How to Write a Press Release that Will Capture Attention

If you have a couple of content strategies in place, a press release must be one of them. Although a press release holds a different format than ordinary blogs, the impact is just as impressive. That’s if a professional press release writer writes it.

But what is a press release, and how is it different from other content marketing tactics? Read on and learn three takeaways from this article:

• What is a Press Release?
• Benefits of Sending a Press Release for Your Business
• How to Write a Press Release that Grabs Attention

What is a Press Release?

A press release, also known as PR, is a short content on any groundbreaking news about a business. The four primary goals of a press release are:

• Makes news
• Grabs attention
• Creates a community
• Attracts more business 

Typically, press releases are around 300 to 400 words, about 1.5 pages in a document. Moreover, a press release writer also follows an AP writing style when whipping up press releases. 

Journalists usually read press releases. However, the general public has access to press releases as well. Like editorial content, a press release writer also applies the “inverted pyramid” method when writing press releases.

Many businesses fail to consider press releases and neglect it. But it can be an excellent way to expand your readership outside of your usual target channels. A press release shares something significant about your business, such as product launches, mergers, or acquired awards. This is in the hopes of having like-minded reporters or journalists write an article about it as well.

And when you get media coverage, that’s where more audiences know about your products or services. But excelling in this field isn’t smooth sailing. An expert press release writer must incorporate the right elements to capture attention. Here’s a perfect example from PitchPoint PR writer Mitch Delaplane. 

The title alone instantly grabs attention, and as you read through the PR, you’ll realize it doesn’t mean anything. But you keep on reading because of how compelling it is. And for a public relations company, this is a way to showcase your press release writers’ skills. 

Benefits of Sending a Press Release for Your Business

The benefits of writing a great press release can supersede your other content writing strategies. That’s because the news will be on a variety of channels. Here are the top benefits of sending a press release for your business:

• Effective PR relations and marketing tool. A press release can help ventures and small businesses gain traction from the get-go.
• Power to control your story. A press release writer knows how fact-checking is crucial when writing press releases. And businesses will have the power to control their story by stating facts only, especially in the middle of a crisis or public backlash.
• Garner backlinks from media websites. When you’re launching a new product or organizing an event, you can get marketing mileage by garnering backlinks.
• Reputation management. Businesses will also contain reputation management when unfortunate events such as safety concerns, product recall, security breaches, and more happen.
• Improve your SEO. Press releases can be shared on authoritative media sites. And for search engines, this can give your brand a boost in SEO. 
• Boost social media presence. Press releases also have high shareability on social media, especially when it has the juiciest news. 
• Cost-efficient. Aside from hiring a press release writer, marketing costs are minimal in writing press releases. And when you gain media coverage, you get optimum advertising at a fraction of the cost.

How to Write a Press Release that Grabs Attention: 5 Steps

Never try to write the press release yourself. Only a professional press release writer will know how to craft a compelling 400-word PR. But if you do have to, here are some tips on how to write a press release that captures attention:

1. Write with an enticing angle

A journalist knows finding a news angle will sell their story. The same applies to your press release. Create an edge that will capture the readers’ attention. Whether it’s highlighting a new product, clarifying a public issue, showcasing your CSR, or recognizing a new award, find an angle that makes the story more exciting. 

Here’s Chick-Fil-A’s press release example on their product improvement strategy. The angle here is the company’s “non-antibiotic use,” which has become a concern for consumers.

2. Create a clever headline and lede

Your headline is what will make readers stop and check what the PR is all about. That being said, make sure that it grabs their full attention. Remember these tips:

• Use active voice
• Use enticing data
• Answer a question
• Use alliteration
• Write as if your PR will be a front-page article
• Use the power of punctuation

Moreover, the lede is the short paragraph under your title. It has to be concise and summarize the PR creatively. Include the 5 Ws in journalism when writing the lede. Check out this Target press release example of a captivating headline and lede. 

3. Limit the body to two to five valuable paragraphs

Tell the complete story concisely in two to five paragraphs. However, it has to be extremely valuable to the audience. Make sure that the body will pique their interest. Moreover, never miss an essential detail because this can be the death of your PR effort. 

Here’s Zoom’s headline, which summarizes an acquisition and the company’s future goal of better communication. There are only four paragraphs that contain quotes and summarize the brand’s plan. 

Speaking of quotes, including quotes in your PR, will help tell your story with credibility as well.

4. Include contact information and CTA

This is one of the most crucial information that every press release writer should include on a PR — contact details. You have to mention the person in charge, an email address, phone number, and mailing address. This is, so they know how and who to contact if they want to reach out to you.

Moreover, don’t forget to complement the contact details with a call to action. Using action words is always a way to compel readers to act. Here’s Everblue Energy’s press release example with complete contact information, coupled with a call to action. 

5. Add a boilerplate 

A boilerplate is a short paragraph at the bottom of a press release that concisely describes your company or organization. Here are the details you need to include in your boilerplate:

• Company/organization name
• Mission statement
• Date of inception
• Size of company
• Brief sentence to describe what your company does

Here is an example of a boilerplate from a UNICEF press release.