How to Write A Great Press Release?

By Carole Feuerman

Image via Pexels

A great press release will contain:

• Find Your Angle. Every good news story has an angle

• Write an attention-grabbing headline. 

• A “nut graph” to kill for: The first paragraph with 2 to 3 sentences must be brief, concise and newsworthy. 

• Strong Body Paragraphs with Supporting Details

•  Multimedia: photos, video and the like – a must have for showcasing your news and artwork

• Good contact information – not just contact information, but the contacts of people who will answer the phone and respond within the hour to your email query.

• Links

• Great attention getting photos

• A Great Quote - Include Quotes. The art of writing a press release involves giving the end reader the impression that you got the quote directly from the source, not from the press release.

• Statistics and other data – People love numbers, which make your story more credible and interesting, and impresses

• A compelling story 

•  Your Contact Information

Google keywords throughout your site, in all places possible, under photos, in all titles, in all descriptions, essays, contact, and anyplace else. Only use a few key words to repeat all over and they should be relevant to who you want to attract and what your release is about. 

Remember to Add your contact information, website, and ways to reach you

You’ve heard countless advice on words to avoid in press releases, like “leading”, “ground-breaking” and “best.” A Reporter’s Bullshit Meter will ring loudly at the sight of these words. There’s no doubt your press release will be diminished. I won’t belabor the point. I urge anyone writing a press release to understand who reads their prose. Consider how credible your words are. You’d be surprised how many reporters stop reading a press release if there are too many superlatives.