Do you know why most journalists look down upon a press release? It is because the press release talks about everything under the sun other than the reason for issuing the press release.
If you want to earn the respect of journalists and get the press releases of your company published then you must keep the following six tips in mind while crafting a press release:
1. Headline
The headline is the biggest attention grabber. Make sure that your headline says your company is releasing a new product, has bought another company, is planning to spread wings to new countries, is going to be listed on Mumbai Stock Exchange, etc, etc.
The news must be stated in bold right on top of the press release. In fact, it is a good practice to start your press release with the headline. You will find that the rest of the copy falls in place.
2. Release Date
The next most important element is the release date. The journalists call it dateline. Start your copy with the name of the city from where the press release is being issued, and the date of its release. If your company is situated in New Delhi and the date is August 5, then your dateline must mention: New Delhi, August 5, 2013.
The journalist will know that the press release is fresh and can be used in the next day’s edition. The journalist can also refer to it at a later date for cross-referencing.
3. Lead
The journalists call it Lead. You can call it the first paragraph of your press release. This is the hook. Don’t beat about the bush. State what has happened or is going to happen in the first paragraph. It will catch the journalist’s attention and draw him into the rest of the press release.
4. Body
Take a leaf out of the newspaper, and write like it. You will notice that news stories mention the most important fact first; the less important facts follow; the least important fact makes the last paragraph. This is called the inverted pyramid style of writing. You should also craft the press release like that.
The journalists will love you for your simple and familiar way of writing. They need not dive deep into the press release to locate the most important piece of information buried in the fifth or the seventh paragraph.
5. Direct Quote
Another element that the journalists love is a direct quote. It gives credibility, and a human face to a news story. Make sure that you have a nice, juicy quote from your Managing Director highlighting the most important point of the press release. The quote should be short, and crisp. It should not be more than two sentences. Otherwise, it may not have the impact that it should.
6. Contact information
Make sure that you include the company name, contact person’s name, physical address, e-mail, telephone numbers, and website address in your press release. These must be listed prominently so that the journalist does not have to struggle to reach you in case he needs some clarification.
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