“Soft landing” in the media: how to write a good press release
Many experts argued on the topic “Is the press release alive?”. The answer is unambiguous – alive. PR specialists have been using this tool since the beginning of the 20th century, which remains relevant today. During this time, new methods of presentation have appeared, but the structure of the text has remained the same. Apoorv Gupta, an expert in PR promotion, tells how to hook the media and write a bright press release.
Flashbacks from the past
Two things remain unchanged in the press release:
- Volume – remember that “pouring water” is definitely not worth it here. Just specifics! The ideal volume is up to 2000 characters, that is, 1–1.5 pages.
- Structure:
- title;
- Lead – the first paragraph revealing the topic;
- informative text;
- information about the company;
- Contacts.
Short and informative stories will save journalist time and help them get the publication they want.
Flight altitude: how to hook the reader
A good headline and lead are 90% of a press release’s success. It is their quality that motivates the audience to read the material.
header
The foundation of a press release is a bright and informative headline. It is worth making it capacious so that you immediately have an understanding of what will be discussed in the text. Heading size up to 5–7 words. Figures and facts are what you need to rely on when thinking about a colorful headline.
Lead
This is the second paragraph after the impressive headline. It should reveal the main idea of the press release and motivate further reading of the material. Literally, in 2-3 sentences, it is worth putting a newsbreak, which you will describe in detail below.
Preparation of the main material for the flight
Here, the details of the flagships are revealed: the title and the lead. The main thing is not to forget who the material is intended for and focus on your target audience. This will help to correctly select the media that will be interested in the topic and to get exactly to the audience.
Press release text
Check if there are stationery and stamps in the material. Do not pile up the text with nouns in the indirect case, in particular. chains in the genitive case. Avoid introductory words in the news text (however, by the way, and so on) and long sentences. Consider whether it is possible to replace commas with periods.
Quote
It’s always nice to see “live” communication in a press release. This document will become an article in the future, and such maneuvers will dilute the text. It is worth investing in a quote, not just the reasoning of the head of the company, but facts and explanations of the problem or plans.
The appearance of the ship: press release design
A press release is sent on a form with the company logo and the date of the news item in the header.
Information about the company
A little information about the company is located at the bottom of the press release. It indicates the type of activity, turnover, awards, other achievements, and facts. This information will greatly simplify the work of a journalist; he will not have to look for information about the organization if necessary.
Contact section
Contacts should be indicated in the footer – at the bottom of the document. They may be needed by the journalist in case of additional questions.
Additional materials: photos and graphics
It is better to take care of the illustrations for the release. Photo cards from photo banks will not work, but photos taken by your company are an excellent choice. Please note: photos should convey the subject of the material as much as possible.
If you provide statistics in a release, it is better to take care of rendering infographics. Competent visual content is always more likely to succeed.
When the press release is written, take care of the speech – the cover letter. It is he who should briefly tell the journalist what the material is about. Do not blindly copy the lead and title. Briefly write what kind of company you represent if it is not well known. State the facts from the material that will be of interest to the media. This technique will increase the chances of reading a press release and getting into the media.
