In contrast to the established definition, the ultimate goal of the modern press release isn’t to catch the eye of journalists only. Of course, this is the original goal, but why not kill two birds with one stone? A well-written press release can interest not only journalists and media but also the final audience and investors.
To create such a text, there are some specific tips that you should rely on. Our secret advice will help you not to sigh of strain while writing a winning press release.
Top 5 Secrets That Will Help to Write Amazing Press-Releases
Is it hard to write a killer press release? According to the study, most press releases have quite low or even zero conversion potential. And this well reflects the fact that most people are wrong about creating such a PR message. Thus, let’s do it right.
1. Come up with a Clear Goal for Your Press Release Writing
The first thing to understand for those working on a press release is that your message must make sense. The press release should not be created to contribute to information noise. This is especially important if you want to attract the attention of authoritative resources and journalists, which in fact is the main goal of every press release.
Before you start writing the text, ask the question:
"I am writing it to ..."
The formulation of a clear goal that you want to convey to the audience will form the whole logic of your text. So, your answer should be specific as well. Here is an example of a streamlined answer that lacks specificity.
"I want to tell you about what kind of company we are and what success we have achieved."
This answer is not appropriate for a press release that should grab the attention of the media. You need to think about a quite specific info-event that will be more attractive to the media. Change focus to create an info-reason. Try to find data or numbers that would be truly captivating to your audience.
2. Describe the News in One Sentence and Get a Great Headline
To create a good headline, describe your news in one sentence. This will allow you to create an informative headline that will give reporters a clear understanding of what is going on.
- Bad example: " Coffee house X summed up the results of the year"
- Good example "Coffee house X sold 100,000 cups of coffee this year."
An informative headline can grab attention rather than a vague phrase like in a “bad example”. Agree, it is much more interesting to read about how many cups of coffee were sold in a small coffee house than to learn about their results of the year.
A “bad example” does not carry any catchy information and facts that grab attention.
Such a primitive example well shows the role of the headline in a press release. Try to use no more than 10 words so as not to overload the title, and don’t forget to use the verb.
How I "Finally" Make Over $6,000 Monthly Income
"The most valuable thing I've ever done!"
3. Come up with a Newsletter Lead
A lead is a short paragraph of your text that contains a meaningful preview of a news story. Lead is suitable for emailing journalists or posting on social media. To create such a paragraph, answer the following questions:
- What?
- Who?
- Where?
- When?
- Why?
- How?
Prompt! Leave the creation of this part of the press release for later. Once you've created the body of your release, it's easier to fit your main message into a few meaningful sentences. Alternatively, you can get instant help on the top services and quickly come up with an eye-grabbing lead for your press-release.
4. Don’t Make a Formal Report
The main mistake most people make in press releases is an unstructured listing of facts and information. The result is the “boring” text that looks more like a report than a news occasion.
For this reason, many journalists filter out press releases, as it is difficult to get the information they need from them. This way of presenting the information will not appeal to your target audience as well.
To create a quality press release, you need to make the accents in the right places. Move from general to specific in order to qualitatively describe your reason, as well as tell what and how you achieved in a certain period of time. Here's a framework to follow:
- The first paragraph: a detailed disclosure of the title.
- The second paragraph: more insights into interesting details.
- Third paragraph: a quote that will reflect the main PR-message.
- Conclusion: additional information (background facts, figures, or context of the event.)
5. Write in Simple Words
One of the most common mistakes in press release writing is the use of a huge amount of complex and professional terminology. As a rule, these texts are full of clichés, clericalisms, and bureaucracy. This approach creates a deceptive effect of the importance of the event, but in fact, is perceived as an attempt to blur the eyes of the readers.
The simpler and clearer you write the text, the easier this message will be perceived by every reader. When an Internet user reads short and simple sentences, the thought of the text will not be lost.
- Bad example: Coffee House X achieved strong financial performance by selling X coffee.
- Good example: The financial success of Coffee House X brought in 100,000 cups of X coffee this year.
The second example is easier to understand since it does not have any complex terminology. Even though in the first example there is a minimum of terms, the writing style immediately makes the press release uninteresting.
Both examples reflect the same thoughts but are perceived quite differently. Almost any term can be replaced with a simpler one, unless, of course, you are writing a press release for Forbes, where the audience is used to professional terminology. So don't overcomplicate what can be simplified. Thus, the text of your press release should be understandable not only for those who are well-versed in your niche but also for both the 9-year-old child and your grandmother.
Pay attention to such apps as Grammarly and Hemingway. They will help you get rid of unnecessary phrases that have no meaning. Or hire an attentive proofreader on one of the reliable essay writing services.
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The Bottom Line
Writing a good press release is not that difficult if you always put yourself in the reader's shoes. Is everything in the text clear to those who are new in your area? Is it interesting to read your text? Does the title match the description? The above tips will help you make a press release that will interest not only journalists but also ordinary readers.
Author Bio: Frank Hamilton
Frank Hamilton is a blogger and translator from Manchester. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.
