6 Tips for Writing an Effective Press Release

A Catchy Headline Is Key

Press release distribution services receive hundreds of emails every day. It is important to make your press release unique. In simple words, it must stand out from the crowd. To make this possible, you need to come up with a headline that is both catchy and informative.

Make sure the headline is less than seven words in length. You can add a few subheadings that contain important information if you cannot include this in the headline. To reiterate, the headline must not be boring. For example, if you write something like “A Tech Company Hires Workers”, this is really not very appealing.

Instead, “A Tech Company Hires Michael Smith for a Key Role” already sounds more interesting already. In other details, the headline must be bold and centered: typically, it is about 20 points in size. A subheading is 17 points and italic.

Focus on the Lead

This is the main point of your press release. Therefore, you need to ensure that you include the main point and all key information in the first paragraph of the press release. The second and third paragraphs contain supporting information that follows on from the first paragraph, but the first paragraph should be able to stand on its own in case the later paragraphs are cut out.

Don’t Forget the 5W’s

A good press release focuses on the 5W’s, which stand for “what,” “when,” “where,” “who,” and “why.” For example, what is happening in the company? Where and when? Why is the company letting it happen? Who is behind this? These are all the important aspects of an effective press release. Without the 5W’s, the reader will simply skip over and read something else.

Emphasize the Style and Format

An effective press release is like a news story, highly engaging, and attractive to the reader. Make sure you write short sentences. Don’t include fluff words. Keep it simple and use Plain English. Avoid using jargon or terms that the reader won’t understand.

Also, include facts and figures. Run a spell check and edit your writing before you send it to a press release distribution service. If you forget or ignore these steps, the chances are that the reporters at the best press release distribution services will hit the delete button immediately.

Include a Few Quotes

Readers and journalists like quotes, so consider including a few in the press release. The quote can be from the CEO of the company, manager, or any stakeholder associated with the news. The quote should sound real. Likewise, avoid canned quotations.

Include Contact Information

It is important to include contact information so that the press release distribution service can contact you for more info or with any queries. The contact information should include your name, phone, email, company address, etc. You can also add social media links in the press release.

Why is it important to have an impactful press release?

Now that you know some of the rules of writing an effective press release, let’s take you through its significance and what it can do for your company.

Increase sales potential

Accept it or not, at the end of the day, it is the number of sales that your company makes that is important. Besides enhancing the credibility of your business, an effective press release can increase your profit margins by highlighting the benefits of your product or service over your competitors.
Instant exposure

If content is king, then its proper distribution is the queen; together they are the missing pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. Thus, in order to make the most of your press release, you must ensure that it has been tailored to the specific needs of your business and its aims. An effective press release that isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” version can help you establish trust and authority in different areas. This is done by appealing to media outlets and journalists interested in covering stories within your industry or area, and by tempting potential customers to visit your store, find out more about your achievements or new launches, visit your website, and spread the word.
SEO benefits

Needless to say, the more media outlets pick up your press release, the more valuable will be the number of resulting backlinks to your website. By optimizing the press release content with relevant keywords, you have an opportunity to increase the visibility of your website and increase your conversion rate.

What you should do after the press release is ready?

Once you have written an impressive press release, it is time to let a press release distribution company do its job. A good press release distribution service should identify with the marketing aims of your company and devise an effective distribution strategy for your release. They should be able to identify relevant contacts and networks to promote your press release and maximise its potential impact.

Press releases are an important part of marketing and business communications in general. These help businesses to inform the public about the latest developments of their business and the new and important things which a business is doing. It can be difficult to know which press release service is the best as there are so many available online. For more information, consider this resource about the best press release distribution platforms.

A few days after the release, schedule a review to find out whether or not your press release is achieving its objectives. Look at the sites where your press release is doing well and keep tracking its performance, even after the initial excitement has waned. More than anything else, you must make sure that you have the metrics in place to measure the accomplishments of the press release because, let’s face it, it is the amount of traffic on your website, brand awareness and sales that really counts.