Official statements are always a nerve wracking moment for a business, whether the news is good or bad.
You never quite know, in the era of instant, 24/7 news, whether that statement will spiral and spin into negative and sarcastic comments on social media, or an exciting springboard that transforms your company’s success.
That’s why it’s vital to get the wording perfect. In this guide, we’ll outline the essential elements you need to include in your official statement.
The Official Statement Headline
Don’t make the mistake of thinking the headline is a label or a title when writing official statements.
The headline is your first attempt at grabbing the reader’s interest, so it’s crucial you get it right and treat it like you would if you were a journalist writing a page-one headline.
It should succinctly explain the essence of the news story and provide hints that will entice the reader to explore it further.
Make your heading clear and crisp. Fewer words to share a message always work better than manner. Use action verbs and choose powerful adjectives that will raise eyebrows.
You should also try, if possible, to share a sense of urgency in your headline.
The Subheading
If you feel too restricted on words in your headline, that’s why a subheading exists. It strengthens your headline and provides more crucial information to your reader.
You can use this for a hook, an enticing statement that gives the reader a sense of urgency to continue reading the complete statement. It should also provide some reinforcement to the headline.
For example, perhaps you couldn’t fit details like a date in your headline but feel that it’s vital information for readers to understand. In that case, you’ll add that information to the subheading.
You can also include other information information, such as key people involved in the story or a piece of evidence. The subheading plays an essential role in helping someone decide if a news story is for them, so make it relevant to your audience, too.
Date and Location Information
If you haven’t included any date or location information in your headline or subheading, you should include this information next in your official statement.
It sets some context for the reader and reassures them that they haven’t accidentally stumbled across an old, outdated press release or one irrelevant to their location.
This information is crucial if you have a location-specific statement to make, like an event.
Time will be essential if you have a time-sensitive event, such as a product launch or corporate development, where the audience might want to mark their calendars.
Displaying this information near the top of your statement creates urgency.
It ensures the audience won’t set it aside for later reading. Remember to include the hour and minutes of your statement if they are important, like an event start time. Otherwise, stick to the date, month, and year.
Your Introduction: a Chance to Answer the Big Questions
Use your introduction to grab attention and answer some of the big questions that will be going through the minds of your audience-in other words, the who, what, where, why, when, and how.
This section should be concise with the details, so don’t delve into minor points. They can read smaller details later on in your statement. Be ruthless about whether the information is important enough to justify a place in that first introductory paragraph.
Journalists always like to know about the people involved, so always answer the “who” question in your introduction. If the names are well-known, it will help boost interest in your statement.
You may also want to use this introduction to explain the purpose or reason for your official statement, answering the most likely “why” your audience will have after seeing your headline.
A well-drafted introduction should provide readers with enough information that even if they choose not to read the rest of the statement, they’ll still gain enough context to understand your press release.
The Body of Your Official Statement
The main body of your press release follows the introduction. This is your opportunity to flesh out the information you provided in that introduction.
Expand your answers to some of the questions you addressed in the introduction.
Add more depth and context, but still make it concise and newsworthy. Discuss the significance and implications of your statement for your company, industry, or the wider world.
Your flow should be logical.
The more important information should be higher up the body, and the less important information should be lower down. The writing should also be accessible, avoiding jargon unless your audience is highly specialized in a technical field.
Like the introduction, the writing here should be compelling. A statement that keeps the reader’s attention is a successful one.
Offer Some Quotes
Quotes are attention-grabbing and bring a human element to your official statement. They also provide some credibility. Choose stakeholders or experts and ask them to provide a short statement offering their perspective on the news story.
A good quote is relevant and makes an impact on the reader. They also provide a critical viewpoint, so you may prefer to include two or three if you need to cover different views.
A quote is also the perfect chance to connect emotionally with the reader, so ensure authenticity and relatability in your final chosen quotes. The quote must also add value to the story, so avoid anything that seems irrelevant to the main message.
Include Some Data
A statement full of opinions and thoughts won’t have the same punch as one offering facts. But facts only carry some weight when they are provided with some evidence behind them.
Include data where possible in your press release to back up what you are saying. It might be some financial information or statistics, like results from a piece of research you have done.
It will sway the skeptics in your audience. For example, if you make an official statement about a joint venture, provide the numbers demonstrating why it’s a financially sound plan.
Double-check that your information sources are reliable before including them. Otherwise, you may find your claims challenged by a detail-orientated journalist.
Provide Company Background Information
Don’t assume your reader will know about you and your company. You must offer some background information to help your audience understand the statement you’re about to release.
However, keep it brief. Offer relevant information like your company history, key achievements, and details of key personnel like your CEO.
You may also want to include some positive statements about your growth and achievements, though it shouldn’t be overly promotional. The information is there to add some credibility and relevance to your official statement.
Provide Contact Informaiton
After a journalist has read your official statement, they may want to follow it up with some questions or an interview. To get the most from your press release, you must include designated media contact points.
You should do this, even if you don’t have an official PR role in your organization.
Choose the person who is best placed to answer any follow-up questions from the media. Add their name, telephone number, email address, and information about their role.
Format this in a way that’s easy for a reader to scan, too. You may also want to add a note to say whether or not you are open to journalists’ interview requests.
Add a Boilerplate
Boilerplates are part of PR best practices.
A boilerplate is a distinct and recognizable section of any press release offering a standard company description. That is usually added to the end of the statement and formatted so that it’s easy for the media to scan and spot.
It’s one concise paragraph with objective company information rather than a heavy marketing spin.
It should also be consistent with your brand identity so it looks aligned with the information on your website. Include some basics about your company mission, history, and any notable achievements.
Call to Action
Whenever you distribute a press release, you’re hoping that the reader does something with the information. A call to action is a specific statement to guide the reader to what you want them to do next.
With an official statement, that will depend on the context. It could be visiting a website, contacting your PR contact, or noting an event in the calendar. A call to action should be clear, concise, and compelling.
Multimedia, Links and Images
You may want to add some other information to your press release, which can help add some further depth and interest to your statement. Effective press releases include a noteworthy photo, for example.
You may also want to include links to other resources, like research as evidence of a claim or a product page on your website for an upcoming launch.
Making an Impact With an Official Statement
You have one opportunity to make your official statement count. Don’t waste that chance. Use this guide to help shape and write your statement, and give it a second or third draft to get it perfect.
Next, it’s time to reach out to eReleases to make sure your statement goes to the right people. With our vast national database and proven track record, you can count on us to ensure your statement makes the impact you want.