How to write a press release

Okay, so you want to get some press coverage for your company. Great idea. But before you start, ask yourself this: if it wasn’t my business would I really be interested in this story?

If your answer is no, stop right there. There’s no point sending journalists a nothing story: it will only serve to diminish your credibility in their eyes.

If your answer is yes, go for it. Follow our handy tips on how to write a good press release and you’ll be gracing the pages of the press in no time.

Top tips

1. Find your angle. A good story angle must have the following attributes: a) it should be the most important fact in your story; b) it should be timely; and c) it should be unique, newsworthy, or contrary to industry norms and trends. The angle should be presented in your headline and first paragraph.

2. Work like an Egyptian. Compose your press release using an ‘inverted pyramid’ structure, with the most important information first and the least important information last. This way, the journalist can get the gist of the story straight away.

3. The five W’s. Your first paragraph (or first two paragraphs if you can’t quite manage it in one) should always contain ‘the five W’s’: who, what, where, when and why. These can be specific (e.g. the ‘who’ might be Codeworks) or slightly more generic (e.g. ‘The North East’s centre of digital excellence’). Although it’s not

“Be to the point. Your company might have just invented time travel, but if that information is buried halfway down the release you might as well not have bothered.”

technically a ‘w’, you should also include the ‘how’ in your press release, though not necessarily in the first paragraph.

4. Write a STRONG headline. Your headline should be short (less than 12 words), to-the-point and powerful. It should convey your angle in a way that catches the imagination and the journalist’s attention. For example: Codeworks creates £15m value in first year. If in doubt, don’t attempt wordplay or fancy puns. Play it straight down the line.

5. Be objective. Your press release should be written objectively in third-person: a) don’t use sales-speak; b) replace words such as ‘you/I/we/us’ with ‘he/she/they/it;’ c) reference any facts or stats used in the press release; d) don’t express personal opinions unless they’re in quotes or are attributed to the company/person (e.g. The North East is the best place to work in the UK, according to Codeworks); and e) draw conclusions from facts and stats only, not general opinion.

6. Include “quotes” from the news-makers. Incorporate your most important message into a quote (put your most important one(s) at the top of your quotes). Journalists use quotes to add colour and an authoritative voice to their reports. If yours are important and relevant to the story, there’s a good chance they’ll be published.

7. Provide additional titbits. End your press release with a ‘Notes for editors’ section, which should include brief background information about your company, the news-makers, and who to contact for more information, photos and interviews. You can also include useful practical information here, such as event times, venues, and so on.

8. Be stat-tastic. Load your press release with relevant, newsworthy stats and figures. Journalists lap them up.

9. Superlatives are the best things ever. Journalists like superlatives even more than stats. Combine the two and you’ll have them drooling. For example: ‘Northerners are the most friendly people in the universe, according to a new survey of 11,000 people across the solar system.’

10. Remember, image is everything. Send a good, relevant photograph with your press release and you’ll boost its chances of getting used and read. Don’t use clichéd shots, though: giant cheques and handshakes are no-no’s. Go for a quality, interesting image, including all the key story elements and people in one tight shot. And if you can afford a professional photographer, hire one.

11. Call in the cavalry. If you want any support with your PR, please contact us. We provide a range of public relations support services to our members. Find out more about PR support from Codeworks Connect.