Press Release Potential

If Public Relations tactics were a buffet, press releases would be the bread and butter - in other words a staple of the meal.

Press releases are one of the tactics used most often in the PR industry and that is not likely to change anytime soon. Although the ways to submit press releases are numerous with the addition of websites, email, social media and online news rooms, a well-written press release can still make or break your ability to get published in nonowned media.

Some of the important pieces of the content that should go in your news release are as follows:

1.) Address the "5 W's" and the "H."

Press releases should tell the most valuable information of what your news is talking about. If a reader doesn't know "who, what, when, where, why and how" there will be gaps in your story, which leads to an uninterested target audience.      

2.) Keep it brief.

Journalists and editors don't want flowery language. Keep your writing concise and professional while telling the most important information first. If a journalist wants to expand on your story for a feature article, he or she will call you or express interest through another channel of communication.

3.) Insert relevant quotes.

Quotes that are relevant to the press release your pitching can increase interest and add more information from a credible source within your organization. Try to keep the length of the quote correlated with the length of your news release. You don't want your news release to be a line or two long and then follow up with two paragraphs of quotations.

4.) Finally, be sure to end with a boilerplate.

A boilerplate is the last paragraph that basically sums up what your company/organization does in your industry or community. It can also explain a little bit of your organizational history, serving area and company values/mission statement. By reading a boilerplate an editor should have a good idea about what your organization does and why.

Press releases become easier with experience. If you're new to PR or press release writing, be sure to find a coworker or boss to edit your press release once you are finished writing to catch any mistakes before sending it to media contacts. After a press release or two you will be writing like a pro in no time.