A press release is the most obvious, most widely used and most necessary to accomplish tool used in Public Relations. A PR person should not only be an expert at writing press releases but should also know how to differentiate a good one from a bad one. Right from drafting press releases, pitch notes, articles to questionnaires; a PR person must know the art of elaborateness and conciseness in writing. Here, I am focusing only on press release writing and that too the very basics which will ensure you are able to churn out a great release. Mentioned below are five simple thumb rules of press release writing which ensure your press release turns out to be - Engaging, Exciting and Exemplary (the 3 Es of press release writing).
1. Eye catching headline:
The headline should always arrest a reader's attention. Keep in mind that your press release is going to an already over loaded mailbox of a journalist who has press releases bombarding his mailbox every minute. He will pick and choose what to read. In order to make it to the 'shortlisted mails' he will read your headline and it has to be engrossing.
2. Add sub headings to the headline:
Sub-headings give the reader a fair idea of what is to follow. A sub heading becomes imminent when your press release is a little longer than usual (perhaps a two pager). Sub headings add zing and can offer a platform to arouse the reader’s interest further and beckon him to read through the entire release.
3. Use simple, concise language:
A press release should never be complicated and laced with heavy words. Drafting a good release does not mean you use words to display the knowledge of your vocabulary so that a reader might have to consult a dictionary. One must use simple, exciting words to arouse interest yet give out the message clearly and briefly. The biggest blunder you can commit is not being straightforward in a press release. The more confusing and lengthy writing you do, the more chances of your press release not getting picked up!
4. Inclusion of a quote from the spokesperson:
A press release is absolutely incomplete without a quote from a spokesperson/expert. The quote is a kind of an endorsement of the announcement by the company spokesperson or sponsor. It adds weight and authenticity to your matter.
5. A two pager:
A press release should not be more than 2 pages! Do not expect a journalist or even any other person to read that entire release. A press release more than 2 pages will simply bore its reader no matter how well written it might be. It is neither a story nor an article. A press release is a formal communication going out to the stakeholders informing them about the development that has occurred in the company and hence it has to be short and crisp encapsulating all the necessary details in a simple language.
If an announcement has a lot of elements to it and you feel the release is spilling on to a third page, then you have to weigh and check what is more important to be incorporated at the given point in time. If the answer is that the information is indispensable, look for ways to make it very brief so that the intent is understood and it does not eat page space too.
Hence a great release is a judicious mix of concise and simple writing which should be able to generate an interest in the reader and compel him/ her to read through the entire release and be able to satiate his curiosity by being informative and uncomplicated. The art of press release writing is to inform, simplify complexities if any, and ease the process of information dissemination.
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—About our writer:
I am Prerna Jain, a graduate in English Literature from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. Currently based in Mumbai, I am a PR professional with over three years of experience in the field. I have also done my post graduate diploma in PR & Corporate Communications from Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai. I would love to write on travel, food, lifestyle, fashion, health and culture.
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