How do I Write a Press Release that Journalists will Notice?

A press release is a document that contains an informative and newsworthy story about a brand that needs media coverage. As a powerful public relations tool, media partners receive many press releases from different brands. 

As they may receive too many press releases, there must be many releases that are ignored. To avoid being ignored, send a good press release that will attract journalists. Follow these tips to write an attention-grabbing press release:  

1. Send in the Right Format 

Write and send the press release in the right format. In the subject of the email, write "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" or "HOLD THE RELEASE FOR (the desired publication date)". Then greet them politely and say that you would like your press release to be published on a specific date and time. Remember to attach your press release file.   

On the press release itself, include these essential elements 

Company logo, .

Release date, 

Contact details, 

Headline,

Place and date, 

Lead paragraphs (2-3 paragraphs are sufficient).

Body paragraphs, 

Subheading if necessary, 

Strong quote(s),

Attractive and relevant multimedia element(s) that can be placed above or below the press release.

2. Create an Attractive Headline  

Every press release begins with a headline. This is the audience's first impression. So you need to make it attractive and informative. 

Keep it short and concise, with a maximum of 70 characters including spaces. Make sure you include the most important information, the main keyword, the action word, an interesting adjective and, if possible, a number.  

Several studies have found that headlines with numbers generate 73% engagement on social media. Numbers can usually be embedded in a listicle type of release. 

3. Write a Relevant and Newsworthy Story 

Before writing a press release, ask yourself: "Will journalists find this news interesting enough to share with their audience?"  

To avoid being ignored, PR professionals recommend that you only issue a release for major announcements, such as the launch of a new product or service, a special event, etc.   

Otherwise, think about your target audience. You need to write a relevant story in their terms. Tailor your release based on their demographics and preferences.

4. Cover the 5Ws 

It is essential that the first paragraph answers the 5Ws (what, who, why, where and when). This basic information provides a clear focus and a catchy lead (opening paragraph).  

5. Include the Facts 

Next, include the relevant facts from a valid source, such as: research, book, etc. This will strengthen your press release and the credibility of your brand. If there are more than 2 facts, bullet or number them.

6. Include a CTA 

A CTA is a call-to-action that can compel the audience to do what you want them to do, whether it be making a purchase, registering for something, and much more. Get the attention, but include a standout CTA with a relevant URL and special formatting (bold and/or italic).  

7. Include Relevant Multimedia Element(s) 

Press releases are all about storytelling. So don't just tell, show your audience why your release is important. To do this, embed at least 1 relevant multimedia element in your release. As well as showing the audience, multimedia in press releases can be useful for engaging with social media audiences.   

To do this effectively, make sure you embed a high quality multimedia element as described below: 

Photo: clear focus with sufficient brightness. 

Video: good sound and movement with a maximum of 2 minutes.

Infographic: visually explain the news in an interesting way. 

The art of press release writing is to balance your story with the preferences of your target audience. Before being read by them, your releases have to get past the journalists. Follow the tips above to get noticed and published by journalists.