Some of the best—and worst—conversations I have had with prospective clients start with the phrase, “I need a press release.” In some cases, the client knows exactly what he or she wants, and I am more than happy to write a press release for them, distribute it, and so forth. Often, though, the inquiry comes from an incomplete understanding of what press releases are and the purposes they serve. Like, their brother-in-law told them, “You need a press release!” and voila, here they are talking to me. This is perfectly understandable. Public relations is an esoteric field. Most people don’t know the ins and outs of it. This article is meant to clarify what presses are about and what you can expect from the process of writing and distributing one.
If you’re thinking, “I need a press release,” you may not actually need one. What you probably want is publicity or perhaps search engine optimization (SEO) gains. Let’s break it down and figure out if a press release is what you need to achieve your business goals.
What is a press release, anyway? A press release is a specialized document that contains a news announcement. A press release should ideally be announcing something new about you or your business. As I like to say, the word “new” is in “news.” You don’t tune in for the evening “olds.” You want to hear what’s new in the world. That’s the job of a press release.
Do you need a press release? If you have news to announce and you want to share that news in an organized way, then, yes, a press release is appropriate. If you want to communicate news to the media in a format they accept, again, a press release is the best approach. If you just want to put yourself out there as an expert or invite the press to an event, then you may not need a press release. This is especially true today. You can send reporters an email inviting them to an event, a so-called “media alert,” and spare yourself from having to write a press release.
How do you write an effective press release? An effective press release helps you realize your marketing communications objectives. For example, if your goal is to get local news coverage, a press that helps you secure local coverage is an effective one. This may sound obvious, but people sometimes lose sight of the basic need to connect a press release with a clear business goal.
Should you write your press release yourself? You can absolutely write your own press release, though it may be easier to hire a professional. It’s a distinctive writing skill, so working with an experienced press release writer can deliver better results. Or, don’t write it yourself or hire anyone. Instead, use AI to write a press release. The results can be surprisingly good, but it’s always wise to edit an AI-generated press release carefully. It may contain repetitive language or “hallucinations.”
The headline is arguably the most important element of a press release. Indeed, it may be the only part of the press release that actually gets read. (I think most reporters will give your news about a quarter of a second. If you can’t interest them in that brief moment, they will move on to the next story.)
What makes for a strong press release headline? This gets into tricky territory because a press release headline must at once be interesting, factual, and non-promotional. It’s easy to be boring. The standard press release headline goes like this: [Someone] is [doing/making/announcing] [something notable.] For instance, a press release headline might read, “The General Store Announces Availability of Steel Hammers.”
That works, but it’s a bit flat. You could say, “The General Store Now Offering Steel Hammers, Meeting Strong Demand Driven by the Local Construction Boom.” Now, you’re giving the reporter something to write about. The news about the hammers isn’t that interesting, but the economic impact of the construction boom is more likely to garner press interest.
It’s a good exercise to think backward from the headline you want to see in the news. The headline you envision might be, “Local Stores Busy Meeting the Needs of Construction Boom.” Your press release headline feeds into the creation of a news headline.
Hype is not your friend when it comes to press release headlines. It can be difficult to understand, but a press release sells implicitly, not explicitly. You would be ill-advised to write “Amazing Hardware Store Introduces Fabulous Hammers!” Reporters don’t like promotional language like that. It might work in an ad, but with a press release, you’re trying to get taken seriously by people who report the news. They don’t see their job as promoting your business.
What is the best press release format? Opinions vary on this question, and I will be the first to admit that there is more than one right answer here. I’m old school, so I prefer the traditional format, which you can see here in our free press release template. Recently, press releases have become more casual, with conversational, article-like writing. I am not in favor of this because the media world is still pretty traditional, and reporters like the standard press release formats they have always known.
This means including the following elements in your press release:
My next most favorite (wink) statement from prospective clients is, “I need press release distribution.” Again, you may or you may not. I have found that press release distribution is the source of much confusion, often caused by press release distributors who exaggerate what they can do for you.
For starters, some people think that “doing a press release” automatically includes distributing it. I had a rather difficult argument with a client who hired me to write a press release, but became enraged when I didn’t distribute it. I blame myself for communicating poorly and not realizing that for him. The word “release” means distribution.
What is press release distribution? Simply put, press release distribution is an automated syndication process that places your press release on media sites. The press release distributor has software that integrates with publications’ websites, so the process is automatic. There are many press release distribution services, falling into two broad categories: high-end and low-end.
At the high end, you have major wire services like PR News Wire and Reuters, which syndicate your press release onto name-brand media sites like Yahoo Finance and Business Insider. These services offer international “circuits,” as well as circuits for financial news and regional media outlets. They may also email your press release to lists of reporters. High-end press release distribution can be expensive. Doing a worldwide release on PR News Wire can easily cost over $2,000.
The low-end services syndicate your press release onto websites belonging to radio and TV stations. This is the source of the mistaken notion that a press release distribution can “get you on ABC News.” No, they can paste your press release onto the website of an ABC station affiliate in Kansas. Don’t get confused on this.
What does press release distribution get you? If you go high-end, you get the brand aura of having your press release on a major site. It’s important to remember, however, that getting syndicated onto a site is not the same as that site assigning a reporter to cover your news. And, reporters very rarely see a press release from the distribution feed and decide to write an article. This happens with major company press releases, but not with small business news.
What are the benefits of press release distribution for small businesses? Press release distribution helps with search engine optimization (SEO). The press release gets indexed by search engines, which should make it more visible on search engines. This is not always the case in highly competitive SEO categories like car insurance. Also, distribution does not provide backlinks. Distributed press releases have no-follow links.
Press releases are the basic building blocks of PR campaigns. You may not need one, but if you decide to write one, focus on making an interesting news announcement. A good headline is critical for success. Formats vary, but you can’t go wrong with the traditional style. You may or may not need press release distribution. Be careful not to confuse press release distribution with press coverage. They are not the same thing. Done right, a well-written and distributed press release will help you connect with people online as they search for companies in your category.
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