How to Write an Effective Press Release?

Product launch, new company name, fundraising – the opportunities to communicate with the press are numerous. However, for a press release to have a chance of attracting journalists’ attention, it must be professional and adhere to the essential industry standards. If you work with a public relations agency, this will obviously be the case, but if you wish to write your press release yourself, you will need to apply a few rules! Here is the method to follow to write an effective press release and stand out.

What is the Template to Follow for Writing a Press Release?

A press release should be brief, wherever possible. Ideally, it should be one page, two pages maximum if the subject is complex and requires more detail. It must include the following elements:

• A date and location, in small font and at the top of the document: the journalist must be able to date and contextualize the information.
• A title, which announces the type of information (example: Company XX announces a 50% increase in its turnover in 2020).
• A lead paragraph (or “chapô”), just below, which, in 3 to 4 lines maximum, contains all the information. Journalists often stop at the lead paragraph to decide whether or not the information interests them, so it should not be neglected!
• A development text (body) enhanced with one or two subheadings, which allow for structured and clear reading.
• An “About Us” section, also called a “Boilerplate” in English, at the end of the document. This “About Us” section summarizes in 3 to 4 lines the key information to know about the company in question (date of creation, field of activity, CEO, turnover). This “About Us” section must appear at the end of every press release and always be the same. It provides journalists with factual and quantifiable information about the company, which they can use to supplement the information in the press release.
• Press contacts, also at the end of the document, with the name, email, and phone number of the person to contact for more information.

One Press Release, one Subject

There is sometimes a tendency to want to discuss all of a company’s news in a single press release, in order to maximize chances and hope that one piece of information will hit the mark. But this is a mistake! A press release must cover one subject, and only one. If, in the last 3 months, you have launched a new product, changed your General Manager, and initiated a significant partnership with a renowned institution, you will need to choose one subject from these three for your press release. It does not matter if you cannot communicate all your news, because a journalist will not write about your company every month!

What Tone should be Adopted in My Press Release?

The tone of the press release is very important. It must absolutely be professional and objective. Consider that the journalist, if they wish, should be able to copy and paste the press release as is, without needing to change anything. This naturally implies that it should be written in the style of a news article. First, you must always refer to the company, or the entity, in the third person, and never say “we.” Second, you must banish all superlatives or other misplaced compliments. Your tone must be neutral and informative; you are delivering information, so do not try to (over)sell your subject or your company.

Understand Journalists and the Press above all else!

To write a professional press release that can interest the media, it is beneficial to understand how journalists operate. Because they are the ones you will need to convince with your press release! Be aware that newsrooms, whether for print, radio, or television, follow their own logic but also share similarities. A newsroom is composed of an editor-in-chief, who has the final say on the topics to be covered in the media, and a team of journalists, who propose and cover these topics.

Send the Right Information to the Right Journalist!

Each journalist potentially has their preferred field: economics, politics, finance, social issues, environment… therefore, it is very important, when compiling the press file, which gathers the contacts of journalists to whom you will send your press release, to select those who are interested in the area you will be discussing. This is an essential step because even if your press release is perfect, if it is sent to a sports journalist when your subject relates to finance, it will be forgotten!

Do not Confuse Journalists with Advertising Agencies

Furthermore, let us not forget that journalists are not our communication officers. They select the information they deem relevant for their readers! Therefore, it is very important to carefully choose the subject of your press release and to angle your topic so that it is neither too commercial nor too self-centered.

In Summary: the Essentials of a Press Release

To summarize, here are the essentials to remember for writing an effective press release:

• One well-angled subject, which is not too self-centered and especially not commercial, per press release
• A short document, one to two pages maximum, that presents information in an objective and neutral manner
• Good prioritization, with the main information in the title and the lead paragraph

Once these elements are respected, your press release is ready to be sent! Do not forget to save it in Word and PDF, and send both versions to the press. If possible, accompany it with a high-quality photo – either of your company or your CEO – specifying photo credits if necessary. But be careful, for this distribution stage, a few rules must also be followed! Discover our guide on the method to follow for distributing your press release.