Would you believe me if I said the boilerplate was one of the most important parts of your press release? Think about it – this is the chunk of text that gets used time and time again in every press release you send out. When you’re distributing press releases on a regular basis, that means your boilerplate is going out to hundreds of different places all over the internet. It’s the paragraph that concludes every press release, making a strong statement about what your company does and what makes you different. It’s also the paragraph that journalists will refer to and borrow information from when writing about your company.
You have to get this paragraph right!
So, what can you do to write a better boilerplate?
- Nail down the important facts—When was your company founded? Where are you located? What does your company do? How big is your company? What’s your website address? Make sure that your boilerplate includes the most important basic facts about your company, so that if someone is reading your press release who doesn’t know anything about your company, they can read that statement and get a better idea of who you are.
- Focus on your strengths—Your boilerplate shouldn’t read like ad copy; after all, this is a press release. However, your boilerplate is a statement that positions your brand. That’s why it’s important to describe your strengths and unique selling points. Just make sure to avoid hype or exaggerated claims.
- Cut out the jargon—Don’t fill your statement with the typical corporate speak, meaningless jargon. If your boilerplate includes terms that sound like they were created by the Web Economy B.S. Generator (a hilarious tool, by the way), you’re doing it wrong. You have to remember that not everyone understands your industry-specific lingo, so choose your words wisely.
- Make it search engine friendly—Since you’ll probably be distributing your press releases across the web, it’s a good idea to optimize your boilerplate. Choose one or two of the most important keywords you’re targeting, and include them in your About Us paragraph. Just make sure you don’t go overboard with stuffing the keywords. You want it to be optimized without anyone even realizing it contains keywords.
- Keep it short—A good boilerplate is short and to the point—a power-packed paragraph. Your boilerplate should be about 3-5 sentences long and less than 100 words. Include the most important information, and eliminate anything that doesn’t really need to be there.
- Check your boilerplate regularly—Once you’ve come up with a solid boilerplate, you’ll be slapping it at the end of every press release. However, as the months and years roll by and your company grows and changes, it’s important that you check your boilerplate to make sure it still applies with where your brand is today.
Do you think you have a good boilerplate for your company’s press releases?
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of the Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases here: https://www.ereleases.com/free-offer/beginners-guide-writing-powerful-press-releases/