PR strategies are hugely important and can run alongside marketing strategies for mutual gains. There are many elements to a PR strategy including social media, video content, blogs, guest posts, and web content. However, a tried and tested method that is sometimes overlooked is the press release.
In this guide, I take a look at how to write a press release so you can utilize this effective strategy as part of your PR campaign.
A Brief Explanation of Press Releases
Simply put, a press release is an article that details a story relating to your company or brand that the media and public will be interested in. Examples of press release subjects include:
- Important news stories.
- New product releases.
- Company changes (mergers or acquisitions).
- Product changes.
- Company events.
- Important promotions.
- Partnerships with new supplies or retailers.
The aim is to get your press release shared via media outlets as part of your PR campaign to boost your business reputation and brand awareness.
Press Release Benefits
So why bother with press releases? Surely no one uses them anymore? This isn’t true! Press releases remain especially useful and have even gained more traction in today’s digital world where they can be easily distributed. Benefits include:
- Cost-effective form of PR and content marketing.
- It can also boost content marketing strategies.
- Boost SEO via keyword and backlink usage.
- It can help craft a story or continue your business theme.
Press releases are incredibly cheap and if you have writing experience you can usually make one yourself!
Additionally, the article generated can push your content marketing strategies and help with SEO due to keyword usage and backlinks. You can also use a press release to push a core business value or theme or continue a story you have woven into your digital content.
8 Tips for Writing a Press Release
Writing a press release is something that you will develop a knack for over time, but you can get an amazing head start by using the below eight tips:
1. Use the common press release format
You may not know but there is a common format used for press releases which can be broken into seven sections:
- A title with a subheading that summarized the release.
- Location information about your company.
- 2-3 paragraphs of the actual press release.
- Key bullet points.
- Company description
- Company contact info
- ### to conclude
2. Use an angle that will gain traction and interest
You can’t expect your press release to gain traction if you just make a story about how amazing you are. Try to think of a unique angle, a story, or a compelling theme that you can weave into the press release. This should make it more interesting and for media outlets to be more likely to share it.
3. Create an attention-grabbing headline
The title of the press release is essentially a headline. This is the first thing people read, therefore, it must immediately grab their attention and make them want to continue reading. The headline must also convey the main message of the press release and leave the reader in no doubt about the subject.
4. Include a short summary in the press release subtitle
Below the title, a press release typically has a summary or subheading. This is just a short sentence that summarizes the content. It should support the original title, and give a sense of what is to be expected in the following text.
5. Create a compelling intro that draws the reader in
After the title and summary, you dive right into the press release and it’s important to make the introductory paragraph concise, and have essential information laid out plainly. The first sentence must include the date and your company’s name and location, but after that, grab the reader’s interest and get the main point of the press release across.
6. Back your story with facts, context, and statistics
When writing a press release, you can’t rely only on your storytelling and writing ability. You must give context to your story and back up what you are saying with facts and statistics.
Use references from high authority figures wherever possible as this will also strengthen your credibility and the impact of your press release. A B2B PR agency can always help with backlinks and finding external references to use.
7. Include a clear call to action
While the point of a press release is to gain attention and improve brand awareness, you also want to prompt readers to do something! This could be visiting your website, buying a new product, or checking out your social media, for example. Therefore, make sure the press release has at least one clear call to action telling them what to do!
8. Don’t forget the boilerplate!
All press releases should have a boilerplate. This is a simple paragraph at the end of a press release that includes your core business information as an additional form of promotion and so that readers can get in touch if they want.
Press Releases are an Important Business PR Tool
Today, the PR statement is often underutilized in favor of social media and other PR tools however they can still be incredibly important and useful. By learning how to write a press release statement, you can improve your PR and content marketing strategies, improve your brand awareness, and highlight important events for your business.
