A press release, which is also called as a news release, is simply a statement containing important events or announcements of your organization and is meant for online media distribution. The events could be about product promotion, new service launch, sales target accomplishments or even any scheduled company merger. Press releases are a must for promotional work so that your organization can reach to a large number of viewers. Hence, it is really essential to know how to write a press release. Writing press releases is no rocket science- all you need is to do is remember a few guidelines on how to write a press release. Here are a few tips that can make writing a press release an easy affair.
Steps For Writing Press Releases
For starters, Writing press releases can be a tricky affair but only if you don't know the customized rules. Press releases are always written in a standard format. It is ideal to write press release in company's letterhead. If that is not viable, then paper containing press release ought to have company's logo.
The word PRESS RELEASE should be typed in block letters and should be on the centre of the page. All info regarding the name of the company, its location, website address, Email ID and contact numbers such as telephone numbers, FAX numbers should be typed clearly underneath the bold typing. The press release contact person's name and contact info should be present immediately below this. If the press release is meant for IMMEDIATE RELEASE, mention so in block letters on the left margin just beneath the contact person's info.
One of the most important components of press releases is the Title. Title should be always in simple present tense and the proper nouns should be used. It should be brief yet captivating to grab the attention of the journalists.
The body of press release should begin with the date and place from which press release is meant to be published. The first two lines of first paragraph of the body should represent the detail purpose of press release in a concise but appealing way. The ideal approach is to start the body with the basic five Ws and one H such as who, what, where, when, why and how respectively.
Real facts relating to the press release should be put in the second paragraph of the body. It should contain information regarding where to find the actual news, whom to contact, when the scheduled event is going to happen etc. A personal quote by a prominent person related to the company is worth a lot for mentioning in press release. Press release writing can be boring, however if you offer a personal touch to your writing, it would bind your readers till the end of your topic.
The ideal length for writing a Press release should be within a page or two and they should be double-spaced. The detailed information about the organization should be present below the detailed content. The title for this section should be ABOUT XYZ (i.e. the name of your company) COMPANY. After title the information about your company, its core business areas and policies, accomplishments should be promoted in a brief paragraph. In the end, mention your company website URL link as promotion.
