Press releases are a tool to inform media outlets of your latest news. While they should be fairly brief, there are some elements that absolutely have to be included.
Start with the five Ws:
- Who
- What
- When
- Where
- Why
Who is this news about?
Clearly identify yourself (the business or outlet sharing the news) and provide a link to your website, in case the reader is not familiar with you and what you do.
If more than one person/business/organization is involved, be sure to make that clear, provide correct spelling, and link out to each one.
What is the news?
Define it in a way that makes sense to people who may not be in your industry/niche.
Provide as much detail as necessary to make it clear, but don’t add too much fluff. And put this as close to the beginning of the release as possible – preferably the first sentence.
If it’s not clear what news you are sharing, media outlets may dismiss your release as “not news”.
When did (or will) it happen?
Was there an event announcing this news? Will you start your sale/service/whatever at a future date? Clearly define the length of sales or events (date range, times of day, etc.)
If a specific date isn’t available, say so! “More details to come” works too.
Where is it happening?
Provide addresses or locators so the media can be specific about what is happening with your news.
If you are inviting the media to an event, include details on how early to arrive, parking, who will be available for interview before or after the event, and anything else that will make it easy for them to plan their attendance.
Why should we care about this news?
This is the MOST important piece to include. If a release doesn’t share what impact your news has/will have, media may be disinclined to write about it as “news”.
What makes it interesting for readers? Why should news media publish this? How does it better people’s lives, communities etc.?
Sometimes the “How” is worth detailing as well.
How did this event/idea/etc. come to be? How did you decide to do/make/host this thing? And, most interestingly, how can the public get involved, or experience your news?
When you think the release is ready, do these next steps:
- Walk away for a slice of time, then revisit with fresh eyes. Did you really answer the five Ws? What questions will people have, reading it from outside your personal knowledge base? Make those tweaks!
- Ask someone else to read it. Our brains are way too good at filling in blanks or glossing over small mistakes in writing. Having someone proofread will find your minor typos.
- Send it to someone else on your team and ask them to make sure you didn’t leave anything out, or create obvious questions with the content. If possible, send it to the lead of the project you are informing the public about with this release.
Always send a press release out with a relevant photo. Media outlets need a visual to accompany most stories. And if that photo has people in it, identify them! Provide captions and photographer credit for any and all images sent with a press release.
Getting all the details in and keeping press releases brief can be a challenge. Don’t limit yourself to a word count. If you need 700 words to fit it all in, go for it. Just make sure you answer all the above questions, and make it clear right away what the “news” is you’re announcing with your release.
Need help crafting an interesting press release? Or maybe you’d like an outside perspective before you send it to your media list. Get in touch to discuss how I can help you create an interesting (and not-too-long) press release.
