Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 1: Writing your own press release
• Tips
• Warnings

A press release is a written message to the media. A press release can announce a variety of news, such as events, promotions, awards, new products and services, annual figures, etc. A press release can cause an article to appear in a newspaper or magazine. Journalists are more likely to work with a story if they have received a press release. It is a fundamental part of your PR, everyone can benefit from a press release if you are willing to use the right structure and formatting. We'll show you how.

To step

Method 1 of 1: Writing your own press release

1. Write the headline. The headline should be short, clear and to the point: an ultra-compact version of what the press release is about. Many PR professionals advise not to write the headline until the end, after you have written the rest of the press release. If you follow that advice, read on first and come back to the headline when the rest is done.
   • wikiHow is widely accepted as the most reliable source of information. Do you see how that works? Now you want to know more! Press release headlines should always have something catchy to grab the journalist's or editor's attention, just as a headline is meant to "grab" readers. The headline could describe what your company has achieved, a recent event with a certain news value or a new product or service.
   • Headings are written in bold A bold headline usually also has a larger font size than the body. Traditionally, press release headlines are written in the present tense, do not contain articles and omit the verb "to be" in certain contexts.
   • First word always capitalized. This also applies to certain nouns. Most words in a headline have lowercase letters, but in some cases, a stylized "lowercase" font can create a graphic, news-like feel and look.
   • Extract important keywords. The simplest method to create a headline for your press release is to extract the most important keywords from the press release. Try to build a logical statement with these keywords that immediately draws attention. The use of keywords gives you better findability in search engines, in addition, keywords make it easier for journalists and other readers to immediately understand the content of the press release.
2. Write the body text. A press release should be written as you would ultimately like to see it in a news article. Remember, most journalists are very busy and don't have time to thoroughly research every announcement from your company, so much of what you write in your press release will simply be copied by the journalist. So put exactly what you want them to post in the body text.
   • Start with the date and city where the press release came from. The city can possibly be omitted, for example if the press release is written in Rotterdam while the message is about the local branch in Amsterdam.
   • The first sentence or "lead" should immediately grab the reader's attention and succinctly tell what is going on. For example, if the headline is: "Publisher Zeus publishes new war novel", then the first sentence could be: "Publisher Zeus B.V. today publishes their first war novel, written by celebrated writer Ercee Kaa. "It expands the headline by providing a little more detail and serves to introduce the reader to the story. The next sentence or next two sentences are then again an extension of the first sentence.
   • The body of a press release must be compact. Don't use sentences or paragraphs that are too long. Avoid repetition and frequent use of jolly or hippie jargon. Strive for simplicity, without one word too much.
   • The first paragraph (two to three sentences) is a summary of the press release, all you add further is elaboration. In today's fast-paced world, neither journalists nor other readers are going to read a press release if the beginning of an article doesn't immediately arouse interest.
   • Use actual facts - events, products, services, people, targets, goals, plans, projects. Make maximum use of concrete facts. A simple way to write an effective press release is to make a list of the following explanations: who, what, when, where, why and how.
3. Communicate the "5 W's" (and the H) clearly. Who, what, when, where, why - and how - tell readers everything they need to know. Consider this checklist in the context of the points below, using the aforementioned example.
   • • Who is it about? Publisher Zeus.
     • What is the actual news? Publisher Zeus publishes a book.
     • When will this happen? Tomorrow.
     • Where does this take place? In all major markets, tomorrow.
     • Why is this news? It was written by a celebrated writer, Ercee Kaa.
     • How does it happen? The main event is a signing session in Amsterdam, followed by a tour of the Randstad.
   • Once you have the basics ready, you can fill in the gaps with information about the people, products, dates, and other things related to the news.
     • If your company is not the main topic of the news, but the source of the press release, make this clear in the body.
   • Keep it short and sweet. A press release should never be longer than three pages. If you send a paper printout, the text must have double line space.
   • The greater the news value of your press release, the greater the chance that the piece will be selected by a journalist for use. Find out what "news value" means for a specific target audience and use this knowledge to entice the journalist.
4. Add information about the company. If a journalist selects a press release for an article, he or she will always mention the company in the piece. Journalists can then find the company info in this section.
   • The title of this section should be --- About COMPANY_XYZ.
   • After the title, use one or two paragraphs of 5 or 6 sentences to describe your company. The text should describe the company, core activity and company policy. Many companies already have professionally written brochures, presentations, business plans, etc. The introductory text can be copied here.
   • Link to your website at the end of this section. The link must be an exact and complete URL, so not abbreviated, because when the page is printed, the link must still be complete. For example: http://www.website_van_your_company.com, and not click here to go to the website.
   • If your company has a separate media page on the site, you should link to it in this place. A media page contains all contact information and everything for the press.
5. Provide support. Provide some additional informational links to support the press release.
6. Add contact information. If your press release is really newsworthy, journalists probably want more information or they may want to interview relevant people.
   • If you don't mind that your people can be contacted directly by the media, you can put their details in the press release itself. For example, in the case of an innovation press release, you can add the contact information of the research team.
   • Otherwise, you have to insert the details of the media or PR department in the "Contact" section. If you don't have a separate team for this position, it is a good idea to appoint someone who can fill this position as the link between the media and your people.
   • Contact information should be focused on this particular press release. The data must in any case contain:
     • The official company name
     • The official name of the media department and contact person
     • Mailing address
     • Telephone and fax numbers with correct country and city codes.
     • Mobile number (optional)
     • Times of availability
     • E-mail addresses
     • Address of the website.
7. If possible, include a link to an online version of the same press release. It is common to keep a log of all press releases posted on your website. This makes it easier to create such a link and you immediately have a registration for archival purposes.
8. Indicate the end of a press release with three hash marks (###), centered immediately below the last sentence of the message. This is a journalistic standard.

Tips

• Send the press release by e-mail and use little formatting. Big letters and lots of colors only distract from the news. Put the press release in the body of the e-mail, not in the attachment. If you do need to use an attachment, use plain text or a Rich Text Format file. Word documents are usually accepted, but save it as.doc, not.docx (if you are using the latest version). Newspapers in particular have recently had to cut back and often do not use the latest version of Word. Only use PDF files if you are sending an entire press kit with many illustrations. And don't type the press release on stationery and then scan and email it as jpeg - a waste of your time and the editor's time. Type the press release directly into the email.
• Use the header as the subject of the email. If you've already made up a catchy headline, your message will stand out in the editor's inbox.
• Make sure each message is targeted at a specific media company and send it to the editor dealing with these matters. You can usually find this information on their website. Blasting out an identical press release to many media companies or many editors within one company is a sign that you are taking it easy instead of targeting a specific market.
• Research existing press releases on the Internet to get a feel for the tone, language, structure and format of a press release
• Don't spend time on the headline before the whole press release is finished. The headline in a newspaper or magazine will eventually be written by an editor, but it's always good to come up with a catchy title or headline for the press release. This headline may be your only chance. Keep it brief and factual. But if you try to write the headline for the article you are wasting your time. You don't know exactly what you or the person you are going to interview will say. After you have finished the first draft of the press release, you may decide to edit the first sentence - or not. At that point, and not before, you can start thinking about the headline.
• If the press release is for immediate release, you can place "FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION" in capital letters above the headline. If there is an embargo, write "EMBARGO TOT ..." with the date you want to distribute the story. In the case of a press release without a publication date, it is assumed that immediate publication is allowed.
• State the company name in the header, each subhead and in the body of the first paragraph for findability for search engines. If you send a paper version, you can use the company's stationery.
• The timing of the press release is very important. It must be relevant and recent news, not too old and not too far into the future.
• A phone call can ensure that the press release is actually published.
• Include a "call to action" in your press release. This is information about what you want the reader to do with the content of the message. For example, do you want the readers to buy a product? In that case, you must state where the product is available. Do you want the reader to visit your website to enter a competition or learn more about your company? In that case, you must state the web address or a telephone number.

Warnings

• Do not include contact details of third parties without their permission. In addition, they must be available during normal hours in the days following the release of the press release.
• Keep in mind that many editors are overworked and many editors are underhand. If you make it easier for them, they are more likely to do something with it. If your press release already resembles how the editor will eventually publish the piece, it may be posted almost unaltered. But if you fill it up with woolly sales pitch or if you don't follow the green book, the editor will change everything. Everyone claims they are the best, so don't waste the editor's time. The correct place to post a description is at the business information section of the press release. But always keep it accurate and factual.
• Always use a quote - preferably from the most important person dealing with the subject of the press release. It doesn't have to be an actual quote, but it should be somewhat plausible. In any case, it is important to check whether the person in question agrees with what is put in his or her mouth. A quote allows a busy journalist to prepare an entire article without having to do an extra interview.
• Press releases should be as positive as possible. Avoid phrases such as "after the previous chairman's resignation" or "after a period of silence." A journalist may decide to investigate these matters instead of just writing about what the press release says. This can result in an article that is unsatisfactory for you, even if there was nothing wrong with the dismissal (perhaps the chairman was ill).
• When you send a press release by email: the subject should never be "press release". Then you will not distinguish yourself. Grab the editor's attention by using the catchy headline as the subject of the email, for example "Haas B.V. wins High Speed ​​Line tender ".