Top Tips for Writing the Perfect Press Release

Until you master the art of creating the perfect press release, your public relations strategy will continue to lag behind the competition. But there is good news: this is not nearly as challenging as it sounds. With the right knowledge and approach, you can create a press release that generates positive results.

This leads to a very important question: what does a perfect press release look like?

If you are new to this form of writing it can be a challenge to get in the right frame of mind. Creating a press release is not the same as a blog post, web copy, or sales letter. This is a different beast entirely. Fortunately, it is a beast you can tame by following these tips:

1. Spend Time on the Headline

This can make or break the success of your release, so it deserves a lot of attention. Just the same as a blog post, your press release headline should grab the attention of your audience. A strong headline will drum up interest. A weak headline will turn journalists (and others) off before they ever learn more about your story.

2. Don’t Beat Around the Bush

Here is one of the biggest mistakes of press release writing. Rather than getting to the point, some writers put this off and instead provide generic information. This is a mistake.

If a reader makes his or her way past the headline, you want to “hit them hard” in the first paragraph. This is where your primary message should be located. You can then expand into the finer details later in the release.

3. Include Facts, Statistics, and Data

Turn the tables for a second. Would you enjoy reading a press release that offers no “hard” data? Of course not.

To increase your chance of success, include as many facts, stats, and data points as possible. For example, if you are introducing a new product or service, share statistics on pre-orders and price point. Hard numbers are a good thing. Hard numbers make a press release more interesting. They also give the reader something to hang their hat on if they decide to cover the story. You want to make it newsworthy with information people would want to hear.

4. Include Quotes

Is this always possible? No. Should you attempt to work at least one quote into your press release? Absolutely. If you are creating a release for your company, don’t hesitate to quote yourself or ask a colleague to provide something of value.

There are many benefits of adding quotes, including the personality and color it brings to the release. The point is to stand out, blending in will only make your “news” not very exciting. You don’t want to readers eyes to glaze over half way through.

5. Provide a Source of More Information

The perfect press release is never more than one page long. For this reason, you may struggle to say everything that is on your mind.

Provide at least one source of more information, such as a link to your company’s website. Along with this, don’t forget to include the primary contact’s name, phone number, and email address.

So…Now What?

These tips won’t turn you into a pro overnight, but they will point you in the right direction. As you compose your next press release, keep these ideas in mind. By implementing each one, you will end up with a higher quality press release that has a greater chance of yielding the intended result.