Press releases are a tried and true method for getting the word out about anything that has to do with your company. In these days of social media, they can be used for a much broader range of purposes and have an even greater reach.
My job is to make sure that doesn’t happen to yours. Read on to find out how you can make your next press release the biggest asset in your product launch or major organizational announcement.
Writing the Press Release
There are several things to consider when writing a press release for any purpose. We’ll get to the specifics for small businesses in a minute. For now, let’s cover the basics.
1. Your Headline
Most press releases will start with a line like “For Immediate Release,” but some news wire services dispense with this formality and expect you to simply provide a compelling headline.
The headline should always include two things: the name of your company and the actual announcement. Here’s an example.
Acme Corporation Releases Advanced Roadrunner Trap
You never want to fill your headline with extraneous information. “Who?” and “what?” are the only questions your headline needs to answer. Save the details for the body of the release.
2. Your Sub-Headline
Some news wires call this the summary. It’s the place where you get to expound a little more on the importance of the announcement. If you don’t write a sub-headline, that information should be in the first paragraph of the body. Here is an example of a strong sub-headline.
New model to correct security flaws and guarantee secure capture of rogue birds
3. Body Paragraphs
This is where the where, when, and how come in. Stick with information that is factual and relevant. Never launch into opinion as part of the reporting aspect of your release. There are ways to get your opinion about the product out there, and we will get to that in just a minute.
Be as detailed as you can about the subject, but don’t ramble. Remember, press releases are like any other kind of copy – they are more likely to be skimmed than thoroughly read. Your job is to grab the reader’s attention with every paragraph so they keep reading. Always make the main point of the paragraph in the first sentence and limit paragraphs to two or three sentences at most. Single, powerful statements also work well.
4. Quotes
Quotes serve two purposes. They can act as testimonials that lend credibility to the claims about the subject, or they can be the vehicle for you to get your opinion about the product out there that doesn’t violate any rules of journalistic etiquette. Here’s an example of each.
“I was part of the test group for Acme’s new Advanced Roadrunner Trap and found it to be much more effective than previous models. It has increased the number of birds trapped by over 30 percent with zero escapes,” said W. E. Coyote of Flagstaff.
“This new model is virtually foolproof. No roadrunner is going to find its way out of THIS trap,” said Acme Director of Research and Development Melvin Blanc.
5. Contact Information
Always end your press releases by providing clear, easy means for people to find you and get hold of you. The most winning combination is a business phone number, physical address, and the name and email of your primary contact. Other information, like website addresses and Skype handles, can also go in this section.
Small Business Specifics
There are a number of services that will distribute your press release and get it seen. The problem is that if your small business isn’t a nation- or worldwide enterprise, it can be difficult to target the right audience for it.
Be sure to choose a distribution service that can target readers within your service footprint. These services often cost extra, but they are well worth the comparatively small expense when one considers the alternative of not getting the information in front of the right people.
Finally, if you’re new to the press release game, it would be a good idea to check out some sites that specialize in them. PRWeb is a great place to start. If you think you might still be stuck, you can always enlist the aid of an experienced press release writing service that can either proofread your work or create a great release for you from scratch.