A press release, also called news release or media release, is a written communication presented to those in the media for publication in a newspaper, magazine, online news or blogs, or to be announced on radio or television. A press release can be sent via email, snail mail or faxed. If your press release is considered newsworthy by the editor, journalist or blogger, the release will be published and potentially bring widespread attention to your business. Many press releases are pushed aside due to being poorly written or not written properly. You will need to hire someone to write your press release or learn how to write one on your own. Writing one on your own is not difficult if you follow the format and have the ability to be objective.
Basic Structure of a Press Release:
Headline: Do not use the headline to advertise your website. The headline should be short and attention grabbing. The headline should be centered and bold or in all uppercase.
Dateline: Release date of the publication. If it is for immediate release then simply say so.
Introduction: Journalism 101 will be your guideline for your introduction. The first paragraph needs to contain who, what, when, where, and why.
Body: Relevant information that is newsworthy and not sells pitchy. You need facts and a good story. For instance if you are selling widgets do not talk about how awesome your widgets are and why your widgets are the best in town. You need to give statistics on how many people are buying widgets and how widgets are changing lives. Think like a journalist. A journalist is not interested in your sales or product. He is interested in a good story and if your product happens to correspond or provides a solution then it may be media worthy.
Boilerplate: Short section to tell more about the company or the individual.
Close: You need to indicate that the release has ended by adding “###” centered after the boilerplate.
Media Contact Information: Name, phone number, email address or other means to contact the PR person or contact for more information on this release.
Do not forget:
All press releases are to be written in the third person ONLY.
Use company letterhead and logo on your press release.
Stick to facts this is not a sells pitch. The more relevant facts presented the more useful the information.