Imagine the gravitas, the attention, the credibility your business could enjoy if it was featured in a respected publication that speaks to your target audience. A well written press release can achieve exactly that. But what is it, exactly?

At its core, a press release is simply an announcement that reports on something that a corporation wishes to communicate externally. Distributing a press release is essential for garnering media attention but not every announcement warrants a press release. For small businesses, even if they’re sure their announcement is newsworthy, crafting and distributing a press release can be intimidating and there’s often a lack of understanding around how to even start the process. In this blog post, we’ll explore the intricacies of crafting a press release that elevates presence of your business in the eyes of the public.

Is Your Announcement Newsworthy?

The absolute first step in drafting a press release is to ask yourself, does the announcement you’re distributing warrant media attention? Distributing endless releases that don’t result in coverage can, at best, erode your credibility and cannibalise future media opportunities, or, at worst, get you blacklisted from certain journalists.

Most journalists are swamped with press releases every day so its important to think about how to cut through the noise and make your announcement stand out. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that every announcement that pertains to your business is going to make headlines. Instead, ask yourself what is new about the story, if it’s timely, will it resonate with your target audience, does it align with current news cycles and will it move the needle? A press releases should always relate to the present or future, but never the past. If you’re sure the announcement will be of interest to media, you can then think about how to craft the release itself.

Drafting a Press Release

The first thing to do before diving into the drafting itself is to carefully consider the target audience, the end reader. Is this for an industry specific audience who will be familiar the industry lingo, or this for mainstream media, where you have to assume the end reader is a layperson? The entire release should be framed in the context of how it will resonate with the end user.  

Some publicists prefer to write the headline last, while others prefer to craft this at the beginning and hang the subsequent story from the headline. Let’s assume we start start with the headline. As we’ve mentioned, journalists receive a plethora of press releases every day so the headline should be the thing that gets the journalists attention. To ensure your announcement isn’t overlooked, make sure your headline is snappy, newsy and easy to understand. The headline needs to sum up the entire release in a short sentence, so avoid long, wordy headlines that don’t grab attention.

Once a punchy headline has been drafted, you can draft the bulk of the release. Here, consider the six Ws: who, what, when, where, why and how. The first sentence of the release should contain the story upfront, with subsequent sentences and paragraphs serving as the detail behind the news.

Developing a Quotable Quote

One of the most important elements of any press release is the quote. It should come from a relevant executive with a title that fits the significance of the news being broadcasting. The quote should underpin the news in a way which not only acknowledges the announcement but brings extra colour and depth to the story. One of the most important things to keep in mind when drafting the quote is to read it outload to yourself. Does it sound like something someone would actually say at a press conference, or does it sound flat, generic and soulless?

Consider the Boilerplate

The final piece of the puzzle is the boilerplate. This is a short paragraph under the body of the press release that gives media the appropriate information about the company issuing the release. To ensure your boilerplate has all the information it should have, imagine the journalist skipping the press release and only skimming the boilerplate. Does it have all the information necessary to properly understand what your company does and its core values?

A well-executed press release should be a fundamental part of the marketing and communications efforts of any business. Now that you know the basics, leading with a solid press release is integral in giving your business trust, credibility and visibility.

For support in crafting the perfect press release for your business, contact us at christopher@pearscroftcommunications.com.au