Make the text flush left and indent paragraphs before commencing the body of the release, or have them flush left with a line of space between paragraphs. A press release should not be more than two pages long. Longer releases are difficult to read and may be rejected by publications that do not provide room for lengthier materials.
The text of a news release should be easy to read and understand. Use simple language and avoid complex sentences. Proofread your work carefully before you submit it. If you find errors when reading through proofreading steps, there is no need to send it out. You can start again from step one.
Paragraphs should be indented using tabs or spaces. Avoid using over-indenting - this makes it hard to read. In general, try to keep your text at least half a screen's width so that it is readable on mobile devices as well as on computers. There are online toolkits that can help you write a good press release. These include PR Buzz, which has free templates you can use as a starting point and Wordle, which allows you to create word clouds from your texts.
You must provide contact information for both an editor and publisher if your news release is accepted. This includes your full name, phone number, an email address, and company name (if applicable).
To write a press release, follow these steps:
Style of writing: News releases should be written in the active voice. It should also be filled with vivid information. The press release should be brief and simple to read (preferably less than 500 words). The tone should be that of a journalist, not that of a marketer. Try to avoid using jargon.
Fact-checking: Check facts as soon as you receive them from those who provide them to you. If someone tells you something happened, check it out! Don't rely on one source for information.
Update your news release as needed. You will want to update your press release if the situation changes or if you find errors with previous versions. For example, if someone is injured during testing, change the opening paragraph of the news release.
Proofread carefully before you send it out. Errors may be seen by some readers as signs of lack of professionalism. Even though you may think your news release is perfect, others may not agree. Make sure everything is spelled correctly and that there are no grammar mistakes before you send it out.
Response rate: If you send out 100 copies of your news release, you won't get many responses. You need to figure out how many copies you should send to get the response you're looking for. Consider factors such as the subject matter of your news release, when it was sent out, and any special events occurring at the same time.
Your company's logo, a title, a lead paragraph that describes the announcement, and a noteworthy aspect should all be included in a press release. Three to four body paragraphs, hyperlinks, social media connections, quotations, and multimedia should all be included in your written press release. You should contact newspapers, magazines, and other publication lists to see if they will publish news releases from your company.
A standard press release has a headings section, which is usually divided into a title page with a brief description of the release and a release date. The body of the release consists of three to four paragraphs describing what happened at the event or why it matters. These paragraphs are called body segments. A segment should not exceed 250 words (4 sentences). Multimedia files can also be attached to press releases.
Standard press releases are used by newspapers, magazines, and other publication lists to announce major news events or business developments. They are also used as a way to distribute information about companies and their products or services. Press releases can include photos, videos, quotes, etc. That's why it's important to include interesting facts or statistics along with your release so readers will want to read more.
The best way to find out what type of content will make your press release stand out is to write one!
Format of a Press Release
How to Write a Press Release in 7 Easy Steps
The classic press release format (one or two pages of double-spaced text with standardized spelling, punctuation, and style) arose to meet the demands of editors for space between lines for hand-written correction, as well as typesetters who needed a style they could readily follow when establishing...
One place is plenty. It is critical to understand the requirements for effective press release formatting. It shows that you take your press release seriously, and others, such as the media, will do the same.
The standard word count for a press release is 300 words. However, you should never copy/paste from another source. Instead, write your own content that addresses what other sources have to say with clarity and precision. This demonstrates that you've done your research and that you are capable of being concise without sacrificing quality.
In addition to writing about newsworthy events, press releases can include material related to a company's history or products. These items are called "corporate updates" or "sidebars," respectively. Sidebars can be included in press releases to provide readers with additional information not covered by the main story. For example, a corporate update may discuss new product developments or award wins/losses.
Sidebars should be written so that they read like stories of their own. Therefore, they should include relevant details about the topic discussed in the main body of the release. For example, if the main body of the release discusses how successful a product has been in reducing injuries at work, then the sidebar could describe one incident where this product failed to function as expected.