How to Write a Press Release Like a PR Pro (Free Template!)
Writing a press release to share your company’s (or client’s) news can seem like a daunting task.
You’ve got to get the messaging right, make sure not to bury the lede, source quotes that reporters will want to use… and that’s all before you even have to distribute and pitch it.
If you want to write a press release that journalists will actually report on, you’ve got to get a lot of things right. In this guide, we’ll show you the same process we use at TCF to get our clients featured everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to Glamour, as well as hook you up with a downloadable press release template so your pitch looks like it came from a pro.
Download Our Free Press Release Template
First, let’s cover the basics before diving into how to write a press release.
What is a Press Release?
A press release is a written announcement of newsworthy information. Typically, a press release is written on behalf of a company or person and is distributed to media outlets (via newswire) for publication consideration.
Press releases span topics ranging from new hires and new product announcements to upcoming events and major milestones.
What is the Purpose of Writing a Press Release?
The aim of a press release is to entice reporters to use the information for upcoming articles, thus generating press for the company releasing it.
When writing a press release, it’s important to present the information in a way that is digestible and reusable.
This means that the press release should be concise, written in clear, comprehensible language and broken down into short, to-the-point paragraphs.
In terms of reusability, the contents of the press release should be presented as newsworthy, so journalists will want to pick it up. The purpose of a press release is to inspire a story, so it’s up to you to transform the information you’re relaying into an engaging narrative with a who, what, when, where, how, and why it’s so important.
Providing the exact words of the person closest to the story adds an extra layer of appeal to reporters, because it gives them easy access to original quotes without having to schedule an interview.