You’ve got the good stuff: the dream product, the brand from above, the event of the century. You’ve been working hard on building something new and unheard of, and now, you’re ready to share it with the world. But how do you get the word out? And how do you get your story in front of the right people? 

Public Relations is one of my specialties. I’ve been building my experience in this department for years, so I wanted to share some of my top tips for when it comes to writing a press release that will knock the socks off any journalist who comes across it.

First off, let’s be sure to get a definition of what a press release is so we’re all on the same page. A press release is a formal pitch that announces something noteworthy or something that’s just happened in regard to you, your brand, your event, or your art. A perfect press release is a single page that makes a direct and concise communication to the media in the hopes that the story will be picked up by journalists and broadcasted across all major news channels. Please note: a press release is NOT an editorial article. It’s a tool that’s used simply to give data to journalists so that they can write an editorial article ABOUT you. This is really important to keep in mind, because I’ve definitely seen people make the mistake of spending a ton of time and energy writing an editorial-style press release when all journalists want to see is clear and concise information about you and your work. I said it already in this blog, but I’ll say it again: a press release is one page. That’s it! A single page :)

So, how do we write a press release that’s going to cut through the noise and ensure that the right people hear about the amazing things you’ve been up to? I’ve boiled it down to three critical steps that never fail. Here they are: 

Step 1: How to Write a Headline

This is actually the most crucial aspect of your press release. The headline will also serve as the subject line of the email you’ll be sending out that includes your press release, so it’s essential to be sure that it’s buzzworthy enough to stand out in someone’s inbox who gets hundreds – if not thousands – of press release emails every single day. 

Here’s how I think about writing a headline: I try to think of something cute, catchy, and attention-grabbing. If you look at articles on any major news site, you’ll see that there is definitely something similar about all of the headlines. I would highly recommend reading as many headlines as you can, and I also think it’s super important to note the sentence structure and word choices of what’s already out there. This is a quick way to develop the skill of writing headlines. Before you know it, you’ll be able to come up with them all on your own! 

One way to ensure that your catchy headline doesn’t sound like all the other catchy headlines is to ask yourself, “Why should the reader care about what I’m writing?” By answering this question authentically, we can start to really get into the “why” of what we are writing about. And, if we’re able to communicate this “why” effectively, we can write a headline that’s simultaneously catchy but also meaningful. Think about your inspiration – think about the things that push you to do the work you do. When you connect to what’s meaningful to you, you’ll inevitably end up inspiring other people through your headline, too.  

Another way to think about writing headlines is to realize that, by submitting a press release about an amazing project, you are actually doing the reporter a favor. You’re helping her with her job by directly giving her what she needs – something exciting to write about! If you’re having a hard time writing about yourself and what you’re doing, it might be easier to think about it from the perspective of using your headline to make someone else’s job easier. That way, you can take yourself out of the equation. It definitely works if you’re feeling a little stuck on self-promotion. 

Step 2: How to Write the Story  

There’s a reason we all love Instagram, movies, and TV shows – it’s because these things connect us deeply to stories. Stories and myths have always been a very important part of the human condition, and it’s because they allow us to share a common experience with one another and find inspiration in something universal. That’s all it really comes down to: people emotionally connect to stories. So, it’s super important to write an engaging and thought-provoking story in order to get someone to pay attention to your press release.  

After you’ve written your headline, the first thing you do is state the city your brand or event is located in, followed by a dash and then followed by the month, date, and year. This is written in all caps and serves as the very first line of your official press release. After this, immediately get to the point. What’s happening? Why should the reader know about it? Why is this important?

Be sure not to repeat the same idea that’s in your headline in the first few sentences of your press release, because that just gets too redundant. Simply tell the reader what’s going on and why it’s exciting. State straightforward facts and information, and always write press releases in the third person – even if you’re talking about yourself! 

Really great press releases have really great pull quotes. These are quotes that journalists will weave into the editorial article they end up writing about you. The more buzzworthy and provocative your pull quotes, the higher chance you have of being featured in the media! Make sure you add your quotes as separate paragraphs and be sure you show who has said the quote. Pull quotes are always interspersed throughout the press release between the written information describing the who, what, why, where of your press release. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that press releases that have a provocative spin to them generally stand out from the crowd. I’m definitely not encouraging you to add shock value to your story for the sake of adding shock value, but it’s a great idea to spend time thinking about how you can create an angle that’s eye-catching. How can you stir the pot a little bit? How can you share a unique point of view that might ruffle some feathers? 

Finally, don’t get too caught up in descriptive language or fancy formatting. Keep in mind that the press release should be single-spaced with block paragraphs. 

Step 3: About Page and Contact Info  

After you’ve written the body of your press release (which should take up about 3/4 of the page), it’s time to add a brief paragraph about you and/or your business. Before this section, make a title that says “About [insert either your name or your business’s name]” that’s bold, underlined, and aligned along the left side of the document. After this, make a new indentation, and write a brief paragraph about the history of you or your company. Have you won any awards? Have you been featured in any major magazines? This is the time to brag about your work so that people know who they’re dealing with. You can also think of this section like a personal bio or a business bio. As always, keep this section as clear and concise as the rest of your press release. The purpose of this is to just share information and get your point across. 

Alright guys! That’s it. There are only three steps here, but they are absolutely vital to bringing in the buzz. I look forward to reading about all the amazing things you’ve been up to once you get your press releases out there! If you are looking for a template, here is one from Hubspot! https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/press-release-template-ht

Much Love,

Mara & GKM Team