualified nutritionist, and the scandalous news that a mouse was found in your sausage can be debunked by the head of the local branch of the supervisory authority , who recently checked the compliance of your production with legal requirements and did not find any deviations.
Secondly, the quote must be emotional enough to illustrate the speech of a living person, but contain a sufficient amount of specifics - data, figures, opinions, etc.
Rule #4: Use only editable file formats
PR people who send press releases in PDF format or as a scan of a release signed by their superiors, of course, have long become the talk of the town among the journalistic fraternity. Let's just say one thing - don't do this.
Send the press release to the journalist in a form that he can read, copy and edit.
The most advanced ones, in addition to the attached release file in Word, also duplicate the text of the news in the body of the letter in order to save the journalist those nanoseconds that he spends on opening or downloading the file attached to the letter. Whether to do this or not is, of course, up to you to decide, but for a journalist this approach is indeed very convenient.
In general, in principle, the cover letter for the release should not be ignored. Even if you do not duplicate the text of the news in the letter, explain in at least a few words what the content of the news is. And yes, instead of a subject, you can (and should) use the title of the release so that the journalist does not get confused in the kilometers of correspondence with you, if one arises.
Rule #5: Take care of additional materials
You don’t need to think that work on the release ended the moment you wrote the text itself. Journalists today also need additional materials. For example, if you wrote a release about the company's financial results, also send a financial report so that the journalist can study it himself and find something interesting. If you are writing a release about an accident that caused ice on city streets, attach a photo from the scene. If your news is that your company has changed top management, then attach biographical information about managers and their photographs to the release. If your release contains a speaker's commentary and you are sending it to a radio station, record an audio version of the commentary.
Important advice: if there are too many files and they are heavy, then you should not attach them to the letter - this creates the risk that your letter will not reach the recipient due to its large size or will end up in spam. Make allowances for the fact that not all journalists need the entire volume of multimedia files that you have collected: some need only one photo, while others will want to download an audio commentary. In this case, it is better to post all heavy multimedia files on a file hosting service and give journalists access to this archive (send a link). Make it as easy as possible for journalists to navigate through a virtual folder in a file hosting service: each file should have a signature of what’s inside. That is, “Photo of Ivan Ivanov (portrait)”, and not just “IMG 082012”.
And, of course, you shouldn’t write news on every little bit significant occasion. Seriously assess the news potential of your release and do not send the news to those media outlets that are a priori not interested in such information.
Often, people inexperienced in journalism confuse two concepts - a press release and PR, identifying them, that is, they believe that they are one and the same thing. Examples ready for the media will help you understand how a press release differs from PR. What are press releases? These are informational articles. The main purpose of writing them is to attract media attention to an event occurring in the company or to the release of a new product that may be of interest to the press. The decision to publish a press release is made, as a rule, by the editor-in-chief if the event is relevant. Any commercial document used to advertise a product or service is PR, and that’s the difference. Sometimes an article may be published for a fee as an advertisement.
In cases where a company has any interesting offers for consumers or new developments, it makes sense to use a media channel that can cover information about new products in the press or on television. The products of large companies are always under close attention, so their press release is sure to arouse the interest of journalists for a specific target audience. It is necessary to take into account all factors in the presentation of information, taking into account the profile specialization of the publication. The literal translation of the phrase press release is information for the press, that is, intriguing news that would be interesting to present in the press.
How to properly prepare a document?
When news-oriented, press releases must be formatted in a strictly defined manner:
- A company letterhead is used for registration.
- Come up with a catchy, interesting title that attracts attention.
- The first paragraph immediately sets out the essence of the news, answering the main questions.
- Then, in a few paragraphs, the main topic is stated, listing the product or service's features, benefits, characteristics, and importance to the relevant market area.
- Insertion of statements from management or the general director is desirable.
- The last paragraph contains brief information about the company's activities and main achievements, existing awards, and development prospects.
- Press releases end with the contact information of the person in charge (press secretary or head of the PR service).
The document should be distributed specifically only to those media that specialize in this area. In practice, press releases are often sent to all organizations in a row, but not always to those from which publication may follow.
It makes sense to send press releases to news sites that host corporate news, where the information may be of interest to advertising agencies. Taking into account the features that a press release must comply with, the example may contain pictures, photographs, diagrams for better perception of information.
What information can a press release cover?
The document should include interesting information in the following areas:
- About changes and reshuffles in the company's management, personnel changes, bankruptcy or the merger of several companies into a single corporation.
- Release of new products or services.
- Inform people about an upcoming event or event.
- Information about entering new markets.
- Coverage of crisis situations, incidents, accidents.
- Comments on the development of a particular industry.
Types of press releases depending on the purpose of use
- Informational – news about a company or service.
- In the form of an announcement - a message about a planned event, an invitation to attend it, highlighting the expected effect and purpose.
- PR news is a document about a past event indicating the names of the main participants, the results, the promotions carried out, and a description of the most interesting events.
- Advertising information – information compiled professionally and interesting for a wide range of people.
- The modern type of press release is not done in text format, but in the form of audio and video files. This type of news delivery particularly appeals to young people and should be taken into account when assessing the target audience.
It makes sense to write press releases only if there is interesting, relevant news that is topical and covers the realities of modern life. The volume of text should not exceed two pages. It is important to understand that the style of the text must be oriented towards the publication and potential audience. Sometimes even several versions of a document are written on the same topic. And each media outlet will cover the problem differently, which will ultimately provide a more multifaceted picture.
Ready-made press release examples
A completed sample press release looks like this:
Conclusion
The considered examples of rules for writing press releases will allow you to complete any task according to the model. This type of information provision is relevant and is an integral part of the development of any business.
Previously, a press release was written purely by journalists and purely for editors of print publications. Now this type of text is much more common. Press releases are published on various online platforms; they have become needed primarily by readers. Therefore, they need to be written based on the interests of ordinary people.
Press releases are quite relevant these days. They are often ordered from copywriters. However, not only a professional can write a good press release. This is subject to any person who has sufficient literacy and also understands the structure and nuances of this genre. And you can too, regardless of what field you work in - SMM, content marketing, management, entrepreneurship. The only thing you need is to master the basics and practice a lot.
What is a press release, what does it consist of and why is it needed?
In essence, a press release is an announcement of a particular event. It is used in a variety of cases. Let us list the most typical of them.
1. Release of new products. Pay attention to what happens when the next iPhone model goes on sale. The network is literally teeming with notifications several weeks before X-Day. Smaller brands announce their arrivals in the same way, although it is not so noticeable.
2. Event. If you are planning a competition, promotion, buffet in honor of a professional holiday, etc. that needs to be brought to the attention of the general public, this can be issued in the form of a press release. Also note that the news feed should be truly meaningful and interesting.
3. Large material. If you are planning a series of articles on some important topic, or a single coverage of a sensation, it would not be superfluous to make an announcement. You don’t have to look far for examples - talk shows like “Let Them Talk” often issue press releases before airing their next episode.
Examples of press releases
Before you write, use your imagination. Put yourself in the shoes of an ordinary reader and think about whether what you want to say will really be interesting to him. If the answer is yes, then you are on the right track.
Here is an example of an event press release that probably received a good response. Please read them carefully before we go any further.
As you can see, everything is written here briefly and to the point. There is no need to distort word forms or come up with an original concept. It is enough to present the necessary information in a way that is understandable.
And this is a press release from Beeline.
This example is much better than the first one. Do you know why? In the previous press release, the author tried to tell readers a few facts, nothing more, nothing less. And here teaser elements and a direct appeal to people were added to the text. This is quite important as the audience responds well when spoken to.
Let's look at another example - an example of an exhibition press release.
This time, try to analyze the text of the release yourself. What is good and what is bad here. How could it have been done better?
How to Write a Press Release for the Media: Preparing Structure
A press release consists of three elements: headline, lead and body. There is no need to invent anything else. Knowing how to correctly formulate each of them will help you write strong texts, thanks to which you will successfully promote your products, or earn money as an independent author.
Heading
It should be interesting, memorable and instantly attract attention. The title determines whether your press release will be read at all. There are many tricks to arouse audience curiosity from the first line. You can use numbers (“Apple is releasing the iPhone with 5 new features”), play on memetic phrases that are on everyone’s lips (“The best is the enemy of good: a seminar course on combating perfectionism starts on May 23”), point out the benefits (“Buy 2 packs of juice and get the third one for free!”), etc.
Lead
This is the first paragraph of the story. It must contain all the best that you have. The audience should understand that they will not waste their time on your text, so focus on what is interesting to them, not to you.
The body or "body" of the press release
Here you need to convey the essence of the upcoming event. Do this as simply and clearly as possible. Don’t pour water, don’t use bureaucratic language, don’t overuse complex terminology. Remember that those who will read this are ordinary people, even if they work as directors, editors or managers.
Although a press release is different from one, the techniques in them are almost the same. Benefits, results, facts. Give readers the information they need - and you will get a hundred times more return.