Before we dive into how to write a press release, please allow me to make something very clear.

PR does not stand for press release. It’s a bit of a cheesy slogan – and well-used in the communications industry – and yet true, nonetheless.

While press releases continue to provide value as one tool in your public relations (PR!) toolkit, a press release alone is unlikely to generate meaningful news coverage – unless your organization or company is already a major player with a significant following of journalists who cover your industry. That’s why it’s important to go beyond the press release, as I recently shared during a Lunch & Learn collaboration with the Metrowest Chamber of Commerce.

Here are three understandings key to generating value out of your press releases – or news releases, as many in the industry call them.

STEP 1: STORY

Typically, a company or organization issues a press release in order to announce a new project, a milestone, or some other type of achievement or initiative. Before sitting down to write, it’s important to clearly identify and understand what story you’re hoping to tell when making that announcement.

For foundational messaging, HC leverages our Four Questions strategy – blog here! –  to understand your goals, audience, overlap, and curveballs for each media opportunity. Be sure to weave your core mission into the story your press release tells to stay on brand. This consistency in organizational storytelling pays dividends in the end, helping to connect more reliably and meaningfully with your target audience.

STEP 2: FORMAT

While strong press releases can stand out with reasonably punchy writing and compelling storytelling, at the end of the day the actual structure of a press release is fairly formulaic.

• At the top of the page, you’ll want to start by including your logo, followed by the media contact’s name and contact info.
• From there, write your headline. This is one of the most important steps, as it’s your best chance at grabbing a journalist’s attention – and it often doubles as an email subject line for the media pitch. Some follow the headline with a subheader, while others choose not to.
• Next comes the dateline. Generally in all caps, the body of a press release starts with the location and date of the news, followed by an em dash (the long one, —).
• With a bit of storytelling flare, the lede (yes, that’s how you spell it) starts the actual release by sharing the overview of your announcement. Much like a stereotypical newspaper article, the lede sets the stage for the piece and seeks to draw in readers with the most interesting nugget of information.
• If your press release ends up about a page or so, the rest of the body after the lede would generally follow this pattern: support paragraph, quote #1, support (x2), quote #2, closing paragraph with the remaining essential details.
• At the bottom of the press release, the company or organization making the announcement should put a boilerplate “About <company name>” section with the standard, 100-word or so summary of the organization, even if some of that background was sprinkled into the body of the release.

STEP 3: DISTRIBUTION

You’ve written your press release. Now what? Time to distribute it!

When developing your story, you already identified your audience, so it’s time to make sure you develop a media list that your audience pays attention to if you plan on earning media coverage.

While emailing the release to newsroom inboxes remains a helpful practice, it’s best to identify and directly reach out to specific journalists who your research shows cover your beat. Add in a brief, customized media pitch to pique interest, including details about how you can provide the elements that play to their medium (e.g., action to record on video for TV news), and paste the full press release at the bottom of the email so the journalist can refer to the full details if the pitch catches their eye. (Paid press release distribution services are also widely used by larger organizations with deeper pockets, but at that point it can no longer be called earned media in good faith – it’s paid or sponsored content.)

Importantly, control what you can control. Even if you do not earn outside media coverage from your press release, the story you tell can still make an impact with your audience and serve to communicate your news with them. Make sure that the press release ends up on your own organization’s website – immediately, even before pitching – and that you send that link out on your social media channels. Those owned media avenues help ensure that your announcement serves as a milestone marker in your own ecosystem.

Intrigued by the process, but looking for a helping hand? Henrich Communications offers a full suite of public relations services, including building press releases and custom communications strategies around organizational announcements. Connect with us today!