How to Write a Press Release

Then you need to write effective press releases!

What to consider
Who should you send the finished article to? If you don't know find out now. Don't forget to send a note of thanks to the journalist if your article is used. Better still, get to know your local journalists. What is the reason behind your decision to write a press release? Do you want to just give some information, increase your business or update a previous story? Be clear why you are doing it.

Have a critical look at your local and national newspaper and TV news station. What are their stories about? Who are they about? Where is the action taking place? When did it happen? Why has this story been covered? How does publishing it make a difference? You need to cover the 5 Ws and How? in your own writing.

Who is your audience?
It's pointless writing in broadsheet style if your story is intended for the local paper - look carefully at their different styles as the one is far more 'serious' than the other. On the other hand, you may be intending your article to appeal to the more serious side of the local press, or for it to be one of the lighter articles in the national press. You need to understand where your story fits in with the publications that you intend to send it to.

Speaking of which ... you need to decide who you are going to send your press release to. It's no good sending it to the Financial Times if it's not about finance - you would be wasting your time! Think very carefully about which organisations would publish or broadcast your story and then target them.

What is your story's angle? This is the most important part of your writing and it has to be the main reason for your press release. It should be unique in some way: newsworthy or it bucks trends or contains important information for the reader. Make it tempting.

What format should I use?
Put simply, KISS (keep it simple silly) and make the journalists' lives easier by using a clear format for your press release. They are far more likely to use your story if you do this because there is some structure to it, making it easier to read and requiring less editing. Use these guidelines:

• Use A4 paper, preferably your company's letterhead

• Try your best to get your press release on to one page (don't use more than two)

• Use one-and-a-half or double line spacing

• Use a clear font, Arial is good, in size 11 or 12

• Create a really catchy, tempting headline in about 10 words that conveys the key point about your story.

• Make it clear where the release starts and finishes. You could use BEGINS at the start and ENDS at the end. Include, and mark it, a WORD COUNT) so that the journalist knows where your story will 'fit in' to the paper. If you want to include extra information after your main press release, use NOTES FOR EDITORS before that section. Include a CONTACT section at the end of the page so that the journalist knows who to contact for more information.

• You should also make it clear if your story is for immediate release by marking it as such at the beginning: IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

• Break your story down into clear paragraphs. The first paragraph should include all your 5 Ws and How? and be short and to the point. The next one should provide more detailed information about the first paragraph or some new information. And the third paragraph should be used with care and only if you have more information to give, or you could put your quotes here if you haven't already included them in the other paragraphs.

• Write in the third person - don't use 'I , you, we or us'

• If you use any statistics or facts and figures, make sure that you reference where they have come from.

• Don't forget quotes. This is a good way of getting across the main message, but it should also give some extra information, such as a personal angle.

• Check, check and check again for spelling and grammar. Ask someone else to proof-read the finished article not only for spelling and grammar, but also for clarity of content.

How are you going to send your press release?
You have several options for sending your press release: post, fax or e-mail. Post and fax are straightforward; you can use your letterhead paper and send or fax it. E-mail, surprisingly, can be more difficult. File attachments may be blocked preventing your precious work from getting to the recipient, and if you use your e-mail editor you may find that the receiving e-mail software can do the most peculiar things to your finished article. If possible, send directly in e-mail in plain text and avoid using bold, italics, underlining, bullet points or anything else that could 'throw' the finished article. Sending gibberish is not an option!

You're done. If you follow these guidelines your press release should end up splashed all over the front pages! (Or at the least where you want them to be.)