How to Write a Press Release

How to Write a Press Release

While a professional writer is optimal, you need to know the basic format and important characteristics of a press release. In order to be considered for inclusion in the news, these three characteristics must be present.
Your press release must have:

• News value- Evaluate the news medium where the release will be sent. Make sure that the subject will match the typical content of this particular news outlet.
• Journalistic writing style- Your press release needs to be written in the style of a journalist so that it is ready to be published.
• Meet the deadline- If a news outlet has a deadline for receiving content, meet it. Late press releases are not considered.
• Concise: Writing for a press release must be concise and able to be scanned. Use short sentences. Paragraphs should contain only three to four sentences. Use subheads, bulleted lists, make keywords bold, etc. to create an easy-to-read document.

A good press release will use keywords in the title and then repeat them in the opener, the body, and the bio. The body of the text is often written in an inverted pyramid style, so the most important information is at the top. The goal is to answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how.
The format of a press release includes:
• Contact Information- Usually found on the top left-hand corner of the page. Include your complete contact information (name, address, phone, e-mail, and fax) to allow for a reporter to contact you at any time. The reporter might have questions. This allows for easy access to the information that he or she may need to reach you.
• Date- Typically on the right-hand side of the page, one line lower than the end of the contact information.
• Release Date- Directly underneath the date, explain when the information should be released. (Example- “For Immediate Release”)
• Headline- Just like a newspaper article, include a headline. This is typically in all capital letters and underlined.
• Dateline- Include the location of the story. Some choose to include the date here rather than at the top of the page.
• Body- The main paragraphs of the text.
• Call to Action- Include briefly at the end of the text an action that you want the audience to take. It can be as simple as directions to go to a website for further information.
• Bio- A short paragraph describing your company.
• Slug- This is at the bottom of the page and alerts the journalist of the end of the story. If at the bottom of a page, the story continues to a new page, use “-more-" to convey this message. When the story reaches an end, denote it with “-###-" or "-30-".
Every press release must end with a bio. Prepare a short paragraph that generically explains who you are. This paragraph tells your audience what value you give to them. A bio is not about boasting.

You could also direct the reader to resources with a link, to your company’s website in this section. Write a custom bio each press release, tailored to that particular subject.
Always, double check for spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and factual errors. Finally, make sure you send the press release to the appropriate contact.