Critics have been questioning the future of press releases for years. And sometimes it seems like the naysayers could have a point. With constantly changing Google algorithms, the immediacy of microblogging, and the effortless accessibility of information on the Internet, it can be easy to be swept away in the sea of doom and gloom. But have no fear. Doom and gloom, have no place in press release discussions. No, instead of “RIP press releases,” we say, “Long live this straightforward and news-worthy content!” (Sorry, not the catchiest chant, but stick with us, ok?).
In fact, we believe with solid, well-written copy and an effective distribution service, this “What, When, Who, Where, How and Why”-centric article format could be one of the most powerful and far-reaching components in your company’s communication strategy.
Wait, What is a Press Release?
But we do need to pause and make sure we are taking a modern, savvy approach to this very worthy tool in our copy toolbox. In a world of social media and blogging, it only makes sense that press releases, a stalwart in the media world since the early 1900s, must also continue to evolve with the latest communication channels. It’s not time to leave the mighty press release behind. Rather, it’s time to figure out how to incorporate each press release seamlessly into the rest of your content campaign.
According to Entreprenuer.com, a press release is a “public relations announcement issued to the news media and other targeted publications for the purpose of letting the public know of company developments.”
And we agree, although we’d like to expand the definition a bit. In addition to “news media and other targeted publications,” we’d like to add that modern press releases should also be written with influential social media users and bloggers in mind. That’s right – today’s press release should have more in common with a postable article than a stuffy, formatted disclosure of facts.
So here’s our definition of a modern press release:
The key background facts of newsworthy business events written in an easily readable manner that appeals to media pros, social media mavericks and interested customers.
The New What, When, Who, Where, How and Why of Press Releases
As we alluded to above, a press release addresses the six basic elements of any major event: What, When, Who, Where, How and Why. But what exactly do we mean when we say “What, When, Who, Where, How and Why” – and how can you adapt it for both on and offline success?
What — Press Release Content
You may be sick of hearing this from us, but we will never EVER stop saying it. Quality content is crucial. Crucial to your readership. Crucial to how people interact with your content. Which finally, is crucial to your all-important search engine results. (If we could figure out another way to drive home the crucial-ness, we totally would. Because it is…well, you know).
Press release content is no different. Quality content is king in this realm, too. This is because the audience (more on that in a second) expects a specific format and impeccable grammar.
Traditionally, in a well-organized press release, the key details of the event were addressed in order of importance. That’s it. No embellishment. No sales-y pitches. Just the facts in a succinct, well-researched manner.
Today, many of the same press release standards are in place. The easily accessible facts are a must. The absence of sales-speak is just as important. The format – mandatory. But in the fast-paced Internet world, where an online magazine or blog may grab your press release in full, a few updates are in order. Dry content is out. Engaging readability is in. Here are just a couple of our expert press release tips.
Attention-Grabbing Headline: Internet readers’ attention spans are notoriously short. So gaining their attention in a crowded, information-overload setting is the first step to making sure your information is distributed successfully. Ok, quick! Which article would you click on?
Computer Store Announces New Location
-or-
Thousands Await Life-Changing Technology to Move In Just Down the Street
You’re right, both convey the same information, but one has you ready for more, while the other is equivalent to a copy desert – dry and without hope. So garner your press release — and thus your store opening — interest with click-enticing headlines.
Quirky Quotes: Give your press release a unique voice by getting the principles in on the story. Don’t simply quote the facts, “The store will break ground in May 2014.” Quote reactions to the facts. If the storeowner says something like, “The store will break new ground with technology people have only seen in sci-fi movies.” That, my friends, is the quote you want.
And remember, even if your article is not picked up in full, these facts provide a much-needed backbone for potential news articles, blogs and social media updates. We’ll show you how to effectively bring social media into the mix in a moment. But first…
When — What kind of event calls for a Press Release?
First and foremost, a press release must be news worthy. Don’t waste people’s precious time and patience with bland announcements. Reserve the power of the press release for true, industry-rocking events, milestones, or projects. The same computer company who used a press release to spread the word on their groundbreaking store can also use a press release to communicate:
Carrying or Developing an Innovative Product
Hosting Grand-Opening Event
Hiring a World-Renowned Computer Guru as their CEO
Offering a New 24-Hour Home Service
Avoid tactics like scheduling weekly releases. In the absence of true news, you’ll likely have to resort to unfortunate hyperbole — “We’re the ONLY ones with mouse pads” — about mundane things. Also, don’t use a press release to spread bad news. Much like an attention-grabbing headline, the subject matter must be intoxicating enough to stop people in their tracks.
To keep your content strategy on track, before you order a press release, ask yourself a few questions:
What news am I breaking to my audiences?
Why should they care about this event?
Is this information “rare, customized, and scintillating”? (Thanks to Forbes for adding those awesome adjectives to the mix)
If an answer to any of these questions doesn’t readily come to mind, you may need to hold off on an official release and downgrade to a tweet or blog post instead.
Who — The Audience
Traditional: Press releases were (and are) written for reporters and editors in hopes that they would, in turn, write a news story about your big event, milestone or project. This is why press releases must be to the point (300-500 words), easily scannable and in the approved PR format.
In the wake of shrinking media departments, press releases are actually needed more than ever. A well-executed press release offers time-crunched journalists all the information they need for your business’ story on a silver platter. Just remember, shoddy writing will land your release in the trash bin as fast as a boring headline will be ignored by a scrolling Internet surfer. In a crowded reporter’s inbox, one typo could be the death of THAT press release, at least.
Modern: Reporters still produce news stories, but they aren’t the only people or entities who wield the public ear. A well-crafted press release, with its fact-rich introduction, meaty quote and stat-filled copy, and company-highlighting boilerplate, may hit a blogger, influential tweeter or niche Google+ circle at just the right time. Our increasingly connected world (Google, social media, blogs) only helps press releases gain greater reach. They may not be used verbatim (likely won’t) but your name and your story can still get out there.
With an Internet audience in mind, it may be tempting to pad your copy with ill-fitting keywords. But don’t. Not only are you ALWAYS supposed to be writing for people, but also Google has become wise to link building schemes. This isn’t cause for sadness. Instead, let it encourage you to create quality content to get those facts out there! The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) offers a couple general rules to keeping both Google and your readers happy.
1. Keep your links down to about every 100 words or so.
2. Include only one anchor-text link in the product’s name
Where — Venues to Spread the Word
Social media is conversational and emotional. How does that fit with a press release and its no-nonsense format? Using strategic planning, here’s how the Internet and press releases can make a fabulous pair.
Post to a Specific Audience: If you do want to post your release in its entirety to a social media platform, you may want to consider communicating it to a specialized audience. We’d recommend trying this tactic with a carefully curated Google+ circle or community. Google+ is less about catching up with high-school buddies than it is about connecting with people who are into the same things that you are into. So if you have a circle of Mac lovers, why not share your company’s press release on its newest Mac help service. You’re likely to find a captive audience eager to interact with your niche content. You can try the same technique with Facebook or LinkedIn Groups and Twitter hashtags. Plus, by sharing with a dedicated audience first, you’ll build their loyalty. You’re effectively saying, “We really appreciate you and thought you should know this before anyone else.”
Get the Conversation Going: While PRWeb Social Media Community Officer Stacey Acevero agrees wholeheartedly that companies should post press releases to social media, she cautions with a few guidelines. She suggests starting a conversation by:
○ Asking a question
○ Cracking a joke
○ Presenting a thought-provoking observation
○ Sharing a surprising stat
○ Giving a great tip
She argues that just posting the headline will seem spammy and not get your message anywhere. We tend to agree. Social media is supposed to be social first and foremost.
Up the Engagement: Yes, press release format is crucial, but with the Internet and social media audience to consider, the addition of multimedia content can do wonders for getting people to your release. Consider adding an image or video to your release. This is the type of content social media users love to interact with, so why not give it to them?
How — How to Distribute Beyond Your Networks
Ok, how can you reach even more folks than your own social media networking will allow? It’s hard to compete with the number of media eyeballs you can get in front of by sending your press release to a distribution service like PR Newswire.
The Power of Distribution:
With a rich, 60-year history, PR Newswire has amassed a huge, dynamic media audience. Have a story with international ramifications? They have nearly 50,000 distribution points abroad, plus translation services. And with 10,000 U.S. news outlets, they have your domestic stories more than covered as well.
Targeted Audience:
Using PR Newswire’s network is not like shooting in the dark. They are able to specialize the audience from communicating with an entire industry down to contacting an individual reporter.
Social Edge:
PR Newswire also realizes the power a tweet or Facebook post can have. If that is where your audience hangs out, that is where they will market your release. They will also distribute tweets to industry relevant feeds.
If you can find a company with an ample supply of professional press release writers on deck, access to distribution services AND quality social media management packages, then you, my friend, have hit the content campaign jackpot.
Why — What’s the Point?
Press releases are still a key way to make sure your news is distributed in a timely, attention-grabbing manner. New technology has not decreased the relevancy of the press release. It’s just given you more ways to get the word out. From clever tweets to visually engaging content, social media and blogging can work in your press release’s favor.
Why would you want to know how to write a press release for an app? Because this gloomy scenario is all too possible without a good press release…
How To Write A Press Release For Your Awesome App
Blood, sweat and tears have been spent on developing an app. It’s the most awesome app in the world. But nobody uses it, because they don’t know about it.
Press releases have been around for years. They’re one of the oldest and most favored ways for companies to inform the public (and potential clients) of newsworthy happenings in their company. Content marketing and social media marketing have been taking the spotlight recently when it comes to promoting a new product. Yet by tweaking and adjusting the traditional press release, your mobile app could receive top reviews and write ups from some of the most influential voices in your sector. The question isn’t simply how to write a press release for an app. The question is how to write a press release that gets noticed by theright people.
A good press release looks at the “who, what where when and why” of the app. These are questions that you will undoubtedly have thought about in relation to your audience. But in order to write a stellar press release, you need to examine the same questions.
What
What are you doing? You’re sending a press release to communicate with the world that you have a new app or have made changes to an existing app. This is news and should be written in the style and tone of a news article.
Who
Who are you sending the press release to? The beauty of a press release is that it can be ultra-targeted. It’s a good idea to make a list of the names of different journalists and bloggers who will be interested in writing about your app.
Where
Where will you be sending the press release? While press releases are somewhat of a traditional form of promotion, they are able to reach a wide audience. Not only can you focus on newspapers and magazine editors who might be interested in your app, but you can email sites and online communities too. There are a number of free sites that accept press releases.
It’s also worth looking at location. If your app is useful to local businesses in your area, an obvious option would be to email editors of the business section for the local papers.
When
When is the best time to send your press release? This is completely up to you. You could send it on the release date of your app or before. Sending the press release before your app launches can help to cause hype about your app before its release. But remember to include the words “under embargo” to let people know that your app isn’t available for download just yet.
Why
Why are you writing a press release? You’re writing it to share information about your new app with the world via traditional and non-traditional media channels.
Once you have the answers to these questions set firmly in your head, you can begin to understand how to write a press release for an app.
Press releases are not Ezines or blog posts, and the rules to what makes a good press release and how it should look are fairly similar across the board no matter what vertical your app falls into. The best approach to have when writing a press release is to keep things direct, to the point and uncomplicated. This counts for everything from the formatting of the press release right down to the style and tone of the piece. Fluff, hype and shameless promotion do not belong in the press release. Only the facts will be told, nothing more and nothing less.
This should be captivating enough to pique the reader’s interest and make them want to know more about your app. Once they are interested, they should be impressed enough to want to use, review and write about your app. But remember; no hype.
2. Main body
Here is where you describe the features and benefits of your app in more detail. Remember to use as much factual evidence as you can gather and present it in a way that is easy to understand.
3. Contact and information
At the end of the document you should include a little background information about the company and include contact details.
Some key points to remember before you send your press release are:
Check, check and then check again (and again) – A press release full of spelling and grammar errors will at the very least irk the writer who is expected to review your app. At worst, they could put you and your company and all of your future apps on their very own mental block list. Not exactly a great way to celebrate the launch of your shiny new app. You’ll also need to check that you’re not waffling at any point throughout the press release. Long press releases are often discarded, and as a rule, it’s best to keep all information on one page, two at the very most.
Lay everything out upfront—include the press release in the body of the email. Many companies actually have policies preventing them from opening attachments. Others simply find the extra click too much like hard work when they’re receiving (and binning) a multitude of emails every single day. Have your information laid out easily in the body of the email with an attachment as well so the journalist can skim the content and save the attachment if they like it.
First come, first served – All the most important information needs to be right up at the top of the document. First paragraph should include the most important facts about your app. Not all of the information presented in a press release is read. So if some of the facts that will essentially clinch the deal are left to the end of the piece, they may never be seen. Nor might your app.
A boilerplate is a succinct summary of your company that is included in every press release. When you decide when to release a press release, it is imperative that the boilerplate embodies everything you want your target audience to know about your company. It is basically a one-paragraph-version of your mission, vision, and about-us page.
Press Release Writing Tips For Your Success
According to the University of Washington’s listing of the essential parts of a press release, your company or organization’s boilerplate should be used in all publications you circulate, and it should be strategically written. The first impression your company projects to a person unfamiliar with what you do depends on how well the boilerplate was written in these publications. So how exactly can you come up with a strategic boilerplate that reflects everything good about your organization when you release a press release? Read on for some tips.
Remember: Press Releases are Formal Journals
The first press release was printed out on the New York Times in the early 1900s. Unlike now where your press release can be read by your target audience seconds after it is posted in the Internet, print media dominated the early days of press releases. This means that essentially, every press release is a publication written and edited by a professional journalist released through the press via newspapers.
It is sometimes easy for companies nowadays to forget this fact because of the ease by which information can be created and shared through the Internet. So the first thing you have to remember for you to be able to write a succinct boilerplate when you decide to release a press release is this: write using professional journalistic styles.
Be Objective When Writing Your Press Release’s Boilerplate
When you are writing about yourself, it is very hard to be objective. Of course it isn’t a bad idea to let people know your skills and everything great about you, but you don’t just go ahead and say, “I’m the most skilled in my niche. With my track record and experience it’s no question that I’m your best choice!” to every potential client you meet right?
The same is true in the process of writing a boilerplate every time you release a press release. Be as objective as you can and accurately list your company’s achievements, goals, and expertise by presenting your credibility with minimal to nonexistent egoism and sales lingo involved.
Focus on your company’s unique qualities and write your boilerplate using adjectives and phrases that don’t imply false greatness; a common mistake made by organizations who think too much of selling themselves when writing their boilerplate.
Facts are Your Friends
For your decision of when to release a press release to bring in great responses from your niche, keep in mind that facts are your friends. Your boilerplate should revolve around verifiable information about your company, products, or services. Exaggeration is a no-no when you are writing your company’s boilerplate. When a potential client reads about you and does his research of what your company is all about, he should be able to verify all the information written in your boilerplate.
As previously mentioned, a boilerplate holds the first impressions of your company to potential clients. Have you ever heard of the forked tail effect and the halo effect? These are psychological concepts that indicate how people perceive you from the first meeting: either in a negative light or a positive light respectively. Who holds a pitchfork and has a tail? On the other hand, who sports a halo and has wings? You’d definitely want your company’s first impression to be associated with the latter.
Include only the verifiable facts about you and your company to avoid misleading your readers. Doing so will equip your boilerplate to bring about a halo effect whenever you release a press release. After all, if the first impression your boilerplate, and your press release as a whole, gets is a forked tail impression, you’d have to start from the beginning and re-think your strategy. Better to tread carefully and write a factual boilerplate than go through that don’t you think?
Remember: Statistics Change
If you want to include numerical data in your boilerplate, go ahead and do so. It’s good to have a well-written boilerplate you can use it in every type of publication about your company, but if you included some numbers in there, be sure to review it periodically.
Whenever you decide to release a press release, remember to check if the statistics you indicated in the boilerplate are still accurate. Are you still operating in 9 locations? Are all your products or services still available in specific divisions? Statistics change, and so should your boilerplate if it has them.
Use Major Keywords in Your Press Release’s Boilerplate
If you can’t decide when to release a press release because your boilerplate seems incomplete, think back on the most basic components of publications: words. Write your boilerplate using words that can relay what your company stands for and what you do in a single line or phrase.
Distinguish the core function of your company and find the keyword that can accurately encompass that function, and then go from there. For example, if your company offers business-consulting services, write the boilerplate in your press release describing yourself as a “business consultant.” Work from there and include other ways of referring to your services like “business analysis” or maybe “business process specialist.” In any case, if you are a masterful with your craft and niche, knowing the best keywords to include in your press release’s boilerplate will come with ease.
Before deciding when to release a press release, keep these things in mind to come up with a concise but effective boilerplate about your company. Write information about your company formally and objectively. Use keywords and verifiable facts to present your credibility, and stay on top of things to ensure that your boilerplate is accurate in every statement. When you compose an effective boilerplate each time you publish a press release, you maintain the loyalty of your old clients, and will be perceived in a positive light by new ones.
You just opened your writer’s desk at Express Writers to find a new assign- what? They gave you a PRESS RELEASE? It’s been, well, it’s been a long time since you wrote your last press release – and the last one felt like pulling teeth.
You’re still painfully aware of that little fact, and you’re nervous to try your hand at press releases again.
If you break out in a cold sweat every time someone mentions writing a good press release, you’re not alone! While press releases are critical for marketing of all shapes and sizes, they’re harder to write, for most people, than a blog or a web page. Fortunately, “difficult” isn’t the same as “impossible.”
To dominate the press release forever, all you need to do is study up on standard press release formats! Today, we’re going to provide a breakdown of what NOT to do with press releases, and give you the information you need to dominate your next press release assignment.
Going in Blind: The Worst Way to Start a Press Release
While we’ve got all the respect in the world for free-flowing writers who bend the rules of grammar and structure to their will, Kerouac would have sucked at press releases.
After all, a press release is an informative document meant to be picked up by the media. As such, it’s critical that your press releases follow a certain format and contain certain information.
Deviate from this too largely and you risk having your press release overlooked or, worse, putting out a press release that doesn’t fulfill the purposes you wanted it to.
Today, it’s critical to have a working knowledge of how press releases function. If you jump in blind and start typing until you reach your word count, your press release is going to fail.
While learning the format of a press release might seem like a scary prospect, knowledge is power, and learning the ins and outs of a PR will allow you to dominate it. Writing killer press releases is a methodical pursuit, and the best-trained and most knowledgeable people win the race.
3 Mistakes NOT to Make When Writing A Good Press Release
In the world of press releases, knowing what NOT to do is almost as critical as knowing what to do. With this in mind, avoid these three deadly mistakes in your next press release:
1. Providing Subjective Information
Press releases aren’t meant to be subjective. Unlike advertising, they don’t “sell” a company or a product. They don’t tell people how great a brand is.
Instead, press releases merely present facts that readers can rely on.
For example, if you’re publishing a press release about an upcoming event, that document needs to include details about when the event takes place, where it will be held, who is sponsoring it, and how readers can learn more about it.
The press release DOESN’T need to feature a bunch of fluff that tells people how this is the “greatest event in the world!” While the former is reliable and trustworthy, the latter is icky and will turn readers off your material.
2. Writing Poorly
You did well in your high school English classes. Heck, you even scored high enough on your ACT that you didn’t have to take the Grammar-Spelling-Punctuation test when you applied for the Communications or Journalism program at your college. You pride yourself on your command of English.
Unfortunately, that positive outlook won’t get you far when you start getting sloppy in your writing. Even the best writers sometimes fall victim to low-quality writing, and spelling and grammar mistakes. For an example of how immediately poor writing can cause people to abandon your press release, check out this primo example of a bad press release:
In addition to being embarrassing for you, spelling and grammar mistakes and poor writing can also cause journalists and readers to abandon the press release without a second look.
3. Format the Document Improperly
Press releases abide by a very specific set of formatting rules. Get them wrong, and you’ll look unprofessional and inexperienced, which is a major no-no in the world of press releases and writing for brands. Here’s what to shoot for when you format your PR:
At The Top of the Document. The top of the document should include the company’s logo, contact information, and the words “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,” or “Hold until [release date].” After that, you’ll want to include a keyword-rich headline. The headline should be written in title case, and should be short, brief, and to-the-point. For best results, use active voice in your title, and write it as if you were crafting a blog post or other click-worthy document. Your headline is just as critical as anything else, and it deserves to be treated accordingly.
The Body of the Document. The body of the document should be populated by short, interesting paragraphs, no longer than 2-4 sentences. Include the who, what, where, when, and why of the press release topic, and consider pulling in some hyperlinks, multimedia content, and influencer quotes that provide a perspective external of the writer’s.
Company Contact and Boilerplate Information. At the end of the document, you should include the company’s contact information (unless you plugged it in below the logo, which is fine as well), boilerplate information, which gives journalists and readers some background about the company and its main players, and a few social media links.
Once you’ve input all that information, your press release should follow this structure:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Title Case Headline, less than 170 characters
Short summary paragraph
City, State/Country (if needed)-Month, Day, Year
Lead paragraph with who, what, when, where, why and how; most important information here
Press release body, short paragraphs
Last paragraph
Company Information
Contact Information
### or “End”
7 Insider Tips for Writing a Good Press Release
While mastering the structure of the press release is critical, the battle of creating a great press release is bigger than that. Here are some pro tips to help you get it right:
1. Always Write Your Headlines Last
This is as true for blog writing as it is press releases. While you should give your release a working title, go back and write your headline last. In addition to ensuring your headline mimics the structure and format of your release, this also ensures it will contain relevant keywords and give your reader a solid idea of what they’ll learn from the press release.
2. Make Your Readers Care
One big question readers ask as they skim press releases is “who cares?” And they have a point! If you can’t answer the “who cares?” question, your press release is going to flop, and that’s bad for everyone. Be sure you understand the target audience of your press release and that you’re setting yourself up to communicate with them accordingly. The more you can make your audience care, the better.
3. Use Data
Data inspires trust, and trust is essential for a good press release. To make the PR more credible, include relevant data that can help back up your claims or lend weight to your announcement. Not only will this capture the attention of readers, it will also give journalists something to quote and share from your press release.
4. Write in Active Voice
Active voice is strong, forceful, and deliberate. Use it throughout the press release to communicate confidence and conviction to your readers and inspire trust in the company and the topic at hand.
5. Get Right to the Point
Beat around the bush – lose readers. Get to the point – gain attention. When it comes to writing a good press release, it’s really that simple. Since press releases are educational documents, they’re meant to provide immediate value and understanding. If they don’t, people will leave.
6. Make it Flawless
The more flawless your press release can be, the better. Before you submit it, go back through the document and check for spelling and grammar errors and any flow or understanding issues. These things will sink your release faster than a lead balloon, so it’s critical to resolve them now.
7. Include Relevant Contact Information
Instead of giving readers every bit of contact information a company has, include only the most relevant channels. Email, phone, and social media links are ideal, although the “right” contact information will vary from brand to brand.
Writing a Good Press Release the Easy Way
While writing a good press release can feel impossible, abiding by these simple guidelines can help make it a reality.
If you need professional help to write your upcoming press release, contact Express Writers to learn more about our specialty PR team and how they can help your brand succeed.
If you’ve already gone through the hard work of designing a business plan, partnering up with others and distributing a product, then it’s time to learn how to write a press release for a new business. In order to get the word out, you’ll need to take full advantage of this marketing strategy.
