Your boss, and what they say, is obviously a key part of your press release.

But always give their quotes context by introducing what they’re about to say.

For instance, let’s say your company makes a suntan lotion that the Consumers Association has ranked No. 1 for all-over skin protection.

You might write something like this:

“SunProtect chief executive Doug Whitehall said the company had invested heavily in ensuring the end product would meet consumer needs. He said: “We’ve increased our R&D budget by 200 per cent over the past five years and hired four of Europe’s top clinicians in the process.”

What you want to avoid is:

“SunProtect chief executive Doug Whitehall said the company had invested heavily in ensuring the end product would meet consumer needs. He said: “We’ve invested heavily in our end product to ensure it meets consumer needs.”

5. Hire a journalist for your team

Rewriting press releases can be a chore. But if you know what you’re doing, you can often get quick results.

A friend recently asked me to rewrite a press release for them. It had all the information I needed, but just in the wrong order.

As journalists, we’re used to rejigging copy all the time. So I got to work.

When my friend sent out my rewritten version, the press release/story got picked up by a major website the next day. And a top-rated radio programme asked them to come into studio for a live interview.

They were very happy with the results and, for all we know, their press release could have been picked up elsewhere, too.

It’s second nature to most journalists, because we know what papers/broadcasters are looking for. And our skills transfer to the public and private sectors in areas such as writing, editing, speechwriting, content writing and compiling annual reports etc.

In fact, according to the Museum of Public Relations in New York City, the first ever press release was penned by a journalist, former New York Times reporter Ivy Lee, in 1906.

He represented the Pennsylvania Railroad when a train derailed off a bridge, the tragic accident killing 50 passengers in the process.