Press releases can get your business news coverage that attracts new customers and increased sales. But how does one write and distribute a good press release? Get your questions about creating press releases answered by publicists with real press release examples. This guide shows the press release format preferred by editors and journalists.
What are PR and publicity?
This is the official definition as per the Wikipedia:
“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” Public relations can also be defined as the practice of managing communication between an organization and its publics.
Here is the layman’s version:
Activities such as press releases and media interviews about your company to communicate to your industry, customers, and the general public vital information.
Benefits of Press Releases to Small Businesses
Why Small Businesses Should Issue Press Releases
The positive benefits small businesses that media coverage can gain are varied. Be seen as an industry authority, get new customers, open markets and attract talented employees. These publications will improve your Google search engine rankings with SEO backlinks.
Monetary Value of Free Publicity – Priceless
Press current coverage is by definition at no charge. Media outlets decide the news features they publish specific to their readership. You can buy space on websites and newspapers through display advertising. So why go to the trouble of issuing press releases, hoping to gain the report’s attention?
You almost cannot buy the value of press coverage in advertising dollars alone. Because editorial coverage generates an implied endorsement by the reader’s trusted publication that increases the power. You are getting recommended to consumers from powerful and influential media outlets. Here are some calculation in dollars to illustrate this example from trade publication PR Daily. Ads and publicity are viewed differently by readers. People react differently to ads as opposed to editorial articles.
How to Measure the Dollar Value of Media Coverage
- Editorial is trusted opinion. The influence is estimated at three times 3X that of a paid advertisement!
- Page Rank is the location of your store in the newspaper or magazine page. Top or bottom of page can impact the media value greatly.
- Position – The left side of the page, it is better, because more people tend to start at the top left side first
Examples of Press Releases by Industry and Topic
Each industry has different requirements and information for press releases. Review the type of release that is right for your company. Provided are examples, categorized for your education.
Business & Financial – Use a professional tone without industry specific jargon to get your business noticed by the press. Your mind needs to shift away from your customer focus to a media-centric view, which will want to know “Is this newsworthy?” Kill the fluff -make it lean, mean information machine of company news.
Fashion & Lifestyle – Here the emphasis is creative and uses language devoted to that specific media type – the fashion press. Press releases are issuing reports of the latest trends which will be featured in their upcoming runway collections.
Books & Music – Publishers and music producers distribute press releases to notify about new books, debut authors, and publicize concert series and album releases.
Technology – Consumer technology will need to be from the user’s perspective, while industrial science will need to explain detailed technical specifications.
How to Distribute Press Releases – Best Services
Small businesses will benefit from the expertise of established press release services. We have reviewed the top services and highly recommend eReleases. Their unbeatable combination of performance and price deliver value and media coverage for your startup or your established company. They offer press release writing services for the total package for small businesses.
These firms can appear similar at first glance. We have delved deep and have all the information for you to make the right business decision. Distribute your press releases and get your fair share of media coverage.
Press Release Distribution DIY – Do it Yourself
Forgot the free press release services – you get just what you pay for – nothing. If you are short on cash, go ahead and do the media release distribution yourself – here’s how:
Write Your Press Release – Writing a release is really not hard – lots of business folk write their own releases everyday and you can too! Use industry standards and best practices, detailed below in our in-depth press release writing guide, and soon you will be writing lots of press releases for your company.
Writing Guide for Press Releases
- So What? Start with the WHAT topic of your news.
- Remember it must be newsworthy. News is the launch of a new product line, signing a big client deal, an award granted, new website with customer-friendly features and charity donations. Test your newsworthy-ness by testing – Could this news be a headline in the newspaper? Be honest, is it just a sales brochure dressed up to look like a press release. If so, save it for the consumer advertising campaign.
- The 5 W’s. Answer the question of Who, What, When, Why and How
- These are the features of your story. What happened? Who is the new customer? How did you win the award? Where did it happen? When? These answers are the core of your release and need to be included in the paragraph. Vital because editors will read the first paragraph and decide whether to publish it or file it in the wastebasket.
- Important Words. List down the words that best describe your business.
- Think about how you would tell someone else about your firm. These are the phrases you want to include multiple times in your release.
- Use the Free Templates – Fill Blanks
- Use one of these free press release templates. Fill in the blanks with the 5 W’s and Important Words you learned about above.
- Include our company name, address, phone and email address
- Contact info such as full name, title, direct phone number and email address
- Get a quote, or write one and ask them to approve, from a senior company executive to add to the release
- Most PR are 400 words, not much longer is needed. If the reporter wants more information they will contact you.
- End with an “About My Firm” section that is a general description of your company and products or services.
Distribution to Media Contacts
Email your completed release to a specific list of editors, reporters, and journalists that cover your industry and/or geographic area. If do not have a list of writers from related websites, magazines, radio, tv and newspapers you can start now. Begin by determining your target readership. Are they consumers, bankers, mothers or dentists? Then research their reading, listening and viewing habits. After finding the right media websites and publications find the correct person who reports on your type of news.
Subject Line – should contain the headline of your release such as this:
Press Release: ABC Widgets debuts Gold Widgets
Email body is our release text. Don’t include as an attachment. Put it as the body of the email content.
Free Templates for Press Releases
Format of a Press Release
Let’s learn how to format releases by looking at the anatomy of a good press release. This image, provided courtesy of PR Newswire press release distribution service, shows the different sections of the release and key information on what to include and the correct formatting.
Header
At the top of the page, the first text, is the header which is divided into two sections one left and the other right.
Left side contains the words, in all capital letters FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. This tells the editors they can use this information in their publications right away.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2016
Right side contains all your contact information with the word “Contact” and a colon like this
Contact: Robert Wilson
(631) 123-4560 (NOTE – put the number you will answer at all times. Reporters and editors rarely work regular business hours)
robert@abccompany.com (formatted in a hyperlink so the reporter can click and email you directly.
- Headline
- Date and Lead – sometimes called Lede
- Body
Format of Press Release
Samples of Press Releases
Event Promotion
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Company/Individual] Presents [Name and/or Description of Event]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Company/Individual] will present [Name of Event], taking place at [Location of Event] on [Date], and featuring [performers, guests, showcases, etc.].
[Company/Individual] is proud to bring [Name of Event] to [Location of Event] for [the first time, the tenth year in a row, etc.]. [Name of Event] will [further description on what will take place at event].
[More details about event; include ticket prices, if applicable, and where/how to purchase tickets].
[Quote from performer, guest, previous attendees, critics, etc.]
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Company] Announces the Launch of [Product]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Company/Corporation] is excited to announce the launch of [product], a [description of product] that will [basics of what this product will do]. The official launch date for [product] is [Date].
[Company/Corporation] believes [product] will [more details about what this product will do, maybe compared to what its predecessors and/or competitors already do].
[More details about product launch, such as what kinds of marketing will be employed, if there is to be a formal launch ceremony, etc.].
[Here you may quote someone related to this launch, using a relevant quote that gets people excited and/or gives them more information].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Business Press Release
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Small Business] Offers [Product, Discounts, Event, etc.]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – Local business [name of business] is please to offer [product, discounts, event, etc.], for [reason], beginning [date].
[Details about what the small business is offering].
[More details, if necessary, perhaps including what benefit this offer will give to consumers].
[Possible quote from someone in the business, and/or a customer benefitting from this offer]
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Email Press Release
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Headline About Your News, Event, Product Launch, etc.]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Basic outline of what this news release covers].
[Expand further on the above paragraph].
[More details, including links to any relevant websites].
[Because this is a press release sent via email, here you may embed or include a link to a video related to your news. If you created a video news release to accompany this release, place it here].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Social Media Press Release
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Social Media Outlet] Announces [New Feature, New Website, Charitable Donation, Etc.]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Social media outlet] will [description of what the outlet is doing], which will [details on what this will do, and/or who it will target], starting on [date].
[Details about what consumers can expect as a result of this news].
[More details, with maybe a specific story about something exciting about this news.]
[More details, which might include a quote from a pertinent individual related to this news].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
New Website Annoucement Press Release
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Company/Individual] Launches [New Website]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Company/Individual] will launch [new website], a website devoted to [content of the site and/or target audience] on [date].
[New website] will [more details about what consumers can expect from this website, including what services it will provide, if any].
[More details, with maybe a specific story about something exciting the website will do and/or provide]
[More details, which might include a quote from a pertinent individual related to the launch, or even from a consumer excited about the new site].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
Press Release for New App Launch
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Company/Individual] Launches [New iPhone or Android App]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Company/Individual] will launch [new app], a app devoted to [content of app] on [date].
[New app] will [more details about what consumers can expect from this app, including what features it will provide].
[More details, with maybe a specific story about something exciting the app will do and/or provide]
[More details, which might include a quote from a pertinent individual related to the launch, or even from a consumer excited about the new app].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Release for Music Industry
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Record Company and/or Artist] Announces the New Album [Title of Album] from [Name of Artist]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Record Company and/or Artist] is thrilled to announce the release of the [latest, debut, etc.] album from [Artist], [Title of Album], available everywhere on [Date].
[Album title] is [description of album, including genre and any other relevant details. Also include any information about singles, whether already released or about to be released].
[More details about artist and/or label, including artist’s relationship with label].
[Quotes from artist, label representative and/or any critics that received early copies of the album].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Band Release
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Record Company and/or Artist] Announces the New Album [Title of Album] from [Name of Artist]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Record Company and/or Artist] is thrilled to announce the release of the [latest, debut, etc.] album from [Artist], [Title of Album], available everywhere on [Date].
[Album title] is [description of album, including genre and any other relevant details. Also include any information about singles, whether already released or about to be released].
[More details about artist and/or label, including artist’s relationship with label].
[Quotes from artist, label representative and/or any critics that received early copies of the album].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Service Business Press Release
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[New Service] Coming from [Company/Corporation]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Company/Corporation] will be turning the [industry] world on its head with the launch of [new service], a new service that [description of what service will do, such as stream video, offer a new gaming platform, etc.]. When [new service] starts up on [date], [specific target audience] won’t know what hit it.
[New service] will be [an exciting addition to the industry, the first of its kind, etc.], and will offer [more details on what, exactly, this new service will do].
[More details about this service, perhaps including pricing tiers, available upgrades, any special offers etc.]
[Possible quote from someone related to the service, or from a critic or early adopter who has used the service and loved it].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Book Published Press Release
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Publisher and/or Author] Announces the Release of [Genre] Book [Title of Book]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Publisher and/or Author] are proud to offer the [latest, debut, etc.] work from [Author], [Title of Book], hitting bookstores everywhere on [Date].
[Book title] is a [compelling tale, informative how-to, etc.], focused on [basic themes of book, or subject matter covered, if it’s non-fiction].
[Further synopsis of book and/or details about the author that help to make the case that bookstores will want to buy copies of this because their customers won’t be able to resist it].
[Quotes from author, and/or any critics that received upfront copies of the book].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Fashion Collection Press Release
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Publisher and/or Author] Announces the Release of [Genre] Book [Title of Book]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Publisher and/or Author] are proud to offer the [latest, debut, etc.] work from [Author], [Title of Book], hitting bookstores everywhere on [Date].
[Book title] is a [compelling tale, informative how-to, etc.], focused on [basic themes of book, or subject matter covered, if it’s non-fiction].
[Further synopsis of book and/or details about the author that help to make the case that bookstores will want to buy copies of this because their customers won’t be able to resist it].
[Quotes from author, and/or any critics that received upfront copies of the book].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
***
Movie Release
Contact Information:
[Company/Individual]
[Contact info]
[Production Company] Announces Opening of [Title of Movie]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[City, State] – [Production and/or Distribution Company] [is/are] proud to announce the opening of [movie title], a [comedy, romance, romp] starring [names of main actors/actresses], and directed by [name of director].
[Movie title] is the story of [synopsis of the movie].
[Names of lead actor/actress] stars in this movie, as a follow-up to the smash-hit [recent movie for lead actor/actress]. This is a [breakthrough performance, moving tale, something that gives more description about movie].
Critics say, [quote from a critic about the movie, one or more of the actors/actresses, etc.].
[Boilerplate – Company Info].
Press Release Services Reviewed
