The A Through Z Process of Creating and Publishing a News Release

It’s easy to think that as a business, you won’t have to deal with writing a news release. However, knowing when and how to use it can help boost not only your credibility as a venture, but your audience reach as well. Here’s everything you need to know about this powerful communication tool.

What is a News Release?

Before we proceed to the nitty-gritty of writing a news release, let’s tackle what it is in the first place. Collins Dictionary gives a news release definition as a “written statement about a matter of public interest.” 

Also called a press release, organizations provide this document to media outlets. The purpose? To share something newsworthy that journalists can pick up for publication. 

What Makes a Good News Release?

In this day and age when marketers are wrapped up in online content strategy tips, are press releases still relevant? Of course! Without a doubt, a well-crafted release can immensely improve a venture’s impact and visibility.

But how can you make the most out of this marketing tactic? Well, you’ll know that your news release is serving its purpose if it’s doing these things:

Boosts Brand Awareness

A news release should put the spotlight on your brand. Yes, the story might center around a project you’re launching or a cause that you’re championing. However, the purpose would always be to improve brand recognition and publicity.

Builds Bridges

Journalists are always on the lookout for interesting stories. Companies, on the other hand, are looking for ways to get publicity. That said, sending news releases helps build a bridge between two parties that could mutually benefit from each other. 

Improves SEO

SEO blogs can surely improve your ranking. However, that doesn’t mean you should stop at that. Sending out news releases will allow you to have backlinks from news outfits, thus further boosting your website’s ranking and credibility. In addition to that, you can further enhance your news release’s SEO function by using relevant keywords in the document.

How to Write a Press Release

Unlike website copywriting or long-form content writing where you can pull off a freestyle structure, there’s a specific press release format you need to follow.

Just like most news articles, a news release follows the inverted pyramid structure. In a nutshell, the most crucial pieces of info are given first, followed by the details, and the story background. 

Here are basic news release template components you need to be familiar with:

Headline 

Just like in email marketing and ad copywriting, the headline functions as the title of the document. That said, it must catch the readers’ attention from the get-go.

Location

This part indicates the location where the news or event is happening. The typical format is city name followed by the province or state name.

Lead

Also called a lede, this is basically the first few sentences of the document. Following the inverted pyramid structure, this part must include the 5W and an H. These are the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the story.

Body

After the lead, the body includes other details and the background of the story. Additionally, this part could also include direct quotes from statements or interviews relevant to the story.

Boilerplate

This is the part of the document that includes details about the business. That said, it’s akin to an outline of the company’s services, products, clients, awards, and even its purpose.

Press Contact

This includes the name and contact details of the media coordinator the news outfit could get in touch with, in case they have questions.

Press Release Example 

Here’s a news release example applying the parts above:

[Headline] Acme Corporation Launches Donation Drive for Ocean Cleanup

[Location and Lead] Camden, NJ – Acme Corporation launched on Monday, January 11, a project called Save the Waters, a donation drive that will benefit an ocean cleanup initiative.

[Body] The food packaging manufacturer is calling on its community to donate any amount to help develop technologies to rid the oceans of plastic.

“We want to stay true to the very mission of our company, which is to help make the world a better place for future generations,” Acme Corporation CEO Joe Smith said in a statement.

The company will also donate a part of earnings from their cornstarch disposable bakeware line as part of the initiative.

[Boilerplate] Acme Corporation is a food packaging manufacturer that offers disposable dinnerware made of compostable materials. The company was recognized as one of the world’s sustainable businesses in the International Green Ventures 2020.  

[Press Contact] Jane Doe 

(609) 292-0000

janedoe@acmecorp.com  

How to Publish a News Release

Now, let’s tackle press release distribution. How and where do you submit your news releases? Big companies’ marketing teams usually have a network of media contacts to whom they send their releases. This is an excellent route to take as you’ll have direct access to media outlets, thus increasing your chances of getting published.

If you’re fairly new to the process, however, you can submit your document to press release submission platforms. Journalists usually visit these sites to look for stories they could use for publication.  

One benefit of press release submission platforms is that you can put your story out there even if you don’t have media contacts. In the same vein, there are platforms that allow users to target a specific niche, meaning your news releases will likely be published in outlets consumed by your target audiences.

On the downside, using these platforms doesn’t give you direct access to news outfits. As a result, you won’t be able to build your media contacts, which can be helpful if you’re in marketing and public relations.

The Bottomline

Some may find press releases as an antiquated tool in this day and age of social media. However, this tactic remains to be used even by the biggest industry player because it gets results. That said, it’s surely an excellent tool to keep in your arsenal if you’re aiming for a marketing strategy that makes the most out of every resource available.