A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Press Release

A press release is a brief about important news related to your company that you send to news organizations so that they are aware of what’s happening in case they want to write about it.

Step 1: Decide What You Are Going to Write About.

A press release can be about a new product, a new technology, an upcoming event or a tradeshow, a merger, or new management, the options are truly endless.

A press release is a communication tool to help you tell us what is going on in your business and why we need to pay attention. It's a way for us to report what is truly happening in the industry.

Sometimes these press releases can turn into much larger stories. Some of the best stories have come to life because they were reported and this communication led us to understand what's going on in your business.

 

Step 2: Be Precise to Be Concise.

I get hundreds of press releases in my inbox each week that takes a lot of time to process. For that reason, a press release should be about 400 words or less and it should also follow the inverted pyramid style of writing.

If you have never heard about the inverted pyramid, think about it as an Isosceles triangle that's turned upside down.

At the top of the triangle is the biggest portion containing information about WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY.

The middle section of this press release includes the specifics. It could be technical data that is relevant to our readers.

At the end of the press release is the extra information that you include but perhaps not the most important.

Step 3: Choose A Single Topic

This is the most effective way to get your information out. Our readers are technical addicts. They want to know the specific details about what is going on with a certain piece of equipment or an event that is likely to happen or an unknown detail that is being informed.

 

Step 4: Be Specific, Be Technical

Report on the specifics of the product while creating a press release. The content should not look like a high-level overview of the product.

Describe the complexities the product is capable of handling, the amount of load it can share, and any other crucial technical information that readers should know about.

Step 5: Scrutinize the Checklist

• Review the checklist to ensure the press release contains clear-cut technical information.
• Support the content with high-resolution images that are relevant.
• Include hyperlinks, media contacts, company names, and product names.
• Provide a Word doc which is much easier to work with than a PDF.
• Fix a deadline to send the product release.

 

Step 6: Send the Press Release

Do your homework. Draft your press release about what your company does.
Have a pertinent subject line for your email that says what the press release is about.
Include the word doc and attachments as those are much easier to work with.

And this is it for a Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Press Release.