PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATES

 A well-formatted press release has 7 main components. These instructions will help you put together a useful press release for the media.

#1 – Company Logo

Add a little branding and a polished image with a small logo at the top of your press release.

#2 – Press Release Validity

“For Immediate Release”;
“For Release Before [date]” or
“For Release After [date]”

Most press releases are “For Immediate Release” and are most convenient for the media to use. If you are sending a release that shouldn’t be used until after a certain date, you may want to wait until it is ready for “Immediate Release.” Noting that a press release is “For Release Before” may put undue pressure on the media outlet and may cause your story to be passed up.
The media gets plenty of press releases and they want to be able to use your release when they need it.

#3 – Contact Information

Include your phone number, address, company name, fax number, email, and URL. Be as available for contact as possible.

Here’s what the contact information might look like:

Paul Smith
Smith Bros Plumbing
123 Main St, Scottsdale, AZ 12345
Phone: 555-555-5555
Email: paul@smithbrosplumbing.com
URL: smithbrosplumbing.com

#4 – Attention-Getting Headline

Write an attention-grabbing headline that includes benefit for the target audience. Remember, the media wants to know why your release is relevant to their audience, so keep their audience in mind. Avoid hype, promotional language, and excessive adjectives. Be direct, succinct, and descriptive.

Here is a sample headline:

Paid Work Experience Available for Scottsdale High School Students Interested in the Plumbing Trade

#5 – City, State, and Date

On the same line where you place your summary (#5), include your city, state and date of the release. These items are generally bold and italicized.

#6 – Summary

Before you get into the body of the release, write a sentence or two to summarize your press release. Make it interesting, you want the recipient to keep reading. This information is generally italicized. Answer the who, what, where, when and why as much as possible.

Here’s what a summary might look like, including the city, state and date:

Scottsdale, AZ, May 12, 2022 — Locally owned Smith Bros Plumbing opens its doors to high school juniors and seniors looking for paid, hands-on work experience in the plumbing trade during the upcoming summer break.

#7 – Body Content

Now you’re ready to get into the meat of your story. Always keep the target audience in mind your audience and writer. Your audience may partly be the editor o r report, but ideally, your story should target and share the benefits to media’s audience.

HINT: Adjust your release to the target audience when sending it to different media outlets.

Keep in mind that your press release must be a newsworthy story. It is not an ad or marketing copy and shouldn’t read that way. Read through a local newspaper and see how stories about businesses are put together to give you an idea of how you might position your release as a story.

Your target audience is, in part, the editor or reporter who will be reading the release. Ultimately, however, your target audience is that editor or reporter’s readers or audience. You need to write a story that will be of interest to them.

Quotes from yourself, customers, and other experts add credibility and allow the injection of opinion into the story. Facts help support your information, giving you credibility and authority.

Additionally, journalists trust facts. Make sure you source any data that you provide.

Close out the body of your release with information on how to get further information, including a phone number, email address, and website URL.

#8 – Signify the End of Your Release

Add ### at the bottom of your release to indicate your release is finished. Try to keep your press release to one page.

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Miss your FREE press release template at the beginning of this article?

Click here to get it now (no email required).

1. This news story is not simply to sing your praises. It’s meant for the media outlet’s audience. Why would it interest that audience?

2. Use an attention-grabbing headline. However, make sure that it isn’t salesy. It needs to be specific and concise. For example: “New Research Shows Wearable Tech Improves Fitness Results by 74%”.

3. Use the first paragraph to answer all the important questions journalists need to know like who, what, where, when, why & how.

4. Avoid hype. Don’t use big words and adjectives. Steer clear of jargon and promises that you can’t back up. Stick to the facts, ma’am.

5. Focus on benefits: What problems do you solve for your customers or website visitors?

6. Back up your claims with data and statistics. Use quotes that add credibility to what you’re saying.

7. Make the most of quotes. Quoting a customer, an employee, or someone notable who is familiar with your company or product adds personality to your press release. Two to three quotes in your release can help make it more compelling to the media.

8. Give them access to more. Make sure to let people know where they can learn more. For the media, this may mean directing them to your media page.

9. Use an editor. Make sure to have your press release edited by someone with good attention to detail. All spelling and grammar errors should be fixed. A solid editor can also help ensure your sentence structure is as concise and compelling as possible.

10. Write a rough draft. Draft your press release first. Make sure you have all the important information in your content. Then, you can go back, tighten up the message, and polish it. You may have a few drafts before it’s ready to be sent to the media.

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Miss your FREE press release template at the beginning of this article?

Click here to get it now (no email required).