Writing a compelling press release to attract journalists to feature your story in the media is not easy. Most content writers pitching their services on Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, Linkedin, or over Instagram miss out on what attracts a journalist. Brands interested in getting a proper Press Release written get one of these content writers or copywriters to write a PR, which eventually fails to impress the media.
Young aspiring writers of the hustle community do not get to see the expectation of the media journalist. Journalists don’t just look at a Press Release that talks eloquently about your brand service or product; they also consider the time, theme, and opportunity the Press Release offers to the media to attract a good audience. This is where writing a Press Release gets complex.
How to Write a Press Release for Media?
Follow the structure to write a press release for media consideration. Journalists and news writers are keener to explore your press release when you write it by incorporating the following aspects.
Paragraph 1: Write the immediate “news” in 50 words
Open your Press Release note with the news. Avoid being clever at this point because this is where you break or build the interest of the journalist or news writer. Out of 100s of daily PRs, they will not read past the first few words if it does not mean the news but clickbaiting.
Paragraph 2: Write the “backstory” in 50 words
After introducing your Press Release note with the immediate news, inform the reader of the backstory that led to this development of the news. A compelling backstory reveals your brand’s motivation and efforts adding to the heroic component of the storytelling aspect.
Paragraph 3: Write the “relevance” in 50 words
After introducing your news and sharing the backstory, it is time to share how relevant the news is in the market. A conscious brand cares about communities as an insider or an outsider. Depending on your service or product news, cite relevance with a larger community cause for leverage.
Paragraph 4: Write the “quotes” in 50 words
Media needs information from the horse’s mouth. So, include a 20-30 word quote from the C-Suite (preferably the CEO, the CTO, the Client Spokesperson, and/or Product Head). Consider the quote a summation of the news, the backstory, and a forward-looking statement.
Paragraph 5: Write the “mission” in 50 words
As you cover the news, the backstory, the relevance, and the quotes, now share what the mission is. Write where the “news” will lead the business, the communities, and the markets. Share the overall vision and how this “news” contributes to the big picture.
Paragraph 6: Write the “boilerplate” in 50 words
Most of the time, this is standard. A boilerplate is the “about me” of the company. Have a 50-word boilerplate ready for all sorts of documentation, including PR communication, because it forms the base of every other paragraph discussed so far.
Now you are ready with the body of the Press Release. Based on what you have written and the message you have developed-
- write a compelling yet non-clickbaity headline
- write a 20-word summary
- share contact information
- share “additional links” (social media, website link, product/service landing page)
Write a Press Release: Further Help
Finally, either ensure that your freelance or employee copywriter or content writer has fulfilled all the above requirements or hire a professional media person with substantial experience with brand media companies like the Times of India or The News Minute to do this. The cherry on the cake will be if you visit Muckrack.com, find a journalist and contact them as per their requirement or through Linkedin. You can also reach out to the editor of Startup to Enterprise, Linda Ashok.
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