Public
Relations 101:
The Secrets of Writing a Good Press Release
The reality is,
getting free publicity for your business isn't that difficult. Welcome to
"Public Relations 101: The Secrets of Writing a Good Press Release". By the
time you finish reading this article, you'll not only understand the basics,
you'll know what goes into the process, and what you have to do to get
started writing your own press release.
First of all, let's go over some basic terminology you need to be familiar
with.
Press Release: A statement with useful and relevant
information that is written for distribution to the media.
Hook: The information or larger story that you can use to
attach your press release to. Using the right "hook" in the right way can
help you to get more publicity for your business.
Spin: Telling your story your way.
The good news about learning to write a Press Release is that there is an
established format that you need to follow. And once you've learned the
basics, writing a press release is a kind of "cookie cutter" process. Here
are some basic ideas to keep in mind:
Make your news "newsworthy".
A press release is not a sales advertisement. A good press release answers
all of the "W" questions (who, what, where, when and why), and
sometimes "how." Your purpose in writing it is twofold: to provide the media
with useful and relevant information about your organization, product,
service or event and to get your name out to your target market.
Begin with a strong headline.
Your headline and first paragraph need to grab the reader’s attention.
Without being flowery or overly dramatic, you have only the first few
seconds to grab your reader’s attention and get them to read your story, and
decide if it’s worth running. So don’t blow it by being vague or weak. The
rest of your press release can give them the nitty-gritty details.
Tailor your story to your Primary audience – the media.
Your secondary audience is your target market, but if the media doesn't
decide that your story is newsworthy and runs it, your potential customers
will never know about it!
Pay attention to your writing.
Sometimes, especially in rural areas and online, the media will run your
press release in their publications with little or no modification, so make
sure you’ve used your spelling and grammar check before sending it, and keep
to the facts. Most of the time, journalists will use your press release as a
stepping off place for a larger feature story, especially if you can show
larger relevance to other current events. Always develop your story as you
want to have it told – put YOUR spin on it. Even if your story is not
reprinted verbatim, always remember what YOUR purpose is in writing it – to
provide exposure for you, and to help brand you as an expert in your field.
Not everything is news.
Just because you are excited that you made your first big sale, or started a
new product line, or wrote your first article, doesn’t necessarily mean that
the press are going to think you have a newsworthy story and it is worthy of
a press release. From the time you
start your first draft, keep your audience in mind. Who will find your story
interesting? Why are they going to find it interesting? How is it relevant
to something else that’s going on right now?
Identify a problem, and show how you’re solving it.
In your press release, use real life examples about how your company or organization solved or is
solving a problem. Give examples of how your service or product fulfills
needs or satisfies desires. What benefits can be expected? Use real life
examples to powerfully communicate the benefits of using your product or
service.
Stick to the facts. Always.
Tell. The. Truth. Avoid fluff, embellishments and exaggerations. It
is part of a journalist’s job to be skeptical. If you want to use publicity
and other press releases effectively, then you're not looking for a one night stand. You want to gain
the trust of the media, establish your credibility, and build an on-going
relationship with your local media, so that you become a resource for them
within your industry.
Find your “hook”.
Try to make your press release timely. Keep informed about what’s going on
in your community, in your state, region, the country or the world. Is there
a local, regional or national news story that somehow ties in to your
industry or your business? If you can hook your press release to current
events or social issues, you increase your chances of having it picked up.
If not, then make sure your story is relevant to the needs, wants or
problems of your community or target audience.
Use an active, not passive, voice.
Use strong verbs that will bring your press release to life. If there is
controversy, describe it. There is an old adage in the news business: “If it
cries it flies, and if it bleeds, it leads.” (Not very nice, but it’s often
true.) So, while you may not be crying or bleeding, make what you’re writing
about stand out. Use active verbs. Write “partnered” rather than "entered
into a partnership" or “engaged” rather than “interested”, etc. Writing in
this manner will help guarantee that your press release will be read.
Use only enough words to tell your story.
Avoid using unnecessary adjectives, flowery language, or redundant
expressions such as "added bonus" or "first time ever". Paint a strong,
vivid picture in the minds of your audience by making each word count in
your press release.
Use jargon sparingly.
There are times that some jargon is required if your goal is to optimize
your news release for online search engines, but whenever possible, speak
plainly, using everyday language. Avoid words like "capacity planning
techniques" and "extrapolate”.
Avoid hype.
The exclamation point (!) is your enemy. You will destroy your credibility
by using hype. If you must use an exclamation point, use one. Never do
this!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get Permission.
Most people and companies are very protective about their reputations. Be
sure that you have written permission before including information or quotes
from employees or affiliates of other companies or organizations in your
press release. If there
is a hint of a dispute in this area, chances are your press release will be
tossed aside, and never used. And you will lose your credibility.
If you follow those simple rules, you'll be able to put together an
excellent press release of a newsworthy story that will help you achieve your goals of getting the word
out about your business.
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