6 Important Tips to Write a Good Press Release

An effective press release is an essential element of any PR activity. Press releases are crucial for getting information about your brand to the public. Journalists are often flooded with possible news stories and pitches on a daily basis. Therefore, it is important to make your release stand out from the rest. Writing a good press release is an art and one needs to master it as it is often the first step towards successful Public Relations communication.  A good press release should not only be well-written but also well-read.

A Team of PR Professionals should ensure that the correct facts and figures are mentioned in the press release. Here are few tips to write a good press release so that it is appealing to the journalists hunting for news stories.

1. Basic Information

Press release should answer the five W’s & 1H (why, who, when, where, whom & how) in the first paragraph. All the relevant information should be provided in it. The first paragraph should contain the essence of the press release and the story should entirely be understood on the basis of it. 

2. Catchy Headline

Headline should immediately attract the attention of the target audience. The beginning of the press release is the most important and a great headline will serve the purpose. It must be written creatively and should provoke the journalist to read the whole press release. The subject line should also be interesting.

3. Include Contact Information

It is advisable to include your phone number or email at the top of the release for journalist to follow up with whenever required in future. 

4. Newsworthy

A press release should contain an element of news worthiness. The journalists should find the story interesting to share with the target audience who are the key components. Journalists often receive a lot of press releases and therefore it is advisable to reserve your press releases for high priority news. Most of the PR professionals reserve their press release for important report like launch of a new product or services or other special events. 

5. Be Concise

Too many pages may ruin the fun of a good press release. Lengthy press release tests the patience of the journalists. 

6. Free from Error

It is important to proofread your press release before sending it to the concerned reporter. It should be flawless. Any minor error can ruin all the good efforts put into drafting the press release. 

The author of this opinion article is Ms. Nishi Agrawal at PR Professionals