Write an Objective Press Release
Editorial offices receive hundreds of press releases daily. This means it is a challenge to make sure your press release stands out. Bear in mind that journalists have different interests than you do. Journalists are expected to bring objective news. You would like to see your company written about. A good press release ensures that these two interests come together.
The first rule of writing a press release is therefore: ensure that the message is objective. Do not write that your company is better, your solution smarter, your colleagues more competent, or that you're better than the competition. This type of information is not editorial but commercial. In other words: if you want to read in the newspaper that your company is the best, you will have to buy an advertisement.
The Structure of a Press Release
A good press release consists of the following parts:
- A headline
- A subheadline
- The lead/introduction
- A body text
- A boilerplate
- The contact details of the sender
Below, you'll read how to write each of these parts.
Headline and Subheadline of a Press Release
The most important part of a press release is – without doubt – the headline. It is the first thing journalists read. It must capture attention, without being sensationalist. A good headline identifies a problem or offers a solution to a known issue.
The subheadline complements the headline. Usually, this second header talks about the company itself. Below you will find some examples of good combinations of headline and subheadline.
Dutch SMEs suffer from non-transparent costs of ocean freight
Today's launched startup Shypple aims to make the ocean freight market transparent
Poor real estate agent results in ten percent less during house sales
Nationally launched startup DatHuis makes the real estate agent market transparent
‘Not just a glass ceiling, but also a sticky floor threatens diversity in the tech sector’
Female founder calls on women to show more ambition
The Lead/Introduction
A good introduction of a press release (the so-called lead-text) creates a sense of urgency in the reader, summarizes the entire press release and answers the questions who, what, where, why, and how? An introduction is often no more than three to five sentences long. Below you will find an example of such a lead. In fact, it's the lead from the press release of the Startup of the Year – Shypple.
Importers and exporters who ship their goods via ocean freight deal with numerous non-transparent services and associated concealed costs. This is evidenced by research from today's launched startup Shypple, which wants to make the shipping industry more transparent. The online forwarder aims to make it easier for Dutch SMEs to import and export goods.
These are the ingredients for a good lead-text:
- A problem is presented (SMEs suffer from non-transparent costs);
- Research is presented (own research);
- A sender is introduced (Shypple, making the shipping industry transparent);
- A reason to communicate on this topic is presented (solving this problem);
- A mission is presented (helping SMEs).
Body Text
There are a few principles in constructing the rest of the press release. This body text encompasses everything between the lead and the boilerplate and thus is the largest part of the message. The first principle is that this text should be ‘rollable’, which means that you can cut off a part of the bottom of the message without losing any important information. That means putting the most important information at the top of the message and the less significant information at the bottom.
These are the ingredients for a good body text:
- A section with more information about the research
- Other research data
- A quote or statement from the founder or creator
- A quote or statement from a customer, partner, or independent ambassador
- Explanation: why was this company founded and how does it want to achieve its mission?
Try to break the press release into a maximum of five paragraphs. Ensure that the content of the press release is no longer than one to one and a half A4 pages. Use bold headings to make the text clearer. Are you looking for inspiration for the structure or content of a press release? Emerce has a bulletin board for press releases, which can help you on your way.
Boilerplate and Contact Information
A good press release tells a story. But every story has a sender. The boilerplate gives you space to explain what your company does and how it is different from other companies. Under each message, you therefore place the heading ‘About [COMPANY NAME]’. In 2 to 4 sentences, you explain why your company was founded, what problem it solves, what you have achieved so far, which companies you count as customers, how many staff work there, and what your ambitions are.
Do you want to make sure journalists can find you? Then make sure your contact details are found under every press release. Are there still questions after you sent out the press release? Or does a journalist wants an interview with you? Then it is essential that there is a phone number under a press release – that gets answered as soon as someone calls.
Finally: checklist for a press release
Have you written a first press release? Then go through the following questions. Is the answer to any of these questions ‘no’? Then it makes sense to work on the press release again. The questions that matter:
- Is your press release objective?
- Does the title grab attention?
- Does the introduction of the message contain all relevant information?
- Are there quotes or statements in the message?
- Can your contact details be found in the message?
- Is there general information about the company available?
- Are you adding the press release as a Word document or 'running text'? Never email a press release in the form of a PDF! That way, you make the life of a journalist unnecessarily difficult.
