A press release is a written document that announces something newsworthy about your company, service, product, or event. It is used to inform media and public about your news by generating interest about your business. Press releases are an effective way to communicate your message, build your brand awareness, and increase your website traffic. However, writing a press release is not as easy as it sounds! If you aim to get good performance from press release distribution, you need to follow some rules and best practices to make sure your press release stands out and gets noticed.
In this blog post, we will give you a guide on how to write a press release that achieves targeted results. We will cover the following topics:- Types of press releases you can write
- Format and structure of a good press release
- Tips and tricks to write a compelling press release
- Methods and channels to distribute your press release
- Benefits of press release distribution
- Metrics and tools to measure the success of your press release
Types of Press Releases
There are different types of press releases you can create and distribute, depending on the purpose and your target audience.
- Product launch: This type of press release announces the launch of a new product or service, or an update or improvement of an existing one. It should highlight the features, benefits, and value proposition of your product or service, and include a quote from the spokesperson, or an expert within the company.
- Event: A well-written press release can be used for announcing an upcoming event, such as a conference, a webinar, a workshop, or a project opening. It should include the details of the event, such as the date, time, location, agenda, speakers, and registration information, and explain why the event is relevant and important for your audience.
- Award: Your press release may announce that your company, product, service, or team has won or been nominated for an award, recognition, or certification. This type of press release should mention the name and the criteria of the award, and how your company meets or exceeds them.
- Partnership: This type of press release announces a new partnership, collaboration, or affiliation between your company and another organization, such as a supplier, a distributor, a customer, or an investor. The press release should explain the nature and the benefits of the partnership, and how it will impact your industry and your stakeholders.
- Crisis: Sometime you need to announce how your company is dealing with a crisis or bottleneck, such as a product recall, a data breach, a lawsuit, pandemic, supply chain shortage or a negative publicity. It should acknowledge the situation, express your concern and empathy, explain the actions you are taking to resolve the issue, and reassure your audience that you are committed to your values and mission.
Structure of a Press Release
A press release should follow a standard format and structure, to make it easy for journalists and editors to read and understand your news. A good press release typically consists of the following elements:
- Headline: It is the first and most important part of your press release. It should summarize your news in a clear and catchy way, and include your main message and keyword. The headline should be no longer than 10 words.
- Subheadline: The subheadline should expand on your headline and provide more details or context about your news. It should be up to 30 words.
- Dateline: It is the part of your press release that indicates the date and the location of your news. It should be placed at the beginning of the first paragraph, and use the format "CITY, DATE".
- Introduction: The introduction is the first paragraph of your press release. It should obey the famous “5W1H rule” and answer the 6 questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. It should provide the most important and relevant information about your news, and include your main and secondary keywords.
- Body: It is the main part of your press release. It should provide more details and supporting information about your news such as facts, figures, surveys, data, quotes or testimonials. It should be divided into short and clear paragraphs with subheadings when necessary. It should also include your secondary keywords.
- Boilerplate: The boilerplate is the last part of your press release. It should contain a brief background and overview of your company such as your mission, vision, history, products, services, awards, or achievements. It should also include a link to your website and your contact information.
How to Distribute Your Press Release
Writing a press release is only half of the job. The other half is distributing your press release to the right media outlets and channels, so that your news reaches your target audience and generates the desired results. There are different methods and channels you can use to distribute your press releases:
Email: It is one of the most common way to distribute your press release. You can use e-mail to send your press release directly to journalists and editors who are experts of your industry or topic. You can also use email to follow up with them and pitch your story. To increase your chances of getting your press release read and published, you should:
- Research and target the right journalists, and personalize your email
- Write a catchy and relevant subject line summarizing your news and covering your keyword
- Attach your press release as a PDF or Word document, or include a link to it
- Never miss an image, distribute your press release with a relevant photo or picture
- Write a brief and friendly introduction that explains who you are, what your news is, and why it is important
- Include a call to action that invites them to contact you for more information
Social media: Social media is another popular and powerful way to distribute your press release to reach wider audiences. Social media is an effective channel to engage with your audience, answer their questions, and get their feedback. However, social media also has some challenges, such as algorithm changes, content saturation, and short attention spans. To optimize your press release distribution on social media, you should:
- Choose the right social media platforms for your news and your audience
- Create and share engaging and visual content that showcases your news
- Use hashtags, keywords, and tags to increase your visibility
- Encourage your audience to like, comment, share, and repost your content
- Monitor and measure your social media performance and engagement
Online press release distribution service: An online press release distribution service is a third-party platform that helps you to create and distribute your press release to thousands of media outlets. As in every job you hand over to professionals, it can save you time and money, and increase your exposure and credibility. To establish a trusting and productive business relationship with your press release distribution service, you should:
- Choose a reputable, experienced and reliable one, such as B2Press, that offers high-quality yet affordable services
- Select the right distribution package and options for you such as geographic, industry, or niche targeting, SEO optimization, or analytics and reports
- Use the press release distribution service's tools and resources to create and edit your press release, or hire their professional editors to do it for you
- Review and approve your press release before sending it to the media outlets
- Track and analyze the results and impact of your press release distribution service
Benefits of Press Release Distribution
Press release distribution is the process of sending press releases to various media outlets, such as news agencies, newspapers, magazines, news portals, radio stations, and TV channels as well as selected influencers. By distributing your press release, you can:
- Reach a wider audience covering your potential customers
- Increase your online visibility and SEO ranking
- Boost your credibility and authority in your field of business
- Generate demand for your company, product or services
- Build relationships with journalists and influencers
Press release distribution can help you achieve your marketing and PR goals, whether you want to launch a new product/service, announce a partnership, share a success story, or respond to a crisis.
How to Measure the Success of Your Press Release
Distributing your press release is not the end of your PR campaign but the beginning! You also need to measure the success and impact of your press release, and use the feedback and data to improve your future press release activities. There are different metrics and tools you can use to measure the success of your press release, such as:
- Media coverage: Media coverage is the number and quality of media outlets that publish or mention your news. Media coverage can help you to assess your media reach and influence, and your brand awareness and reputation. Please note that the PR packages of B2Press also include media monitoring as well as reporting.
- Website traffic: Website traffic is the number and quality of visitors that come to your website from your press release or your news. It can help you to evaluate your online visibility and SEO ranking.
- Social media engagement: It is the number and quality of interactions that your press release generates on social media platforms such as likes, comments, shares, and reposts. Social media engagement can help you to measure your reach and influence.
We hope you have found this guide useful and informative. Now that you know how to write a press release, and how important is press release distribution, you can manage good PR campaigns that generate desired results. If you need any help with writing or distributing your press release, please visit our website or send us an email. We are a leading online PR service that offers high-quality and affordable SaaS solutions. We would love to hear from you and help you with your press release requirements.
