A press release is an official statement that a business sends out to the news media to provide information, create a statement, or make an announcement. A press release is typically written by the public relations (PR) team of an organization. It’s usually a short document of only one to two pages in length and clearly explains the purpose in a succinct way that is easy to understand.
There are many reasons why business press releases should include press releases in their marketing/PR strategies. First and foremost, press releases are a great way to build a relationship with the media– which is important for any business.
The media is how news about your business gets from you to the customer, so it’s imperative to have a solid relationship with news media outlets. If you have a good relationship with journalists, getting press coverage for your business will also be much easier. The more press coverage you get, the more successful your business will be.
A press release is also a way for you to control the narrative. You choose what you want to release about your brand and what you want to keep private. A good press release will also utilize SEO best practices, so it can help generate traffic to your business’s website. Lastly, businesses should include press releases in their PR news strategies simply because it’s a good way to increase customer engagement and interact with existing and potential customers in a new way.
Press release formatting tips
When it comes to writing a press release, it’s crucial to know the proper press release format. If you have a press release format that you can follow, then actually writing the press release will be a whole lot easier. It may also be helpful to look at a sample press release so you can get a better idea of how to craft yours in a compelling way.
But in the meanwhile, here are some helpful press release formatting tips that you should follow:
Pick a newsworthy and relevant topic
This is arguably one of the most important tips to follow. If you’re going to be sending out a news wires press release, you want it to be newsworthy. Newsworthy and relevant topics are what people find interesting and they’re what will get people talking about your business. You want to pick a topic that is relevant to your target audience and includes pertinent information that you know they care about. This will help to generate interest in your brand.
Have an engaging headline
The headline of your press release is what is initially going to draw people in and entice them to read it, so it needs to be good. Your headline is essentially the first impression of your press release. It should be short and straight to the point, but still interesting and appealing.
Keep it concise
As tempting as it may be to include a ton of information about your pr business, you want to keep your press release as concise as possible. The longer it is, the less likely people are to actually read the entire thing. Don’t include any fluff– just stick to the important information that you want to share. News is constantly being circulated across various platforms, so you want your press release to be easily digestible on whichever platform someone finds it on.
Include a call to action
When your readers finish reading your press release, they need to know the next steps. This is called your call to action, and it basically will tell your readers what they should do next. Your call to action should be located at the end of your press release and it should be written separately from the closing paragraph. It should be a simple sentence that clearly tells the reader what to do next.
Utilize SEO practices
It’s crucial to utilize SEO practices when writing a press release to help you rank higher in search results and gain more visibility for your brand. You should incorporate keywords and URLs in a way that flows naturally with the copy. You want to keep your sentences short, simple, and easy to understand. It’s also a good idea to use bullet points and images to break up the information so that it’s less overwhelming to look at.
