Tips on writing your own press release

The material you read in the press is news. And where do the publications get this news? Well, apart from the big breaking stories that happen and journalists are dispatched to cover them, a good proportion of material comes from press releases distributed by PR companies and even by regular, small business people who have something important to say.

What is a press release?

Let’s recap what a press release actually is. A press release, also known as a media release, is a report outlining some newsworthy information such as an announcement or update. It’s distributed to a range of relevant media channels including magazines, trade publications, newspapers, websites and so on.

Once your press release is received, it’s looked at by the editor or sub-editor and if it’s deemed newsworthy – that is, of interest and relevance to their reader base – it’s passed on to the appropriate journalist to cover or edit it for publication. It could result in a request for an interview, further statements could be sought, it could be condensed, shortened or published as is.

Stick to the formula

You can certainly write your own press release though it may be harder than it seems at first. There is a standard media release formula and if not written accordingly, gaining the attention of busy editors who have dozens – if not more – stories cross their desk daily, could be difficult to impossible.

Write a headline with a ‘hook’. Your headline has to do two things:

Trigger an emotional response in the reader
Incorporate keywords that will drive traffic to your website

To view the formula in an easy, at-a-glance format, visit http://www.prwebdirect.com/pressreleasetips.php.

If it isn’t newsworthy, it’s advertising

Newsworthiness is paramount. Think of the headline and whether or not it seems like a compelling read. Consider the difference between: “Petals Florist opens its doors in
northern suburbs” and “New local florist only organic flower shop in town”. No one really cares about a florist shop they’ve never heard of opening up in a suburb where other florists exist. But their point of difference, that they offer customers organically-produced flowers, could be highly valuable information for potential customers.

Incorporate the 5 W’s

So you have something genuinely newsworthy to announce. What do you include in the press release? The general – and very useful – rule of thumb is to include the five W’s. Think back to high school English class. You were taught about who, when, what, where and why. Now aim to incorporate the five W’s in to the release as early as possible. Remember that your news release might be chopped considerably and if the last three paragraphs are left out, will your message retain its importance? And, if you can’t capture the editor’s attention in the first 30 seconds, forget it. Save the ‘padding’ for later, in the final paragraphs. Any publication that scores you free publicity is valuable. If your entire release is used, then you’re extremely lucky.

Give your story every chance of success

Flesh out your press release and make it more compelling by including photos. They may or may not be used, but illustrating your story with highly relevant images can help it get noticed.

At the bottom of your media release, don’t forget to provide contact information because if your story is going to be used, the publication will need to contact you to confirm facts, arrange an interview or request more images.

Yes, writing and distributing a press release can be fraught with difficulties. Consider hiring a copywriter or PR firm to write and distribute your release for you. Sure, you will pay for the service but when you remember that it will result in free editorial in a widely-read publication, you’ll see the return on investment that you’ll gain by hiring an expert to do it all the right way for you.

Author Bio: Gina Lofaro is the wordmistress, offering professional copywriting services. Running a successful online store has provided her with the expertise to know what sells. To find out more about Gina, read her profile or visit her online at www.wordmistress.com.au.