Most of the organizations and businesses are quite unsure of how to share the news. Press Release is the easiest and ideal method to get the buzz word out about any announcement in your business. The news about any upcoming event, building a new project, important transactions, promotions, and new hires are all dished out with a press release. It is like a brief document through which newsworthy elements are shared with various media outlets and the press.
The information is generally sent to editors and journalists as a piece of content with a cover letter summarizing everything about the organization. The story is then pitched to the journalists and so writing an effective press release is a very important aspect.
However, it is not a daunting task to put together a great press release and one might follow various tips to dish out the best:
Great Headline
The desks of the journalists are flooded with numerous emails every day. To make and stand out a statement with the press release from the crowd, one needs to write an informative and catchy headline. The headline has to be kept within six words and a subhead can always be added and must contain the most vital information to spread the word right at the beginning. The headline should not be dull and instead, it has to be catchy and give insights about the piece of information at the start of it. Due consideration is given to the style of the headline and one has made it bold and goes by the center alignment. The font size should be maintained at points and in the case of subheadings 16 or 17 points are used along with italics.
Start at the Beginning
The press release should begin with the name of the city and state with the specific location of the organization. A dash is added after starting with the information and move directly into the press release from thereon.
An Enticing Lead
The lead is the most important point for the journalists in the story. In the first paragraph of a press release, all the important information and main points are included. The information that is needed to know is placed at the beginning to entice the readers. Secondary and supporting information is placed in the second and consequently the third paragraphs respectively.
Five Ws is Key
The 5 Ws like what, when, who, where, and why is going to hold the key in writing an effective press release. This information is very important in dishing out the exact sequence and subject of the press release. If these are not mentioned, the readers will not get entirely interested. Sometimes, the 1h is also included to make the press release even more effective.
Right Style
A press release is generally written as an important news story by keeping the sentences simple and short. Terms and jargon are not used that are difficult for the average person to understand. The focus has to be on information and facts as the reporter is going to receive the press release for understanding the news. A spell check has to be run as a key element and it is read thoroughly before it is sent. A release full of mistakes is not acceptable at all.
Quote
A quote can be included in the press release to make it interesting and viable. The court has to sound real to make any kind of impression. The quote has to be short and crisp so that it sounds realistic. If it is very long, one has to edit the quote.
Contact Information
The contact information has to be added so that the reporter finds it easy to get connected with you for more information. The email and phone number are included along with the contact name and information about a key person is included with the news of the company. The website address is also embedded to help the reporters check out more information. The social media pages of the company are also included.
Right Note to End
Three hashtags are generally used to end a press release and signify the journalists that it has come to an end. This demonstrates the fact that the writer knows about the working of press releases.
