A press release is a marketer’s way of introducing a product, service or a message to the general reader. It should grab the attention of the reader and make him curious to know more what the offering is. It can be used in two ways: Hiring the services of a journalist or a correspondent to cover the event or story and write about it in the media chosen by the client or it could be a stand alone article published in the media who publishes it in free space available, not taken up by any regular reporting.
Using Press Release as A Bait: Though both types of press releases are effective in grabbing the attention of the media as well as the general public towards an individual, organization or a product, there is a special skill required to write effective press releases. Lying somewhere between a marketing or sales pitch and a regular feature article, the press release which is targeted at the media to take up the story, is nothing more than a tickler or a convincing teaser which arouses genuine interest of a reporter or a news agency. Filled with fun facts or attention-grabbing statistics, it sets a journalist thinking how he can make more out of this interesting piece of news, to his own benefit.
This type of press release, in essence is not the full story but a trigger to build up a full length article. It should arouse the interest of the media to know more, to dig deeper. The bare essentials which should be covered in this type of press release are: the primary facts and figures – including who, what, where, how and when of the client, product or services; the unique propositions regarding the person, company or product which differentiates it from the rest of its peers; bits of unusual or alarming facts and statistics about the market, the product or the organization; and the product or organization’s role on a broader framework of society, state or nation. The ultimate aim of the release is to tickle the reporter to grab his pen and find more, and not do the thinking on his behalf.
The Press Release as a stand alone story:
This type of press release is somewhat like a well-researched article but it should not be written with sales in mind. Make it look like an unbiased piece of journalism, where the pros and cons are all elucidated and backed with significant amount of background statistics and information. These types of press releases are especially welcomed by smaller publications that may not be equipped with their own correspondents to cover the full story.
The essentials of a Press Release:
While the above two types of press release are written with two target audiences and serve two different purposes, there are some bare essentials which every press release must carry:
An attention-grabbing title: this is the fist point of attraction for any reader.
An interesting lead backed by facts which might look strange and unusual, without sensationalizing the basic story.
A clear and structured overview of the core matter you are trying to cover. This structure should be more or less like a pyramid – with the most important information appearing first and so on.
The press release must end with a contact number or the details of the website.
The other points to remember while writing a press release include:
Be brief and to the point. Never extend a press release beyond two pages. Give authentic information. If unsure about a fact or a figure, leave it out. Do not brag about something which you are not too sure about.
Do not complicate your information with useless fluff and information which people do not need. For example fancy fonts, too modernistic layouts, etc distracts people’s attention. Keep your message simple and informative. Offer help to the concerned reported with opportunities for photo sessions, exclusive interviews, in-depth statistics, etc.
While writing a press release for the media requires a specialized knowledge of the media and what they are looking for. Give them what they are looking for and you could find your self on their ‘most wanted’ list the next time they are looking for some leads for another story.
