A well-crafted press release can help relationship-building, manage a brand’s image, and improve SEO.
Here’s everything you need to know about press releases, including a step-by-step guide to writing a good one:
What a press release is
When to use a press release
How to distribute a press release
What to avoid in a press release
How to craft a press release
Tracking a press release’s performance
PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE
Do note our template is only a guide. Be sure to consult the style guide your company uses and tweak the template accordingly. Get the template here.
What’s a press release?
A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the media. It’s commonly used to share something newsworthy that a company has done with the aim of securing media coverage.
It’s typically written:
In-house by the company’s communications team.
By a third-party vendor, such as a hired PR agency.
When is a press release used?
Press releases are versatile and are often used to announce:
The launch of a product, service, campaign, event, or business.
Major updates to a company, such as its rebranding, restructuring, or new hires (normally at the exec level).
Information about a crisis.
How is it distributed?
This one’s entirely up to you. In general, there are three ways of distributing a press release: manually, through a syndication service, or by way of a mailing list.
Let’s take a closer look at how it is distributed:
Manually
We’re all for manually distributing your press release. While it may be time-consuming, sending a personalized email (along with the press release) can increase your chances of getting media coverage.
Dividing the workload like this whatsapp number list allows both the vendor and the affiliate to focus on their strengths. Our CMO, Tim Soulo, can vouch for this, having manually sent out over 100 personalized outreach emails as part of a link outreach experiment.
At the risk of sounding stalkerish, it’s also possible to find anyone’s email address today.
Try tailoring your email with these suggestions. You can:
Use an eye-catching email subject line. Editors and journalists receive scores of press releases daily. So make yours stand out with selling points, such as “Interview opportunity with Apple CEO Tim Cook.”
Address your recipient by name.
Briefly tell them why you’re writing.
Tie your message to their publication or business. (Why would this piece of news suit their publication?)
Where relevant, suggest one to two story angles for their consideration. Include available interviewees’ names and designations.