8 things all press releases should have
Thea - Customer Support Agent
Last Update vor 2 Jahren
Headline
Since media outlets receive hundreds of stories per day, you’ll need a killer headline for your press release to stand out. To create a standout headline, try some of these approaches:
- Reference interesting data
- Speak directly to the reader
- Ask a question
- Include keywords
- Use numbers
- Answer a question
- Apply alliteration
- Add value
Date of publication
Most press releases simply put “for immediate release” in the date of publication field, but that isn’t your only option. If you have an upcoming event, you can always send out your press release early and instead list the date you’d like it to be released.
Contact information
The contact information field on the press release should list your organization’s public relations liaison. This field should include their name, job title, email, and phone number.
Summary
The summary falls above the body of the press release but below the headline, contact information, and date. The summary is one to three bullet points or an italicized paragraph of two to three sentences relaying the most important information. Keep it succinct.
Intro paragraph
The first paragraph, or intro paragraph, should start with the location of the event and introduce what the press release is about. Media outlets are looking for a newsworthy announcement and for three of the five Ws—when, where, and why.
Detail paragraphs
You can include one or two detail paragraphs that share facts and figures, more details, or a quote from a relevant organization member. Pick only one or two crucial quotes or statistics that are truly newsworthy. You can use the third paragraph to also relate your press release to a current news event to make it timelier and more relevant.
About
Also called the boilerplate, the about section is where you tell the press about your company. This section should be two to four sentences and include the last two of the five Ws—who and what. Include the name of your organization and its mission statement, founding dates, and company size.
Finally
Traditionally, three pound signs have been included at the end of a press release to indicate the end of the press release content. The signs were used to let wire services know that there wasn’t another page and tell journalists that they didn’t need to wait around for another page. Nowadays, these symbols aren’t technically necessary, but many writers still follow this format out of respect for the tradition.