57. How to write a Press Release?


Writing a press release is the most common practice in Public relations. Press Releases are a tool used in PR to make a formal official announcement on behalf of the company to the public through targeting the media. Press releases are pitched to a journalised who then further publishes it in the news so that it reaches the target audience. A journalist in a day gets many press release but not all of them make it to the news. The ones that don’t are either not effective press release or have been sent to a journalist who does not cover that beat. In this blog, we will study the format as well as the points to keep in mind while writing a press release.


·         A journalist has many stories to filter through to get the best news, in this information clutter a press release may seem of less importance. To overcome this problem, a person should try and think of the journalist’s interest. Why is the story worth publishing? Is it relatable to the journalist and the target audience he/she writes for? How is it different? These are some of the questions to ponder upon before writing the press release.

·         Be very clear with your core message. There should not be more than three messages in any press release and the core message should be clear and distinct and supported by the correct contextual information.

·         Always include five Ws and one H in the lead paragraph. The reader should have answers to all the basic questions he/she may have through the first paragraph because that is where the journalists mostly decide if the press release is of their interest or not.

·         Form your headline very effectively. The headline should be crisp and catchy at the same time and should convey the core message of the release.

Following is the format to be followed while writing a press release:

Letterhead/Logo: The logo of the company should be placed at the top of the press release. This makes it easy for the journalist to identify the company.

Headline and sub-headline: Headline is the most important element of the press release and should be crisp and catchy. Sub-headlines are usually given to support the headline through additional information.

Dateline: After headline or sub-headline, write the date and the city where the press release is issued.

Lead: Lead is the first paragraph of the press release. Make sure the first paragraph includes answers to the five Ws and one H. It should be a brief but effective introduction of the message.

Body: These are the paragraphs following the lead which provides detailed information about the news story.

Quote: Adding a quote is always a good idea to make the news story authentic and credible. It adds enormous value to the press release and should be crafted carefully.

Boilerplate: Boilerplate is a description of your company or brand. A press release never goes without a boilerplate.

Contact information: Always include the contact information of the person who is well informed of the press release and its objective for the journalists to reach out to.

Adding a unique element or angle to a news story is always good but these are the tips and format to consider while writing an effective press release.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

42. Kay Beauty- #ItsKayToBeYou

Image
Amidst all the fairness creams, foundation, and concealer commercials to hide the flaws in your skin, to come across content like #ItsKayToBeYou by Kay beauty is refreshing. Katrina Kaif recently launched her beauty line, Kay beauty in partnership with Nykaa, India’s largest beauty retailer. The launch collection includes feature lip, eye and brow products. The products are available across 50 Nykaa stores and online portal. The beauty line was launched with #ItsKayToBeYou campaign which talked about diversity in the skin tones and different definitions of beauty for individuals. The campaign was launch through digital media with the videos streaming on platforms such as, YouTube, and Instagram. The brand is positioned as the beauty products which Kare for your skin. For the launch campaign, the brand identified a certain set of influencers representing various target audiences such as Kusha Kapila, Nayanthara, Saina Nehwal, Raja Kumari. During the launch event Katrina
Read more

73. Millennials Who? Stereotyping the Demographic cohort

Image
Millennials is a term commonly used to define a certain demographic of the population. Also known as Generation Y, millennials denote a set of people based on their demographic. The term has been derived from the demographic cohort of the population as a whole. Each and every category has been placed in buckets namely, Generation X (1965-1980), Generation Y or Millennials (1981-1996) and Generation Z (1997-Present). The age range of the Millenials has been reported differently at various platforms but The American Psychological Association described it as people born between 1981 to 1996 which is a widely accepted categorisation. Instead of representing the generation, the term has become a stereotype for people belonging to certain demographics representing their behaviours, habits, and beliefs. The term carries a negative connotation now because of its overuse and references. Millennials are also referred to as ‘echo boomers.’ In an article published in 2013, Times Mag
Read more

3. Choose Conscious Fashion Over Fashion Conscious

Image
Fashion is a major part of the lifestyle we lead and being fashionable is the choice we make. Every buying decision, every piece of clothing in our wardrobe is a choice but, who is to say that we have made the right decision? There is so much going on in the fashion industry that many of us are not aware of. Fast Fashion is one of those things. Rapidly-changing fashion trends and the consumer’s desire of having each and every popular style has given birth to the concept of fast fashion. We as consumers have become so fashion-conscious that we put too much thought and money into what we wear, which is not wrong, but considering its impact on the environment, maybe it is! Fast fashion is basically fashion which changes with the rapidly-changing trends and focuses on speed and low cost. These type of clothing don’t have much wardrobe life. They are mainly focused on making the fashion available from ramp to the market at a much cheaper rate. The vibrant colours, designs and novel
Read more