Writing a compelling press release that will land coverage in all outlets you ever dreamed of sometimes comes a long way. With these five tips we follow at “Wolf”, you should be well set up for success:
1. Entice your audience with a powerful headline
The headline is the face value of your article, it is what can sell your information and convince the reader to dive in deeper. With information overload and media competing for our attention, good intriguing headline is your single shot to cut through.
2. Start with key facts and figures
Having time to read through the whole article is a luxury. You don’t have it, let alone journos bombarded with stories sliding into their inboxes. So be tactical, keep key facts and figures summarized in a bullet point format at top of your release. Leave the storytelling for the experts.
3. Keep things simple
Nothing puts a reader off more than overcomplicated language and long sentences. If you can think of a shorter way of putting a sentence together, do it. If you know a more common word, use it. Our brains affiliate with things we know and with information that is easy to process. It increases memorability too, so here – a win win for readers and your clients.
4. Use quotes that explain ‘why’
Try not to repeat what you already sold through your headline and facts and figures intro, no one needs to be reassured about what has already been mentioned. Use a quote to add a ‘human’ feel to your press release, show your client’s sentiment and tone of voice. Quotes are great for branding and an excellent way of explaining ‘why’ this development has come about.
5. Add supporting materials
Although the written word should be good on its own and speak for itself, we live in times where visual representation is of great value. When it comes to distributing a press release, you shouldn’t try to leave anything for imagination. Support your messaging with images, infographics or videos. Work on all senses.
