No matter your business’s size, crafting compelling, attention-grabbing press releases can make or break your launch.
Press releases have the ability to boost your brand’s visibility by over 68%according to research; alongside benefits to SEO, and bolstering the brand’s credibility.
And why wouldn’t it? A good press functions as free advertising, influencer promotion, and social proof all at once!
As well, if picked up by a major news network, they allow you to add ‘as featured on’ sections to your funnels; and provide much-needed eyes at the most critical time of any new endeavor…launch.
Clearly: press releases are incredible tools. So how do we go about getting them ‘right’? To craft news-worthy content the media will promote on our behalf?
By following the right formula…
Rule #1: Headline is Everything
What was the last new story you saw that made you jump to click? How was it crafted? What tools did it rely on?
By taking a look at the news that invites action, we can apply those same tricks and tips to our own.
Research has shown that the most effective headlines follow what we call the ‘sec’ rule:
- Short. Headlines should be 5-10 words at the most.
- Exciting. Promise exclusive data, records broken, or major problems solved.
- Catchy. Utilize literary devices that make things sound good out loud. Alliteration, rhyme, or weaponizing metaphors.
It should hook your attention in a sec-ond.
Which would you rather click?
Remember: this headline acts like the subject line on an email. If it doesn’t draw interest, the rest won’t matter. A bad headline leaves the release to rot in the journalist’s inbox indefinitely.
Rule #2: Easily Understood
The best innovations can be buried under poor communication.
Journalists are busy people. While they do love having stories delivered straight to them- with 68% reportingpress releases as their favorite source of story ideas- they still receive hundreds a day.
The best way to compete is to get your value across quickly, efficiently, and memorably.
How? Keep it simple.
This means…
- Easy to read formatting. 1.5 space your paragraphs, choose a clean font, short paragraphs, bullet points, bolding for emphasis, ect.
- Getting to the point. Don’t hide the exciting stuff for the end! The what be front and center; use the rest to explain the how.
- Staying short. Just like in headlines: the shorter, the better. The goldilocks zone is between 300 and 400 words. For reference, this ‘rule’ is nearly 200 on its own.
When it comes to the ‘look’ of your press release, boring is best. The goal is someone to absorb the whole of the article in a single glance. Let your words drive excitement, not your formatting.
Rule #3: Nail Your Boilerplate
Your “boilerplate” in the context of press releases is the standard, copy-paste contact section.
It’ll be used on every press release, stating the essential information needed for the journalist to reach out or take action.
For a comparison: think of it as your Instagram Bio, LinkedIn Headline, or ‘Contact’ section in a portfolio/CV.
Many treat this part as an afterthought. It’s so common to just put your company’s email and phone number and call it a day, that Google’s overview function says this…
…not great.
Just like any other piece of writing, wasting your boilerplate on generic contact information is a big mistake. Instead, you can treat your boilerplate like your final ‘elevator pitch’.
Use this section to highlight the greatest, most unique parts of your company. While the rest of the press release is sharing news, this is where you get to talk about yourself. Why your company is different, what your mission is, and why anyone should care about you…not just your news.
Then, you list your contact information.
Wrapping It All Up…
Nailing our press release is the fastest, most effective way to launch your event, product, or brand off right.
By using the right formats, headlines, and utilizing every part of the press release to its full potential, you’ll have news organizations clamoring to feature you as their top story.
