press release examples - Express Writers

How to Write a Press Release: 11 Tips to Fresh Copy

January 10, 2024February 7, 2023 by Korilynn V.

How to Write a Press Release (Featuring 5 Samples)

While press releases are an essential part of online marketing and digital communications, they’re tough to write, and few people understand their structure. Because of this, many companies and marketers hire expert writers or journalists to write press releases for them. However, understanding the format and how to write a press release important so you can recognize a good press release when you see it. Then you can always evaluate your press release content and be more successful when promoting your brand image and new products. While press releases can feel foreign, they all contain specific elements that should be present in every press release you issue. In the words of Robert Wyne, a prominent Forbes contributor, press releases “are formulaic, by nature, but so are poetry, tweets, columns, and other written communications. Everyone has constraints. Chefs work within an 8-inch pan to create an omelet, and the great ones know how to pick the best ingredients and mix them to create a savory sensation. Writers can season their sentences within the confines of a release.” When you know what to include in your press release and how to structure it, your PR material will be more official, credible, and useful for readers. This is true whether you plan to write your press releases yourself or hire someone else to do it for you. Follow along as we share the 11 steps required to create an expertly crafted press release. What Is a Press Release? A press release is an official statement from a business or organization that shares news with media outlets and the public. It is a formal document used to distribute relevant information in a simple, one-page format. The goal of a press release is to attract attention from the media and the public. When Should You Use a Press Release? As an official media document, press releases should be reserved for newsworthy events. If used too often for insignificant updates, your releases might get ignored. Press releases are commonly used for the following types of announcements or events: Product launches Significant service changes Hiring or leaving of company executives Funding announcements Breaking news Public and private events Grand openings and groundbreakings Press Releases vs. Company Announcements To the untrained reader, a press release might just seem like a fancy term for a company announcement. While a press release is technically an announcement, from a journalistic perspective, it’s viewed as a primary source that can be cited. Press releases are the source of official information. If a company shares the same news in another way, like a tweet or a blog, it will likely link back to the official press release. Since they are structured more formally, press releases also differ from other types of announcements because they are meant to be shared by media outlets. 11 Steps to Writing a Press Release No matter what kind of business you run, press releases are critical. They are an ideal medium for telling the media, Google, and your readers when something new and exciting has happened within your company. Use press releases to announce partnerships, product launches, new hires, and more. If your business has never written a press release before, don’t worry. Our 11 foundational tips will guide you through the process. 1. Use the Correct Release Language When submitting a press release to a news outlet, you must tell them when you would like it published. If you’re ready for your press release to go out to the public right now, use the words “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” at the top. However, if you need to hold the release until a certain date (this is common with product launches), put “HOLD RELEASE UNTIL” along with your specified date. This is an important piece of your press release article because it tells readers and journalists when you want to see your article on the web or in print. It also gives you control over when the press release hits the media, which can have a massive impact on the success of your press release efforts. 2. Use Your Company Logo and Colors Branding in a press release is crucial if you want your readers to know what your brand represents. To make your press releases more impactful and recognizable, use your company’s logos and colors in the headline section. Check out how the autonomous driving company Motional added their logo to the top of a recent press release: 3. Include Keywords in Your Press Release Headlines Just like in other types of online content, you should include SEO keywords in your press release headlines. This makes it easier for search engines to find and rank your press release while ensuring that the media and your readers understand what your press release is about. Remember: you don’t want to go overboard with keywords – just include them naturally throughout like you do with other content. Check out how Apple does this in a press release published on December 6, 2022. In this case, you could safely assume the keywords Apple targeted include “App Store pricing:” Another consideration is the capitalization of your headlines. If you are following official AP Style capitalization, all the words in your headline should be capitalized except for prepositions and words shorter than four letters. As you can see in the example above, Apple only capitalized proper nouns. However, they published the press release on their website. If they had published the press release on an official news website, choosing title case capitalization would be the better option. For best results, keep your headlines under 160 characters. Longer than that and readers may lose interest, and you risk having your headline truncated by Google. Your headline must pique the interest of a very limited demographic – journalists. While you might want to write for your customers, a press release is for the press. Make sure your headline is factual, informative, and attention-grabbing. Here are a few tips to help you write more effective press … Read more

15 Rookie Press Release Mistakes (And How Pros Avoid Them)

September 14, 2022May 4, 2020 by Adam Oakley

This post was originally published in October, 2013 and completely updated in May, 2020. Press releases have radically transformed along with technology over the past decade. In days gone by, PRs followed a traditional format, ignored social media, and left crafting a story up to the journalist who received it. These days, it’s just the opposite. If you’re a new PR writer, or if you established your career more than 10 years ago, brushing up on these common press release mistakes will help you incite more action and gain more media traction. Let’s deep-dive into how NOT to write a press release. [bctt tweet=”Press release rookie? Brushing up on these common press release mistakes will help you incite more action and gain more media traction. Read all 15 here:” username=”ExpWriters”] 1. Write a Bland Headline Journalists slog through hundreds of PRs daily. If your headline doesn’t sizzle, your press release may not be read. Here’s an example of a boring press release headline: While it’s direct and concise, the formal investor-facing tone waters down the hook. And here’s an example of a headline that pops: Adobe’s news appears as a blog. This allows for a shift toward a conversational tone, boosting the PR’s relevance. The takeaway: craft an intriguing, relevant, and to-the-point headline. Make sure it’s immediately clear how your news engages your target audience. If you’re new to writing for the web, consider using a scoring tool to measure potential engagement. My favorite headline analyzers are from AMI Institute and Co-Schedule. 2. Use the Same Headline And Lead for All Pitches, Regardless of Audience Think sending everyone the same announcement press release will lead to the best results? Think again. For the wire, a generic PR will do. For your website, a reformatted version can appear on your blog. However, don’t risk alienating your network of journalists by using the same copy for everyone. Eileen Baumann, a leading PR writer on the Forbes Agency Council, recommends boosting your coverage by “taking the time to customize a headline and/or lead when sending to individual press contacts.” 3. Forget Your Audience – It’s All About You While a PR may feel like it’s about you and your company, successful PRs focus on how their news is relevant to the target audience: journalists. It’s bad enough when news orgs just run press releases. This is a press release about a PR agency. It’s essentially an ad. [slowly bangs head against counter] https://t.co/UMJcM9MXA4 — Steve Cavendish (@scavendish) April 7, 2020 Before hitting the send button, make sure your PR is providing real value for your readers. Ask yourself: how is this news relevant to my audience? If your copy doesn’t answer that question, it’s time to edit. Remember, the goal of any marketing endeavor is to drive action – not to pat yourself on the back. Garmin demonstrates how to send a press release to announce an award and keep it relevant: 4. Rely Solely on Distribution Platforms In the past, blasting the wire was sufficient. Websites like PR Web, PR Buzz, and PR Leap allow you to jump directly into journalist’s inboxes nationwide. In 2020, the context has changed. Fewer journalists are wading through WAY more PRs. News outlets are web-focused, which means content optimized for social media, with video, images, and graphics are often published over traditional news articles. For goliath brands, crafting traditional PRs and distributing to thousands of publications makes sense. For up-and-coming brands, it’s significantly more cost-efficient to invest in relationships with a select group of journalists. Think of journalists as influencers rather than merely writers: add value by sending them a full media package, including product samples, images, videos, and pull quotes. Organize interviews, or reveal an industry viewpoint. The more you simplify covering your news, the more journalists will want to work with you. 5. Focus on Driving Traffic to Your Website The game’s changed: PRs aren’t about driving traffic or SEO anymore. Modern PRs focus on promoting transparency, growing brand awareness, and audience engagement. If the sole target of your PR is building backlinks, your announcement is likely not newsworthy enough. However, if used sparingly, dropping links in your PR can be a great way to boost your credibility and promote audience action. 6. Don’t Optimize Your Press Release Format Publish your PRs as content marketing on your company blog, or reframe them for social media. Nintendo separates their advertorial, fan-centered “news items” from their investor-facing PRs. Notice the different press release formats: the fan-facing PRs break the rules and use 2nd person. They’re sharable, and images are embedded. The investor-platform takes a traditional approach to PRs. They use concise, direct headlines and 3rd person to emphasize the business focus of these PRs. This simple separation is an effective way to target two very different audiences. 7. Don’t Cross-Pollinate on Social Media For every piece of news that goes out, at least 2-3 social media posts should follow. Here’s a fun example press release from Sesame Workshop. The 2 goals of this PR: announce their TV special and extension of the #CaringForEachOther initiative. Here’s that same release after getting picked up by The New York Times. NYT writer Melena Ryzik spins major details from the PR for a touching micro-story and adds a new link to the PBS YouTube channel, which was likely included in Sesame Workshop’s press kit. Then Sesame Workshop turned to social media to promote their special. Afterward, they followed up with fans on Twitter, fulfilling their second goal: engaging and caring for children. This strategy can work for a variety of brands. The most important takeaway: read the room. If your news is getting lots of engagement, continue the ripple-effect with more content. Write a follow-up blog post, create a video, craft an image. Most importantly, stay on-message. If your news isn’t gaining traction, don’t exhaust your audience. Instead, focus on other aspects of your brand’s social media strategy. [bctt tweet=”Press release DON’Ts ‍♀️: 1) Write a bland headline, 2) … Read more

A Comprehensive PR Writing Guide with Press Release Examples

January 1, 2021December 9, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Press releases are pretty straightforward. They only deal with facts and you don’t have to worry about convincing people to buy a product that they’re not really interested in. So, writing a PR shouldn’t be any trouble at all, right? Wrong. Why You Need To Follow Press Release Examples A lot of writers that happen to be brilliant creative writers can still struggle with Press Releases. One of the main problems that some writers come across when writing press releases is trying to keep everything concise. A lot of writers might be used to padding out their work and looking for extra little tidbits that will help them reach their target word count. The press release is a completely different beast though. Sometimes the best idea is for a writer to look at a press release example to get a feel of how a good PR should look and feel. The Search Is On Now, you would think that looking for press release examples would be fairly easy. Uncle Google provides plenty of answers to more complex questions every day. But then when you type those three small words in to the little box and hit enter — you get more than you bargained for. Which Example Is Best? There are small press releases and large press releases. There are press releases by industry and press releases by date. With all these examples, how do you know which one will suit your specific needs? In order to figure this out, you’ll need to know what your needs are. How much do you really know about writing a press release? What kind of questions do you need to have answered before you can write the perfect PR? Let’s start from the beginning. What Do You Need to Consider? Press releases are solely for newsworthy events. This is an extremely strict rule (although one that many people break regularly); but that doesn’t mean that PRs can’t cover a whole host of subjects. They could be about anything from a merger between companies to a business offering a discount for some reason. 1. What’s it about? Make a note of the news that you need to write about in the press release. If a company is opening its doors for the first time in a while, look for similar PRs by typing in search terms that might be used for your company. 2. How should it read? The examples that are thrown out from this search will more than likely give you an idea on the style and tone of a press release (hint: it’s not conversational like a blog, PRs are serious stuff!) as well as how the press release should be presented. Generally speaking, a PR should be made up of around 4 paragraphs that give details of a company’s news to interested parties. 3. What should it include? You’ll notice that PRs won’t use any more words than necessary to tell the facts of the story. This is for two reasons. One: the structure of a press release is designed to give all the major details at the very start of the article to make sure the reader gets all the important information even if they don’t finish reading the full piece. And two: to make sure the important information isn’t cut off if the editor decides to shorten the article. Templates Because the basics of press release writing follow the same rules, the structure of PRs can be quite uniform. So it stands to reason that as well as studying a live version of a press release example for content ideas, many writers like to use templates to write their news releases as well. There are a number of good programs that utilize press release templates: Word – As part of the Microsoft Office suite, Word is a popular choice for many writers. Typing “press release” in the search box for online templates will give several options for PR templates that the user can fill their own details in for a quick and professional look. Microsoft Publisher – Writers can follow step by step instructions from one of the thousands of ‘How To’ articles online and make their own template using a program like Microsoft Publisher. They can then save the template and use it every time they need to write a press release. Due to the uniformity of PRs, writers should be able to use the same template each time with minimal amount of tweaks. PRWeb: PRWeb is one of the top leading sites to distribute press releases online. It has the highest amount of traffic and the most-shared news stories in terms of press releases. Here’s an example of a press release we wrote for PRWeb (note the correct title, subtitle & formatting overall): Anyone Can Write a Press Release This is absolutely true. Anyone can have a go at writing press releases — in the same way that anyone could have a go at driving a car or walking a tight rope; not everyone can be successful at it. Anyone trying to write a press release and knows how to follow good press release examples needs to remember some fundamental points about how it should look, how it should read and what it needs to contain. Looking at one press release example can help with this. But looking at a number of examples that show both ends of the spectrum will give an even better idea. Things to Remember Press releases don’t have to be the most complicated thing in the world. Remember to: Use a bold headline to grab attention List the news first and tell people everything they need to know in detail Look at other PRs for a similar event within the same industry. Make notes on what does and doesn’t work Answer the main questions that everyone needs to know “who, where, what, why, when and how?” DO NOT sell anything to anyone. A press release is always objective and only … Read more

How to Write a Press Release Format

January 1, 2021September 25, 2013 by Adam Oakley

If you’re marketing a new project, promoting a product, or driving awareness to an upcoming event, learning how to write a press release format is critical. A press release is a treasured tool that, when created correctly, can have a massive impact on the success of your upcoming merger, project, or launch. Unfortunately, however, many writers don’t know how to craft a great press release! If you’re in this boat, you’re not alone. While press releases are essential marketing tools, they can be difficult to write. Learning the ins and outs of creating great ones can help you differentiate yourself from the competition and make all your marketing efforts more successful – across the board. Here’s what you need to know. What’s the Purpose of a Press Release? Press releases are educational documents that, when done correctly, answer the five W’s: who, what, where, when, why? Designed to inform the press and the public about changes to your company, new and noteworthy products, goods, and services, or major mergers and acquisitions, a press release is a concise, informative piece of media. Unlike sales copy, press releases don’t try to sell something or approach anything from any angle. Instead, they only lay out the facts, use some quotes from influencers, and move on. How to Write a Press Release Format: A Step-by-Step Approach When it comes down to learning how to write a press release format, ALWAYS remember that a press release should be brief, go straight to the heart of the matter, and should contain only the necessary information. Bear in mind that a press release is meant to intrigue journalists and editors first, and your audience second. The media professionals who will read your press release are not looking for fancy formatting, industry jargon, or shiny graphics. They want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Here’s how to deliver it: How to Write a Press Release Format: Working from the Top of the Page to the Bottom! If you’ve never written a press release before, tackling the form can feel intimidating. Here’s a simple, step-by-step breakdown to help you: At The Top Of The Document The top of the press release is what people see first. As such, it’s one of the most critical portions of the PR. To make it instantly recognizable, include your brand’s logo and a headline that tells people what the press release is about and what they can expect to learn from it. For best results, your headline should contain target keywords. Headline. The best headlines are brief and to-the-point. The headline should not exceed 65 characters or else you risk losing reader attention and having the headline truncated by Google. Ensure you capitalize each word in the headline – making exceptions for words that have fewer than three characters or prepositions. While a press release is a more informative document than many you might be used to writing, the headline is no less important. This means attractive, attention-grabbing headlines rule, just like everywhere else. Sub-Headline/Summary. Your sub-header or summary should be a maximum of two sentences, and should provide a bit more detail about the “meat” of the press release. Again, keep it brief and intriguing. Contact information. Some press release writers input their contact information directly beneath their company’s logo, in line with the left margin of the document. Others place it after the body copy. This is up to you, just so long as the contact information is highly visible! Release Date. Release date helps people interpret the relevance of your press release. More recent = more relevant. With this in mind, include the release date at the top of your press release, just below the logo, aligned with the right margin of the release. Dateline. The dateline tells readers where and when your press release was published. It goes right before the body text and follows this format: CITY, STATE, Month, Day. The Body of the Press Release The body of the press release is the place where you can go into more detail about your chosen topic. For best results, you’ll need to use a minimum of 300 words and a maximum of 600 words. While it’s tempting to dive too deep and tell readers everything there is to know about your event, merger, or product, remind yourself that press releases lay out all the needed information, and nothing else. With this in mind, follow these tips for great body copy: Keep Paragraphs Short. For best results, the paragraphs of your body text should be between 2-4 sentences. No longer. Include Relevant Back-Up Information. If they’re available to you, use statistics, hyperlinks, quotes from professionals, and media content (like videos and images) in your body copy. This will enhance the reader’s experience and make your press release more valuable. Separate Block Quotes. If you do use block quotes, separate them to highlight them and draw them out from the rest of the text. To add depth to the press release, pull in quotes that offer a perspective that’s different from the writer’s. The Boilerplate Information Boilerplate information lives at the end of your press release and presents information about your brand or company. Designed to be used in various press releases, and picked up by journalists to provide additional context about your business, boilerplate information should provide some details about who your brand is, what you do, when the company was founded, and where people can find you. Include relevant social media links to connect people with your business across the web. End Notation At the end of your press release, signal to readers that you’re all done with the following symbol, centered in the middle of the page: ###. After that, you can input a final sentence inviting people to reach out to you or your company head with a name, phone number, and email address. Common Press Release Mistakes to Avoid No lesson on how to write a press release format is complete without pointing out the … Read more

Press Release Examples: The Last One You Will Ever Need

November 16, 2020August 23, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Press release examples should be coherent and should tell you exactly what you need to write and where to put it. The press release examples presented here will show you just that. Press Release Examples: Let’s Begin With Yours In writing press releases, it is important to keep the language simple and straightforward. Remember that you are writing something that will make a new product or discovery official, and it is something that will be published. For this reason, the press release should contain all of the information necessary for readers to know what you are releasing. Never forget the 6 elements that should be present – who, what, when, where, how, and why. Ideally, you should put these in the first paragraph of your press release because you have to assume that readers will not read beyond the first paragraph. Also, it is important to format your press release correctly so that you will not run into problems when publishing. A press release should be ready for publishing, so avoiding grammatical and punctuation errors is a must. Here is the press release example that will guide you. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Put this at the very top of your press release, as in written press release examples, if you want your piece published immediately. It should be flushed to the left, in all capital letters. If you want to wait for a little time before it is published, you can write HOLD RELEASE UNTIL… and then specify a date. This is important, especially if you are launching a product that is not yet available on the market.] Headline [Your headline should be catchy and should contain your main keywords, especially if your press release is to be published online. This will help search engines like Google increase your ranking. Your headline should be in bold, but not all caps. Capitalize the first letter of every word, except for prepositions and words shorter than 4 letters.] Sub-heading [Again, this should be in bold letters and formatted like the heading. Here, you will guide readers into the press release, following the right press release examples formatting. It varies, because some press release examples do not call for sub-headings at all. Remember to make your sub-headings interesting as well and supportive of your heading.] City, State/Country- Month, Day, Year– First paragraph [This part should be in italics and will orient the readers about your time and location. This will also show them that your press release is current and something they should pay attention to. Immediately after the location and date, put a dash and go into your first paragraph. The first paragraph should contain all pertinent information and all 6 elements mentioned above. Again, the style of writing should sound official and be straight to the point.] Body [The body of your text should contain all of the supportive data you wrote in the first paragraph. Take note that every paragraph should be no longer than 4 or 5 sentences. Separate paragraphs with a space. The writing should flow like a standard essay, with the first paragraph being like an introduction, and then there’s a body, and finally a conclusion. Make it as short as possible. Keep it to 1 or 2 pages, or else readers will not take the time to read your entire press release. Also, it’s very good practice to include a quote from a credible source in the body. This will make your press release more objective and will tell the readers that experts support your press release.] Last Paragraph [The last paragraph should summarize all key points and should be kept short. If you are selling a certain product, include a call to action for readers to buy the product and visit your website. Do not sound like an ad, however, because that will make your press release less credible.] About [Company] [This is the section where you will write about the merits of your company. Highlight any achievements that your company has. However, take care not to sound like an advertisement. You can put here the company’s certification, a little bit of background, and some information about your future products.] Media Inquiries/Contact Information [Place here the ways in which readers can contact you. You may put your email address, your company’s address, and your company’s website that is linking to the product you are announcing. You can also put your company’s Twitter and Facebook account, if applicable. Don’t put too much personal information, especially if you don’t want the media to constantly call you. ### [Place the close symbol to alert journalists that your press release has ended. If you want to provide additional contact information that you don’t want to be published, you can place these after the close sign. You can state when you are available for questions and the fastest way to reach you.]