A press release template is a document used by professionals for building public relations and gaining publicity. Usually, it is used to draw public attention about the trending events and happenings from all over the world.
What basically a press release is?
A press release is an officially recorded and written announcement. It is issued by an organization for the target audience. It has several names like a press statement, media release or a news release. However, it doesn’t matter what we call it, the purpose of it remains the same. It is basically a fascinating and short news story whose ultimate goal is to grab the interest of the target audience. It includes all the information about an event (what, why, who, when, where, and how).
If we just talk about writing the press release then it would read like a news story. You should write it from the perspective of a third person in an informing tone. To make it more genuine in the sight of the audience, the sources and quotes must be cited with the information. Most of companies keep it brief. Nevertheless of its length and size, it should cover all the information. It should contain enough material to deliver a complete and clear message.
Furthermore, the press release is in the public domain so it should be easily reachable and visible to the target audience. Due to this reason, it is considered as beneficial piece of marketing content and ticket to earning news coverage.
2 different types of press releases:
Positive press release:
The ultimate purpose of any press release is to make the positive image of the business or the company. So, the press releases that are written for positive purposes are considered as positive press releases. They have positive spin to change the worse situations if they occur. However, it doesn’t matter what it is, it should read like a news story. During writing a positive press release, use appropriate keywords so that it can be perfect and appear on the top of the search engines.
Defensive press release:
There are some positive press releases used to promote positive events while some events ask a brand to come up with a defensive one. A defensive press release can be considered as a sharpest tool to prevent and defend a company from bad publicity. An industrial accident, a racist statement, or anything else may be the reason of bad publicity. Hence, this type of press release is required to resolve such issues. It also clears misunderstanding from the minds of the target audience. Moreover, your language and tone is different in this press release. You should use tactical language to put a good spin on the bad news.
How to publish a press release?
Here are some tips you can follow to get the maximum amount of distribution possible;
Reach out to particular journalists
You should find a few journalists who have experience covering your industry rather than blasting a press release out to every journalist. Send those journalists personalized messages.
The day before, send the release to the top selected journalists
Send the release the day before it officially goes live so that the journalists have enough time to craft a story around your press release.
Avoid publishing your release on the hour
Don’t publish your release on the hour if you’re publishing it on a distribution service. This is because your release get lost in the shuffle as most companies schedule their releases to go out on the hour.
Share your media coverage
Your job isn’t finished if your press release gets picked up by the media and everything goes according to plan. You can release a “second wave” of distribution to keep the buzz going. You can do it by sharing particular stories that news outlets write depending on your press release.
How to write a press release?
Let us discuss below how to write a press release;
The beginning:
Depending on the situation, the press release is written in different ways. A standard press release begins with the name of the company, their contact number and email address of the person who wrote it. It should be printed on the letterhead of the company.
The Headline:
The second step is the ‘Title’ or the ‘Headline’, it should be bold and centered. There font size should be bigger than the rest of the text. It is also the main component of the press release. It grabs the attention of the people who might be interested in reading it.
Summary:
Underneath the headline, state one line summary about the press release. The summary should be very interested and highlighted. It contains strong vocabulary to grab the attention of the reader. Moreover, it should be written in an impressive way that motivates the reader to find out more of what is written in the main body. Bear in mind that the headline and summary should relatable with each other. They should maintain relevance to the news being discussed.
The body:
This is the section where you have to share the newsworthy information. You first need to write the date and name of the city where the press release is happened before going into details. The body should answer all the important 5 W’s (what, why, who, when and where).
In the first paragraph, explain all the 5 W’s. While the second purpose should answer the following questions;
- What is the goal of the press release?
- Why should you care?
- When it will happen?
- Where can people find it?
You should use genuine and factual elements so that your information becomes more genuine and authentic for the media and audience to believe.
The background to the company:
In the press release, the second last thing is the background of the company. Here you need to include;
- The complete information of the company
- Biodata of the company
- Talk about its products and services
- Everything that is necessary to discussed
The contact information:
In the end, write the phone number(s), fax, email, website addresses and other links for social media platforms. You can also provide information about your business partners and potential clients. It’s better to conclude your press release with a call to action.
Some tips to consider:
- Write your headline in a way that it looks appealing and captivating, use action verbs, and understandable language to keep it clear and precise.
- Make use of quotes because they add life to your press release.
- Don’t use difficult jargons; explain the main text in a simple an interesting way. Also, the body must cover all W’s.
- Make sure that your press release contains valuable information.
Tips to stand out in the news:
You should pay attention to create highly remarkable content. If your traditional press releases executed well, they can still be really valuable. Give your releases a modern makeover to make them more useful for your marketing rather than ditching them as a tactic. Furthermore, to build relationships and to transform your marketing strategies to be more personalized and approachable, you should use inbound methods. Thus, to get the media familiar with your brand, make content to make your own story and use tactful outreach.
What are the benefits of press releases for your organization?
Here are the benefits of press releases;
- Press releases for small businesses and startups give immediate brand exposure to their target audience. You establish trust and authority on different fronts with press releases.
- Press releases serve as free advertising. When a journalist who is working at a large media outlet picks it up then they spread the word about your company at no cost. Additionally, they grab the attention of investors who could become future sponsors.
- When users search a keyword relevant to the topic of the press release, your website will likely show up in search results. Your SEO benefits and visibility get increased as well as your social media engagement and citations.
- An outstanding press releases campaign provides a chance to brand as an industry authority. Since you build awareness and trust with your target audience, your brand can build credibility. Authority helps the small and medium-sized businesses in growing their customer base and establishing a brand identity.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, a press release template is an effective tool that allows the professionals to write their press release in an organized way. The ultimate goal of writing a press release is to get media attention for anything that is new or upcoming in your business. It should contain entire information about the event and cited with quotes and sources.
Faqs (Frequently Asked Questions)
The 7 sections of a press release are;
1- Headline
2- Summary
3- Date and location
4- Body paragraph
5- Company description
6- Boilerplate
7- End or close
1- Compelling storylines
2- Details over promotion
3- A professional and polished finishing
4- Using paid or free press release distribution for exposure
