How to write a successful press release for your business

A press release is a short news story written by a PR professional or content marketer of an organization or business, and delivered to news reporters and publishers.

The main goal of creating and sending press releases to the media is to get the word out about a particular matter concerning your business, such as the unveiling of a new product, or the announcement of a new campaign, or any other special event.

There are many benefits to publishing press releases. You’ll be able to widen your reach and improve your communication with your target audience, help build stronger relationships, take control of and improve your brand image, and increase its visibility.

You’ll also be able to improve your search engine optimization, increase traffic to your website, and position your business as an industry expert.

On the other hand, there are also some tough challenges when it comes to issuing press releases for your business, such as getting outlets to publish them, and the task of crafting a well-written material.

Despite these, however, you can overcome the challenges, provided that you know how to create a successful press release for your blog.

Look for effective press release templates

Before you start writing a press release for your blog, the first thing you want to do is search for an effective press release template or format that matches your brand.

If you organize and present your press releases according to the standard professional formats that most journalists and news media outlets are familiar with, not only will you be able to establish your credibility, but you’ll also be able to increase your chances of being published.

It’s important to note, though, that in this increasingly digital world, press releases come in different forms – depending on the platform you plan on releasing it on. This is why you may consider the help of some of the top press release services to navigate this, and one that aligns with your goals. 

For example, you might want a short 10 to 15-second video that outlets can share on their stories. It could also come in the form of a gif. These days, it’s not only about making sure you have a compelling message, it’s also about being as shareable as possible. 

Keep this in mind when crafting different formats for your press release. 

When to use press releases

The first step you’ll need to take to craft an effective press release for your blogis to consider whether or not the content you plan to share to the world is “newsworthy.”

To do this, there are a number of qualities you’ll need to reflect on, and answer some questions before you start creating your content:

  • Timeliness: Is this relevant now?
  • Impact: Will this cause an impact on people?
  • Prominence: Do people know what this is about?
  • Trends: Does this reflect greater behaviors and patterns?

Ideally, the content you create for your press release can be considered newsworthy, as long as it fulfills at least a couple of these qualities.

What to include in your press release

Typically, a press release consists of five key structural elements, including a headline, contact information, location, body, and boilerplate text.

As mentioned above, structuring your press release this way will increase your chances of getting published, because journalists and media outlets are very familiar with the format.

Headline

The headline of your press release is where you attempt to grab the attention of your readers.

When writing the headline, use simple language that is clear and easy to understand. Make sure it’s short too. One thing you can do is write several alternative titles, and pick the one that is the most impressive and eye-catching.

Contact information

The contact information of your press release is where you include the name of your blog, phone number, your business email address, and mailing address. This may also help you build an email list for your business.

Location

For businesses, this is typically where you write the exact location of your business or organization, including the place where your news is happening. In the case of your blog, it could simply state where you’re located, or where any blog-related event is happening. 

Are you looking to track your IP location based on the domain you use? You might want to try this lookup tool.

Body

This is where you explain the subject of your news story in more detail. You can include some background information, and make use of statistics and quotes to support your points.

In this section, you may also want to add links to your blogs, your social media pages, or your business profile. This will also help increase traffic to your domain.

To organize the body section, you can break it down into several short paragraphs. The first paragraph should immediately support your headline. While the succeeding ones should present additional and relevant information.

Boilerplate text

In PR speak, the boilerplate is a standardized last paragraph included in all press releases. This provides the outline of an organization’s products and offerings, including certifications and awards, clientele, brand messaging, website and social links.  

Professionals often recommend coming up with this part first, as it will be included in all written press releases. Check out Apple’s boilerplate for their iMac Pro press release:

Source

You can find out how to write your boilerplate copy here.

Three different types of press release you might use

Now that you know how a press release is structured, you’ll need to know their different types. The most commonly used types of press releases include new business press release, new product press release, and new event press release.

1) New business press release

Are you just opening a new business related to your blog? Spread the word out to the world by using a new business press release. The format you’ll follow to create a new business press release is similar to that of a general press release.

The only difference is that you’ll need to focus more on products and services you offer and your unique value proposition.

2) New product press release

If you’re writing a press release to announce the unveiling of your new product (or in this case perhaps a blog rebrand or a unique web hosting platform), then the type of press release you’ll use is a product press release.

The structure of this type of press release is very similar to the format of a new business press release, but the difference is that you’ll need to give more information about what’s new about your blog, what your audience should expect, and why they should care.

3) New event press release

Finally, a new event press release refers to the announcement of an upcoming event related to your blog.

When writing this type of press release, you’ll need to provide information about the details of the event, whether you plan to attend it, host it, or sponsor it. This is quite common in the blogging world where collaborations frequently happen.

Ready to write your press release?

In the digital age, press releases remain an effective public relations and marketing tool that lets you reach more people. And now you have the knowledge and tools to start writing your own!

Need more help? You’ll find more tips to help you write the perfect present release in these articles:

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