Today, the purpose of a press release is not to offer information to a bunch of journalists, but to directly address the people interested in the information you present. The press release is not a formal information anymore, but a story, an article which is targeted directly at the public, without much need for the media.
Writing a good press release can be quite challenging, that is why, if you do not have experience in creating such content, the best thing to do is to hire a press release writing company. The are several golden rules to be followed when creating a press release and here are the six most important ones.
1. Keep it Short
Our attention span has considerably decreased since portable devices have entered our lives. Now a reader knows in less than 30 seconds if an article is worth reading or not. So keep your press release short (maximum one page or 800 words) and newsworthy and use a simple language. Remember that you are not targeting the journalists, but the common people, your customers.
2. Attention-grabbing Headlines and First Paragraph
Your headline should sum up the press release, be engaging and command interest. Keep it under 120 characters with space and place the most important content in the first 65 characters. If your title was intriguing enough to make the reader open it, your next challenge is to keep them on the page and make them read the entire press release. That’s why you need a killing first paragraph, of maximum 100 words, in which you briefly explain who you are, what is it that you want to announce, when and where is taking place and why it should be significant to them. Don’t forget to include the date so that the reader knows how new or old the story is.
3. Keep the Story to the Point
Your efforts do not stop at writing a good headline and first paragraph. The rest of your press release should be equally interesting and worth reading. So don’t add information just to fill in the page. By the end of your press release, every important question related to your story should have been answered.
4. Include Some Reliable Quotes
A quote from the company’s CEO or CFO or even a customer will make your story more reliable. Stay away from soft soap quotes about how your business is the best in the market and how your product is the highest quality. People do not fall for such lines anymore.
5. Add Your Contact Information
Include at the end some information about your company: when it was formed, where it is located, how many customers it has, what services it offers, etc. don’t forget to write a contact name, email address, phone number and the company’s website.
6. Use Multimedia
In today’s web content world graphics, photos and videos are essential in grabbing attention. This way you also increase the chance for your press release to be used by bloggers and social media.
A press release writing company can help you create the perfect press release for your company and your business, making you stand out among the competition.