HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE PRESS RELEASE IN 6 EASY STEPS
A press release can inspire people to talk about you. All you need to do is tell the media something about you that might happen, will happen, or has already happened. Just let the media know that you’ve hired a new employee, that an existing employee received a promotion or that a part-timer is being promoted to full-time.
You can also let them know when you are invited to speak at a trade association meeting or convention; win awards at your local, state, regional, national, or international competition; earn some sort of degree; or are publishing a book or an article in an industry magazine. These are all legitimate reasons to write a press release, and it costs you nothing.
In addition, you can use a press release to promote your promotion. Yes you heard me right. Suppose you’ll be expanding your studio, presenting a new line of products, or will be hosting a holiday open house or a summer barbecue. These events are there to incentivize the customers to come in to your store or website in order to build a lasting relationship between them and your company.
For more tips on creating your next promotional material check out our article by clicking here.
With press releases, all you need to generate a little interest is a piece of paper, a pen, a fax number, or an e-mail address. If you think that the same businesses are being mentioned time and time again in your local newspaper, you are probably right. Editors are constantly looking for any newsworthy item for the business section, and they love it when it comes to them in the mornings.
If you want to be considered the expert, you have to look and sound like one. If nobody has appointed you the expert, appoint yourself! Blow your own horn! Your goal is to create an awareness of your business, which in turn will lead to an increased value for your products and services. If you can generate interest in your business by announcing all of the countless positive changes in your business, why not do it?
Here is what you need for a perfect press release.
1. HEADLINE
Write a catchy headline that will sell the article. The best way is to categorize your story and then go to the newspaper section that matches that category. See what type of headlines some of these articles have and try to mimic their style.
For more tips on writing persuasive headlines check out our article by clicking here.
2. 5 W’s AND H
What is the substance of the story? Give the editors something they can write about it. The best formula to get to extract the essence of the story is to answer the following 5 questions:
• Who is the news about?
• What is the news?
• When is it happening?
• Where is it happening?
• Why is it happening?
• How is it happening?
The 5W’s and H should fit in one paragraph, two paragraphs max.
3. QUOTE
Sometimes the most memorable aspect of the article is the quote given by a CEO or VP of acquisition, etc. So imagine the journalist is taking your interview for this article. And try to think about what you can say that is interesting enough for people to remember next time they are discussing you/your company.
4. COMPANY/BIO SYNOPSIS
This is really important to include in the press release especially if the company is not that well known. You can definitely include words like “disruptive”, “innovative”, etc. But don’t try to oversell the company as it might come off as pretentious.
5. INCLUDE PICTURES
The pictures of the event, product, and person should be included in the press release. If the press release is sent over as a printout or by fax then a link to a photo album could be included.
6. CONTACT INFO
At the end of you press release include something along the lines of:
For further information, please contact:
• PR Name
• Company
• Number
• Email
That’s it! By following this simple guise you will be writing press releases that sell the story in no time.