At some point, your organization will have news to share. However, how to spread the information to your audience can be challenging. Press releases make it easy for you to announce significant developments in your business. It can be about an upcoming event, new promotions, building projects, new hires, etc.
Writing a press release can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some useful tips to help you write effective press releases.
Use a Good Headline
Journalists receive hundreds of press releases every day. Therefore, to increase the chances of them reading your document, you must use a catchy title. The title should also be informative and short. Your headline should contain the essential piece of information and not exceed six words.
You can bold the headline and increase the font size to capture the attention of the journalist. If you add a subhead, do not bold it, instead, put it in italics.
Add Your Contact Information
When you send a press release to a journalist, ensure that you include your updated contact information. As a result, it will be easier for the journalist to contact you if they need additional information or queries.
You can include your name, phone number, or email address. Including a website address on your press release allows the journalist to check out more information. If your business has a social media presence, include its handles on the press release.
Use Quotes
Before releasing a press release for your small business, ensure that you include at least one quote. It can be from the employees or the company’s president. You must make sure that the quote doesn’t sound unreal.
To confirm that the quotes sound real, you can read it aloud. If it doesn’t sound like something a person would say, don’t use it. Your quotations also need to be short.
Answer the Five Ws
For your press release to be effective, it needs to answer the when, who, why, where, and what. If your document doesn’t answer any of the above, the reader will likely delete it without second-guessing.
Use an Appropriate Style
When writing a press release, you need to write it as if you are writing a news story. Use short and simple sentences. Avoid using jargon and, instead, use terms that an average person can understand.
When writing, ensure that you write the relevant information first. Before sending the press release to a journalist, proofread it, or run a spell check to remove grammatical errors.
Start Off Right
It is advisable to state the location of your business. It can be a city or state. After that, add a dash and begin your press release.
Include the Main Point on the First Paragraph
Press releases are short. Most range between 300-600 words, and there is no guarantee the reader will finish reading. Therefore, it is advisable to include the main point and any other relevant information in the first paragraph. Other paragraphs should contain supporting data.
The above are useful tips to help you draft potent press releases. A reporter will take you seriously when you end your document the traditional way.
