How to Write a Press Release:
Constructing the Press Release

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by Peter Cooper

By now you should be convinced of the requirement to deal with the press and aware of the benefits such relationships could bring. This is an excellent start but now you need to actually get your message out to journalists and editors. How?

By writing a press release! Of course, this isn't the only way of getting in touch with editors and journalists who would be interested in your story, but it's the most commonly accepted way of getting in touch with media organizations you don't deal with personally, so you need to produce a high quality document.

To help you develop a clear mental image of the format of a press release we're going to move through it in a step by step fashion, simply starting from the beginning and finishing at the end! There's a lot to take in so a variety of details have been left out but are things that you pick up as you get more experience at producing press releases anyway. So, let's get started.

Starting out

The most important thing to remember about the start of your press release is that it's the only part that most editors and journalists will initially read. Many won't even go past the title if it doesn't capture their attention. That's why it's so important. However, there's other information that can go at the top of a press release which we should cover first.

Press releases don't really follow a strict formula. Sure, most are similar in format and layout, but they're really quite flexible. However, one thing which nearly always appears at the top is a 'release date'. This simple detail allows you to place a date on the press release but recently nearly all press releases just say 'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE'.

This device was once used to 'embargo' press releases until a certain date. That is, the company issuing the press release was demanding that the news isn't published until a certain date. It became rather unpopular with journalists who wanted to get on with their work straight away, and the bulk of press releases that contain embargoes these days are those issued by federal bodies. So, try to stick with 'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE' at the top of your press releases.

One important detail you can list at the top of your press release is a contact name and number or e-mail address. Recently, however, many companies are choosing to place this information at the bottom of the release despite traditionally appearing at the top. Make your own decision on formatting here and stick to it for all of your subsequent press releases. Personally, I would recommend that you place a very simple contact line at the top with extended contact details at the bottom of the press release. That way, you get the best of both worlds.

The title : The most crucial part of any release

Usually, after the date and contact details, comes the title of the press release. This is a very important piece to get right since it's often the only part of the press release you can be sure will be read. If the title doesn't grab attention, your efforts become useless. Put simply, the title is the Achilles heel of most press releases today.

The actual style of a press release title varies between writers but most companies choose to include their name within the title. For example, "Bloggs' Corp. Goes Bankrupt" as compared to "Leading Chemical Company Goes Under" since the latter could be perceived as pointless bragging by a journalist.

Most importantly, the title has to communicate the story within just several words and those words have to be tightly edited and easily understood. Don't go for a vague intrigue-packed approach - it will not work. If at all possible, include a benefit of your story within the title, it really can help. For example, "JohnCo and BloggCo join forces; Major savings for customers".

The 'main' part

Truthfully, the 'main' part of the press release is the easiest piece to write. It's the editing which is hard and time consuming, but we're not discussing that until the next section.

One thing which is usually included at the start of the body is the location of the company making the announcement and often a date. For example, "NEW YORK, NY, USA -- 12th October 2000". It's simple and your main body text can start immediately after this.

The key to a successful body in a press release is to write in 'inverted-pyramid' form. This means that you start off with an overview of the topic at hand, and work your way down to the smaller details at the end.

Let me provide an example. Pretend that you own a site which has just been ranked number 1 in its field. Your title would be something like 'SomeCorp Ranked #1 in X Industry'. Your first paragraph would probably demonstrate the basic statistics behind this rating and back up the claim made in the title, and you should be aiming to communicate this within 80 or so words.

Your second paragraph could expand on this and explain other findings in different markets which may contradict, or backup, the main story. You can go on from there all the way to the last paragraph (5 to 8 body paragraphs is common) which might explain plans to further increase your presence in the industry and set targets for the future, things which aren't crucial to the story as a whole.

There are a few 'goodies' that you can include in the body of a press release although they're not strictly required features:

Even though I said 5 to 8 paragraphs is a common length for a press release, don't feel restricted by this. You're only writing the press release and not editing it. Don't edit as you go along as this will only slow you down and make the task seem impossible. Just write everything you want to say, and leave the art of perfection until editing time.

Last extra paragraphs and details

The end of your press release is where you provide general information about your company and, possibly, some statistics too. Take, for example, this Yahoo! press release. The final section is marked 'About Yahoo!' and is simply a long paragraph with general information a publication may want to use.

Yahoo! has included a description of their company and its position in the marketplace, how many users they have, their international coverage, and a quick list of other services they provide. You should go for a similar format.

Here are some things to consider including:

If the press release is detailing a merger or acquisition, you'll also need to include another paragraph about the other company involved in the deal, and perhaps some information about their owner or CEO. Details about specific people mentioned in a press release can also be included in the final section too, especially if they're someone of importance whose credentials you want to stand out.

Editing your release

So you've written your press release, now what? It's editing time. You need to make sure that your press release is the best you can get it, and this involves a lot of editing. In fact, you should spend more time editing your press release than actually writing it.

Good editing makes the difference between a story that makes it into prestigious publications and those with remain in an unvisited area of the company Web site. It's outside of the scope of this piece to discuss editing in full but here are some useful tips.

Ask 'So What?' of every single sentence and paragraph. If you don't, the editors and journalists will! Edit out information which doesn't need to be there and remove sentences that merely act as 'padding out'. Remember, word count should be low!

At the least, make the first paragraph of the press release punchy and to the point. Remove words at random and see if the sentence still works. If it does, great! Once again, word count needs to be low, at least in the first few paragraphs. These act as the 'hook' to editors and journalists and if you can't grab them in a few paragraphs, they won't go any further.

Make your sentences active! Change all of your passive sentences to active ones. This isn't particularly easy when confronted with a few hundred words, but by taking each sentence at a time, you can really spice up your press release. Look at the following examples.

Passive - The food was eaten by the dog.
Active - The dog ate the food.

See the difference? With those three tips you'll be able to edit your release down without too many worries, but if you're really worried and can't tell your colons from your commas, there are plenty of copywriters and proof readers who will help.

Once your press release is finished and as punchy as it could ever be, take a break! You're halfway there.

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