How to Write a Press Release
Whether you’re advertising a product, service, or event, a good press release starts with a coherent structure and good writing. While many people have excellent writing skills, it is often in the structure that a press release fails to attract the confidence and enthusiasm of potential clients, customers, and investors. Here’s how you can write a good press release.
The Inverted Pyramid
Like any news story, the best structure to use in a press release is the inverted pyramid. A press release is written in such a way that the most important parts are stated first and the least relevant are stated last, or if not, they’re omitted from the piece:
The lead contains all the relevant information in the press release, condensed in one simple paragraph with simple sentences. Questions of “Who,” “What,” “When,” “Where,” “Why,” and “How” should be answered by the lead. Good leads should be catchy, but they should also be informative.
The body contains information that details the information about the product or the service. Sometimes it’s easier to write the body first, then distill the information to create a good lead.
Conclusions should always be related to the lead to keep the story coherent. You can think of the conclusion as the paragraph that binds your whole article together.
Tips
Press releases are meant to be read quickly. Keep your sentences short, but informative. Here are a couple of reminders you should follow when writing press releases:
Stick with the facts. It’s very tempting to “help” the product by stating things other than the facts, or inflating the numbers for the events. If you think that a fact is not useful for promoting a product, service, or event, you’re better off omitting it.
Use the hook. Catchy - not clichéd - statements help make a press release a joy to read. Wordplay and witty statements can help attract potential customers.
Follow deadlines. Like news stories, press releases should always be written with deadlines in mind. You should be able to write a finely-written press release within the given deadline.
Press releases are an important part of advertising and sales. With these tips, you can get just the right press release to attract the right customers.