Basic Press Release Components
A well written, well formatted and easy to read press release always gets media attention and is distributed without hesitation on the editor’s part.
Contrarily, a badly written press release which is out of format, contains grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and confused statements not only challenge the editors and journalists, they may also result in having a shorter media list for yourself to target in the future.
Format and Layout of a Basic Press Release
All basic press releases follow a standard format but the trick is how you follow the format in terms of your writing abilities and approach. Here are some tips for writing a basic press release:
- Always write your press release with the journalistic style of writing.
- Most press releases are meant for immediate release and include these opening lines,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” followed by the contact information.
- A summary of the news you are reporting is thrown in the form of a “headline” which is catchy and compelling. It is normally just one sentence, so craft i\\carefully.ml;pm/’After the headline, begin your press release with the first paragraph called, the “lead paragraph”. Answer the five W’s (who, what, where, when, why) and “how” if it applies. Further, extend the catchy headline keeping it interesting for the reader to read on.
- Second, third and a subsequent paragraph contain details from the headline and the lead paragraph, and make up the “body” of the press release. Here you validate your claims made in the headline and the lead paragraph with quotes and keep it factual.
- Your writing should be clear, concise and coherent. Stay away from unnecessary details, buzz words, and stick to the point like glue in this section of your press release.
- Wrap up your story in the last paragraph of your press release.
- Provide all necessary contact information at the bottom i.e. email, website, physical address etc.
- End your press release with the symbol “###”. This marks the end of the press release.
- Proof read your press release a number of times before you send it out for publishing to ensure maximum number of submissions.
