Crafting a Standout Press Release: Expert Tips and Insights
Unsplash, Bank Phrom, @bank_phrom
Writing a press release that captures interest requires more than just presenting facts; it demands a thoughtful approach to storytelling and detail. To ensure your announcements impact and resonate with media professionals, it’s essential to understand the elements that differentiate a good press release from a great one. I’ve included our experts most common tips in this post that will refine your technique and enhance the visibility of your news.
1. Ensure Your Story is Newsworthy. Before writing, determine if your story is compelling beyond your business. Ask yourself if there’s something innovative, impactful, or highly relevant to the public interest.
2. Create a Magnetic Headline Your headline should act as a clear, concise preview of the story, compelling enough to make journalists want to read more. Avoid vague or generic terms—be specific and direct.
3. Perfect Your Opening Line The opening of your press release should summarize the story in no more than 20 words, covering the crucial 'five Ws’ (who, what, when, where, and why). This should be engaging and informative right off the bat.
4. Use Quotes Strategically. Incorporate quotes to provide personal insight or opinion, not hard, complex data. Let the voices in your press release sound natural and authentic, avoiding jargon.
5. Keep It Sharp and Short A well-crafted press release is concise, ideally fitting on a single A4 page. Could you stick to three or four paragraphs and a couple of quotes? Anything more, and you risk losing the reader’s interest.
6. Structure with Sub-Headings and Bullets Make your press release easy to scan using sub-headings and bullet points, especially when presenting data or statistics. This helps journalists pick out key facts quickly.
7. Inform, Don’t Overwhelm. Please focus on the essential facts rather than overwhelming them with background data. Extra information about your company and the announcement can be placed in a separate “notes to editors” section.
8. Optimize for Immediate Use Journalists often use press releases directly in their coverage. Please ensure yours is ready to go by making sure it’s well-written and contains all necessary information at a glance.
9. Include Media Assets. Attach relevant high-resolution photos or videos when applicable. They should complement, not clutter, your release. Inline embedding or links to a media kit can prevent email clogs.
10. Follow Up Thoughtfully: When sending out the press release, briefly outline the story and suggest how it might fit into the recipient’s coverage. Be persistent yet patient—a follow-up can make all the difference.
11. Leverage Tools for Efficiency Consider using advanced tools like Heartspace AI for crafting press releases. Heartspace can streamline the process, ensure you cover all bases, and maintain a high standard of professionalism. You can read more about leveraging Heartspace for your PR needs here.
These tips help create a press release that stands out and increases your chances of catching a journalist’s eye and getting that coveted media coverage.