In the world of marketing and public relations, there are few things more important than learning how to write a great press release.
The first press release ever to be published was put together by Ivy Ledbetter Lee in 1906 on behalf of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Since then, the world has changed but press releases have largely stayed the same.
The core goal of the modern press release is to give the media and public something with which to engage on behalf of your business. Whether this is trending news, a promotion, or the introduction of a new product, your press release will be the guiding messenger.
To write the best press release possible, we need to make sure that we can put together an informative press release that engages, connects, and spreads our core message.
1) Find Your Newsworthy Topic
Load up the latest press release by one of your favorite companies and take a moment to read it. Done? If you read a professional press release, you’ve likely found something that imparts information that is relevant to the business and interesting to their targeted audience. This ultimately boils down to the selection of a newsworthy topic.
Take a moment to look inward at your upcoming entrepreneurial dealings. Do you have a new product release? Are you bringing on a new hire? Are you expanding your business into new markets? Consider the importance of your topic before putting out a press release to maximize its efficacy.
2) Develop the Ideal Headline
People have been skimming headlines since the first newspaper was ever printed, so it makes sense that the practice continues on the internet. We are living in an age where attention is a valuable commodity, so make sure to take advantage of it with the headline for your press release.
A great headline will grab the attention of your reader while imploring at least 20% of them to click through for the rest of the content. There are no set-in-stone rules for writing a headline, but there are a few great tips to consider.
Incorporate Numbers – People love sharing facts, so incorporate numerical ones in your headlines.
Add Action Words – Don’t let your headline sit passively at the top of the page, add action words to bring immediacy to your press release.
Maintain Accuracy – Even though we are trying to get people to read through your press release, we still need it to maintain full accuracy. Keep your press release short, concise, and completely accurate to make an impact.
3) Add a Call to Action
There are few better ways to judge the effectiveness of a press release than by incorporating a call to action. Link to your website, a new product, or something pertaining to your press release at the bottom of the message. This provides a portal to action that you can track to judge the effectiveness of your release.
Make sure to incorporate a link and to heavily format your press release for maximum exposure. Standing out is ideal in today’s crowded digital environment, so make sure that your press release tells a complete story.