Are press releases even relevant anymore? The answer is yes! Despite the pandemic negatively affecting most business growth over the past couple of years, the press release industry has remained steady.
Press releases are an easy way for businesses to get their stories out to the world. Competing with multiple sources of information in today’s fast-paced society means you need to craft the best press releases to get the attention of a busy news editor.
If you want to make sure your release stands out from inbox clutter and gets noticed by journalists, keep reading for tips on creating the most effective press releases.
1. Keep It Short and Sweet
The first step to writing an effective press release is keeping it short. You want to be able to get your point across without losing the reader. The average attention span is only eight seconds, so you need to make sure your release can be read and understood quickly.
2. Write a Compelling Headline
Your headline is the most important part of your release. It’s what will catch the reader’s attention and make them want to read more. Journalists receive dozens of press releases daily, you only have one chance to catch their attention when you send a press release.
Remember too that they may publish your release with the headline that you have chosen, so you want to make sure that your news item won’t be drowned in their publication and not catch the attention of their readers.
3. Use Simple Language
Don’t try to sound smarter than your readers by using big words or jargon. Stick to simple language that can be understood by everyone. You want everyone including the layman to be able to quickly get the gist of your story when they scan your release.
4. Find the Right Angle and Convey It Quickly
Your press release should have a newsworthy angle that makes it interesting to read. Think about what makes your story unique and focus on that.
Be sure to convey the most important information in the first paragraph of your release. This will ensure that even if the reader only scans your release, they will still get the main points of your story.
5. Include Quotes
Including quotes from people involved in your story will make it more relatable and trustworthy. Each person mentioned or quoted in your release should be identified by their name, title, and company. This helps the reporter to follow up if necessary.
6. Add Multimedia
Adding images, videos, or infographics to your release will make it more visually appealing and help get your point across. If your release is about an event, a product launch, or some research, for example, it will be hard to get your point across without these added in.
7. Keep It Factual
Your press release should be free of any opinion or bias. Stick to the facts and let the reader make their own judgments. Make sure that any statistics or other data references you provide are backed with a link to the source of the information.
8. Check for Grammar and Spelling Mistakes
You want your release to be taken seriously, so double-check for any errors before sending it out. You don’t want to accidentally lose credibility due to poor grammar or typos.
9. Distribute Your Release
Once you’ve finished writing your release, it’s time to send it out to the world. There are a number of ways to do this, including through a wire service or by emailing journalists directly.
10. Follow Up
After you’ve sent out your release, follow up with the journalist to make sure they received it and see if they have any questions. This will help ensure that everything is clear to the readers.
Bonus: Press Release Mistakes to Avoid
It’s important to avoid making these common press release mistakes to make sure you’re taken seriously. These include:
Your press release should be about something newsworthy, not just a way to promote your business. If you make it all about yourself, you’ll lose the attention of the reader quickly.
Your press release is not a sales pitch. Stick to the facts and resist the urge to include any marketing language.
Make sure your release includes all the essential information, such as who, what, when, where, and why. Include these as early as possible as chances are your reader won’t make it to the end of your story.
Don’t forget to date your press release as well. If you want your announcement to be held until a certain date, make sure to state this in your release.
Ask someone to read your release and relay the main points to you. If they are unable, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Communicate your message clearly when you write a press release and avoid any fluff or uncircumstantial information.
Using a Service for the Most Effective Press Releases
Writing a good press release can be a challenge. Outsourcing this to a professional service with years of experience in the industry is one way to make sure you only send out the most effective press releases.
eReleases offers both a press release writing service and press release distribution. This can take the stress out of getting your release seen by the right people.
Whether you want to write a press release or distribute it to the right journalists, leave it to eReleases. We’ll make sure it gets in front of the right journalists and media outlets for maximum exposure. Click here to get started today.