From Headline to Boilerplate: The Protocols of Press Release Format
Newspapers are not the talk of the town; this is not 1813 anymore. As we move ahead with time, the diffusion of news also evolves. Unlike the traditional methods, companies now opt for press releases whenever they want to tell something new to their audience. However, a specific press release format must be followed to write a compelling one.
What is a Press Release?
A press release is a formally written piece of content about your company that you distribute to journalists or new channels. This serves the following purposes;
- Captures public attention
- Preserve your brand reputation
- Enhances brand awareness
An attractive press release format consists of the following:
The company logo, name, contact person, and release guidelines should be in the header.
- Attention-grabbing headline
- Subtitle would be good, but it is not necessary
- Date
- Opening paragraph
- Body
- Boilerplate
- End notation
This article will detail these steps so businesses can write one independently.
Kinds of Press Releases
Press releases can be done for multiple occasions, such as;
- Opening of new business
- Announcing a new partnership
- New leadership hire
- Launch of new service or product
- An upcoming event
- Rebranding of organization
- MOU signing or a new acquisition
- A new collaboration
- And others
Press releases can also be issued regarding an unfortunate event or how the organization handles the matter for crisis management.
How to Write Press Release Format?
Following are the tips on how to write an international press release distribution issue in 6 easy steps.
Step 1: Feature the company information
The header of the PR distribution should contain the necessary information about your company, including the contact information for the public relations department. It should also include when you want your press release to be issued.
Therefore, it is essential to add the following:
- The top right corner should consist of the company logo
- The top left corner should consist of the company’s name
- Add the media person’s contact information under the company’s name, and remember to include their name, email address, phone number, and job title
- Add the date when you want your press release to be live
Step 2: Attractive Headline
A headline can make or break your press release, so it is essential to write a catchy one that will entice readers and journalists.
Following are some of the tips to write an attention-grabbing headline:
- Include the significant news you are going to announce
- Keep the headline clear and concise without any fluff
- You know your audience, so write according to them
Once your headline is ready, place it below the contact information and center-align it. If you cannot include all the essential info in the headline, add it under the headline as a subtitle. However, this step is optional.
Step 3: Add time and location
PR writing services ensure that the press release aligns perfectly with the dateline and is relevant to the location where it will be posted.
But here is the trick: when you need your press release to be issued immediately, the date on the press release format should be when you send the press release to the journalist. On the other hand, if your issue needs to be released later, your dateline should reflect that.
If your business has various locations, which must be added or not?
The simple answer is this: if your press release is specific to a particular location, write that location. Otherwise, add the location of your headquarters.
Step 4: Strong opening paragraph
As the name suggests, the opening paragraph of your PR campaigns should consist of the most essential information you want to convey.Some companies are offering to submit free press release.
This will give you the edge that journalists will read your press release. They do not have time to read every press release, so PR digital services must write the lead paragraph captivatingly.
Your lead paragraph should answer all of the “W’s”:
- Who?
- Why?
- What?
- When?
- Where?
Step 5: Include background story in the body
The body of the press release format should contain the leading information from the opening paragraph for the readers who wish to read further.
The body paragraph includes all the relevant news, stats, quotes, and stories. Before starting the body paragraph, you must organize the information you will state.
There is no hard and fast about the length of the press release, but the ideal word count is 400. Considering this, you must be careful of your word choice because fewer or more phenomena will work here.
Step 6: Include Boilerplate and End notation
The Boilerplate is an about us section, and the end notation is hashtags. This is necessary to indicate that the reader reached the end of the press release and got information regarding your company.
- The boilerplate consists of the following:
- Company name
- Stock symbol for publicly traded organizations
- Brief description of the company
- USP (unique selling point)
- Milestones and achievements
Final Thoughts
Writing a press release is usually tricky because it is shorter in word count. However, following the steps in the press release format mentioned above, you could write a compelling one for your company.