Press Releases

Writing and Implementation

Elements of a Successful PR

• Headline• Opening Paragraph• Body• Closing Paragraph

Excerpt from Dr. Randall Hansen’s Barebones Guide (www.stetson.edu/~rhansen/prhowto.html) and www.infoscavenger.com/prtips.htm

Tips

• Don’t sell– Avoid excessive use of adjectives and fancy language

• Make it newsworthy– Deal with the facts

– Wait till you have enough substance to issue a release

• Keep it short– 500 words – maximum length

– 300 words - optimal

Headline

• Ten words or less – grab attention of the editor• Summarize information in the PR• Exciting and dynamic

– Think billboard (to the point)

• Avoid promotional sounding words

• Remember – editors see many press releases on any given day

Opening Paragraph

• Summary lead – critical• Must explain five “W’s” and one “H” of

story– Who, what, when, where, why, & how

• Summarize the press release• Must contain the hook

– Factual statement that is the ONE thing that gets you audience interested in reading more

Body

• Inverted pyramid– Most important information and quotes first

– Allows editors to cut story if there are space constraints

• Explanation from the reader’s perspective– why it’s important to the readers

– Background information, quotes of note

• New product – shipping date, price, points of interest

Closing Paragraph

• Corporate summary– Mention products/services which establish

your expertise

• Repeat critical contact info – Name of person, phone number, email

address, web site URL

• Keep it short

Getting your PR out

• Make it easy for media reps to do their jobs• Know your target

– Only contact editors who write about your industry/topic

– What type of info is published

– Lead time

– Correct name and title

– Respect deadlines and timeframes

• Keep database up-to-date.

Class Work – Write your Press Release

• Headline

• Opening Paragraph

• Body

• Closing Paragraph