Press release

Here are some tips for writing an effective press release
To write an effective press release you just need to follow these 4 rules:
  1. Get straight to the point

    At the end of the first paragraph of your press release, your reader needs to have grasped the message that you want to get across. To do this use the 5 W rule.

    • What: What's it about?
    • Who: Who is it about?
    • When: When will it/did it happen?
    • Where: Where is it happening?
    • Why/How: A minimum of additional information to explain the whys and wherefores.

    Using the 5 W technique enables you to grab the attention of your reader and make him want to know more. Once the main objective has been achieved a hurried reader will take the time to read the rest of the information provided. This is when you can develop in a clear and simple manner the rest of the information.

  2. Be objective

    When addressing your reader don't be too outspoken. In order for it to be taken seriously, a press release needs to be as objective as possible. Give priority to essential information and avoid as far as possible the tendency to 'self-promote'. There's no point stuffing your text full of superlatives such as "leader, superb, magnificent, unavoidable, revolutionary etc" if the use of these terms isn't really justified. If you are the best in your given field, support your arguments with a selection of figures illustrating your claims. If you've just brought out a new product which you feel is particularly innovative you should let your reader make his own mind up about it's exceptional nature.

  3. Write clearly and simply

    Every profession uses its own jargon without really realizing it. What may seem to you to be perfectly comprehensible will not necessarily be so to an uninformed reader. Unless you are targeting your own business sector with your press release you should assume that your reader knows nothing (or almost nothing) about your products or your business activity. To ensure that you are understood and therefore that your information is relayed in the general press, ask a third person from outside your field of expertise to read your press release. Thanks to their feedback you can then adapt and clarify any grey areas (technical terminology, incorrect interpretation of a principal argument etc.). For press releases announcing the launch of a website or making reference to a website for more information, favor a clickable hypertext link which arrives directly either on your home page or on the page detailing your new product or service.

  4. Personalize the contact

    At the end of the press release don't forget to include the complete contact details of your company along with the contact details of the appropriate person eg. product manager (email address, telephone number and extension number if relevant) along with his job title. If you know that this person often works outside the office and is difficult to reach indicate clearly the way in which he can be reached (Call Eleanor Browne, his assistant, to make an appointment. Don't hesitate to leave a message on our answer phone, we'll call you back as soon as possible etc.)

    Contrary to what you might think, writing quickly and well about your own website isn't always easy. If you haven't the time or the talent to write your press release, we've selected a particularly efficient editorial service for this kind of task: Web Editor.