The paramount importance of a press release is nothing new to business owners and marketers. However, many people still question the quality of PER and readable essence as it is more of a formal content with a news-like approach. Does such content attract a reader? Yes, it can only if it is crafted well and offers a blend of information and creativity. Readers include a wider area where industrialists, journalists, reporters, potential customers, competitors everyone is a part of it. In order to influence such a wide range of target audiences, the PR content needs to be more reader-friendly enough to engage them.
If you are aware of the PR format but not sure how to make it more effective, here are the top 10 ways to write your press release more reader-friendly way.
1. Use Lower Case
A common mistake that is seen among most PR writers is the excessive use of upper case. It is okay is seldom use it to draw attention to some particular matter or name but using it to write regular sentences is never a good option. Upper case is difficult to read at once glace and if a reporter or journalist fails to figure it out, they are more likely to abandon it. Besides, does not provide the pleasure of reading instead creates a sense of emphasis where it is not needed. Excessive use of it shows amateur the writer is.
2. Grammar and Punctuation
This is the unspoken truth of every content is that proper grammar and punctuation are very much needed to create an impact. As mentioned before, your readers base includes various kinds of people and some of them might not care about your grammatical errors and punctuation. But some of them will definitely judge you for that. What kind of a company does not even consider reading the press release before even publishing it? That is where you are going to lose your impression. Keep a good eye on the grammar, spelling, and punctuation that help the readers.
3. Language and Tone
The language of a press release has to contain a formal approach. However, it has a purpose to reach a wider target audience too. While people from the niche industry might be well versed with the technical terms, most readers would be not. That is the language has to be simple enough to make sense to everyone. Research says when a PR content is understandable by a reader with a qualification of 5th to 8th standard; the content reaches its optimum readability. At the same time, there should ample amount of crispy elements which make the content even more engaging and attractive. The writers tend to churn out a journalistic tone to cater to attention from the readers and at the same time make the content more media-worthy.
4. Eye-Catching Headlines
Believe it or not, readers have an attention span less than a child. If the content does not seem appealing in the first 3- 5 seconds, they are more like to skip it and proceed. Likewise, journalists and reporters also go through numerous press releases every day. If a PR is unable to catch their attention, they will move forward to the next PR. That is why adding a catchy header is important to make to the first move. If you are able to gain their attention, they will definitely go through the whole content.
5. Bite-size Content
Press Releases are usually 300-350 words long content on average and the word count differs based on requirements. However, the press release format remains the same in every case. No matter how big or small the content is going to be, make sure to write in multiple paragraphs. It helps to break down the content into bite-size portions that are easily readable. A reader might not prefer to read 250 words at one go. But if you can break it into 3-4 paragraphs, the reader is definitely going to give it a read.
6. Quotes and storyline
Quotes in PR are capable of piquing interest among readers and also offer a unique touch to your marketing approach with influence. There are a lot of writers who will disagree with the fact of utilizing a storyline, but nothing makes content more worthy to read than a compelling story. The story is not just a story a concept or a perspective to which readers can easily relate. Rather than just talking about your company, shed light on the facts of how your company can empower or benefit the users.
7. Multimedia
Modern PRs allows the addition of multimedia attachments like images, GIFs, and video clips as well. These attachments can create more impact with an adequate amount of visual support. For example, infographic images are great for establishing a story or conveying a bigger matter with simple text-based images. The images do not only make the content attractive but also increase its marketing value by influencing a maximum number of people.
8. Sources
Facts and data can add more credibility and interest to your PR content that making it even firmer with its declaration. However, the source matters. Whenever mention some data, mention its source to churn out more authentications. A reader might believe factual information if it is not coming from a credible source.
9. Boilerplate
A press release is incomplete without a boilerplate at the end. The boilerplate is nothing but a brief description of the company along with contact details. You might think it has no function in making the content more readable, however, the reality is different. Readers are picky and there are many readers who go through the boilerplate first to check company details. If they sense something fraudulent, they will abandon the content or any further relation with the company. That is crafting the boilerplate properly is important. Also, provide all the contact details to let the curious visitors interact with your company and solve their queries.
There are many other ways to make your PR more readers-friendly but what comes first is to understand your readers. When you are crafting a PR, you should be considering readers' perspectives and how the business can benefit them instead of what the company does in general. Understand your business, target audiences, and follow the aforementioned tips to create a more influential press release for all. Integrating these tips will keep you one step ahead in the PR game.
