4 Keys to Creating The Perfect Press Release
As companies prepare for exciting announcements like events, product launches, funding, and other organizational updates, press releases are often the most effective way to share news with the public. A press release is a helpful tool to ensure your message is clear and can be widely distributed, making crafting the perfect press release essential in building company credibility and curating cohesive brand messaging. Applying these 4 tips and tricks to your next press release will increase the likelihood of media coverage and help ensure your message is clearly defined:
- Ensure your press release is newsworthy.
Before drafting a press release, ensure the news you announce is timely and relevant. The goal is to share new information with the public. Press releases are more likely to catch the attention of journalists when the news is tied to an overarching industry theme or a current event. Be sure to gather all necessary story pieces before putting out a full press release to the public. This is where strategic communication plays a role in crafting the perfect press release!
- Detailing the “Who, What, When, Where, Why”
Like any good news story, understanding the “Who, What, When, Where” is important to clear messaging. A press release must answer the following questions:
- ‘Who is making this announcement, and who are the parties/people involved?
- ‘What is being announced? A product launch? A funding round? An upcoming event?
- ‘When is the news happening?
- ‘Where is the news happening?
- ‘Why should the public care?
Answering these questions throughout the press release helps ensure messaging is clear and effective.
- Follow proper press formatting.
A well-formatted press release aims to summarize news by highlighting only key information for media and journalists, avoiding lengthy sentences that might distract and disengage readers. A press release is typically a few paragraphs in length and does not exceed one page. The headline summarizes the news, the dateline reveals the time and location of the news, and the body shares additional details of the announcement and direct quotes from key players. A boilerplate is to be inserted at the bottom of the release, which provides a summary of the company putting out the news.
- Finalize a timeline for appropriate outreach, including embargo dates and relevant media.
Not only is the content of your release essential in receiving press coverage, but the timing of your release can also significantly impact how it is received. Determining an ideal timeline for announcing news can optimize media coverage. Consult your marketing team to ensure no conflicting current events, holidays, etc. fall on your announcement day, and employ tactics like embargoed outreach to maximize your timeline. Crafting the perfect press release is an important step in legitimizing your company in the public eye, and collaborating with the experts on your marketing team to ensure these crucial points are hit will make your announcement go viral!
“Always ready to learn something new”
Katelyn Duffy is a Account Coordinator for Kafka Media Group. Katelyn enjoys writing and helping clients build their brands through earned media coverage. Favorite Hobby: Bird Watching.