How To Write A Press Release

Learn how to write a press release that gets attention, generates media coverage, and increases awareness. The first thing to keep in mind when writing a press release is that it must be newsworthy and interesting to get distribution. The sections below will go through some approaches for crafting effective press releases for particular industries.

Headline

Keep your headline succinct and to the point. Your press release headline will be formatted as an H1 header, centered text. Use simple language to keep your message as straightforward as possible.

Your headline should represent the most significant news element of your release—the main reason your target audience would be interested in it. When News Wire sends a copy of your publication to journalists who cover that topic, they are more inclined to report on it since the information is clear.

Most search engines can only display the first 60 characters of your title in search results. Your press release headline is what will appear as the title when this post shows up in the search results.

Subheader (Optional)

A subheader is the smaller text that appears directly below your headline and can be up to 120 characters in length. Subheaders help attract attention and clarify what your press release is about by providing a teaser that encourages readers to continue reading.

Press Release Body

The press release body will be broken up into two separate sections.

Introduction Paragraph

The first paragraph is referred to as “the lead.” A press release lead should answer the press release’s who, what, when, where, why, and how. In addition, the lead paragraph aims to offer journalists a brief look at the story to see whether it would be a good fit for their readership.

Avoid hype or attempting to sell goods or services, but include the angle that makes your announcement newsworthy.

Within your introduction sentence, it’s a common practice to include hyperlinks to your company’s website or supporting documentation, which is a wonderful approach to increase site traffic.

The first 160 characters of your press release body will also become the SEO-friendly description. This will appear as the description when your press release appears in search results.

Body Paragraphs

The body of your press release should give details that journalists may utilize to develop their story angle. Use short paragraphs of between two and four sentences each, and feel free to include statistics to support your assertions.

Many relevant blogs, news sites, online magazines, and online newspapers receive News Wire RSS feeds as post drafts. Your news story automatically becomes a draft that they then edit or re-write to fit the style of their publication. Multiple unique articles about the same subject, with links pointing back to the source, can result in massive SEO benefits for the subject of the press release!

If your event is open to the public or specific groups, include information about how they may attend, such as how to RSVP or register. This ensures that journalists have all of the information they need to notify their readers and viewers about the event in advance and allow them to report from the scene themselves if desired. Again, this multiplies the potential coverage from a single press release.

Finally, provide enough information for journalists to cover your story. For example, if you’re inviting a journalist to attend a company event, make sure to include instructions on how they can get free admittance.

Proofreading, Editing & Expert Formatting

If this option is selected, one of our expert copywriters can proofread & edit your press release for you! This will minimize spelling & grammatical errors. In addition, professional proofreading provides enhanced SEO (search engine optimization) & will improve the quality of your press release. Proofreading, editing & expert formatting may also result in improved distribution!

SEO Keywords

Add up to (5) post tags to help search engines find your press release! Tags can be a single word or a combination of words, separated by a comma & a single space.

Press Release Category

When submitting your press release, it’s crucial to select the correct category to ensure that the right people see it. News Wire offers over thirty different press release categories in which articles can be syndicated to relevant news sites.

Featured Image

A relevant image can massively improve the click-through rate for your press release! The most ideal featured image size is 1200×628 pixels.

Company Info

The company info you include in a press release can vary, but it’s typically best to include the following:

• Company/Organization Name
• Company logo
• Contact Name
• Company contact information (name, position, phone number, email address)
• Company website

Logo

A logo is not required, but you may upload a 200×200-pixel version of your logo so journalists may include it in their stories. We will insert your company logo at the top of your press release to improve brand awareness. It is preferable to use transparent PNG images.

Boilerplate

The boilerplate is where you should tell your company’s background, awards, length of time in business, or anything else that may be interesting to readers about your company.

Final Note & Call to Action (optional)

Tell the reader precisely what you want them to do. If your news piqued the reader’s interest, a clear call to action could encourage them to take the next step.

Choose Your Distribution Options

News Wire offers a variety of distribution options for every budget.

Release Date

This option allows you to publish a press release with a publication date of your choice! (Otherwise, the publication date will match the actual date we review & publish your press release).

• FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – This is the most common option, meaning that the press release should be distributed immediately.
• Embargoed Release Date – This is an option that is rarely ever used, but it’s available if you need it. An “embargoed” release means you want the media to hold onto your press release for future release (but you are sending it ahead of time to ensure coverage).

Press Release Distribution Packages

News Wire offers a variety of press release distribution packages that vary in price and reach. Select the distribution option that fits your budget. Basic, Standard, Upgraded, or Premium Distribution.

Distribution Method

Automatic RSS – Automatic RSS syndication can reach thousands of news sites, blogs, newspapers, podcasts, radio & TV stations.

+Dedicated Outreach Specialist – Adding an outreach specialist means having a live person reaching out to relevant platforms via phone, email, social networks, etc., to request distribution. This is a time-intensive task but can be an excellent option for events that would benefit from radio/TV news coverage. The dedicated outreach specialist option is only available to press releases on the Premium distribution package.