If you’ve never wrote a press release (or if you’ve written hundreds) it’s always a good tool to revisit. Read on to learn the basics.
What is a Press Release?
The goal of a press release is to notify the media in hopes that they will spread the good news. Of course, timing is of the upmost importance, so the sooner you can get the word out the better.
Publish your press release on your website and social media channels to get the news out to your audience. The subject matter of the press release should be something new, of importance (or in other words, newsworthy).
Formatting
The formatting of a press release is simple. Thankfully it’s formulaic and contains the below elements:
- Title
- Opening
- Body
- Contact information
Always write in the third person (like a media company would publish). News releases typically begin with the city the news happened in and the date. Typically after the title (and centered on the page), news releases include “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” to emphasize the urgency.
A great way to add more length is to include quotes. Unless you already have a quote, go ahead and write what you think the person would say generally about the news release subject. Before publishing, make sure they approve their quote.
With the end of the year being the busiest quarter of them all, we hope you have many reasons to write press releases! If done well, local news will pick the story up and help your business even more.
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