How To Write A Press Release (With Template)

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Press releases go back to the man who is considered the father of PR, Ivy Lee. Lee had a storied career pioneering public relations, but his contribution to press releases was convincing the railway company to release information to journalists about a railway crash in 1906. This communication is considered to be the very first press release.

Key Takeaways:

• Press releases should be concise and newsy, catching the attention of their audience.

• A press release is a way to communicate with the public about changes, news, or innovations at your organization. They’re often used for product launches, leadership changes, mergers and acquisitions, and notifications of events.

• Press releases follow a format of having a headline, date, summary, intro paragraph, body paragraph, a brief description of the business, and ending with ###.

What Is a Press Release?

A press release is defined by Merriam-Webster as “an official statement that gives information to newspapers, magazines, television news programs, and radio stations.” Press releases have been around for a long time, with the first modern press release considered to have been in October 1906.

Press releases are a major part of public relations (PR) and are therefore handled carefully. They were originally given out in a press wire and disseminated by news organizations, but modern communications have made it so that some organizations post press releases so that they’re directly available to the public.

Types of Press Releases

Putting out press releases is a way to inform the public of organizational changes in terms of business, often involving changes in the business’s structure or alterations to its products or services.

Here are reasons why businesses will put out a press release.

• Product launches. Product launches are part of PR, but they’re also part of marketing. Letting consumers know that a new product has launched, especially one that they’ve hyped, is a way to communicate with their customers. It also shows their stakeholders that they’ve successfully gotten the product off the ground.

• Product updates. In addition to launches, major updates will also get a press release. This can be something like Microsoft releasing a major update for its operating system. Another example is if a business is changing something about how a product is sourced or manufactured to meet sustainability goals.

• Events. Many businesses will have events, such as charitable events, product launches, or anniversary parties. Whatever the nature of the event may be, if you’re interested in encouraging people to attend, putting out a press release is a good way to spread the word about it.

• Mergers and acquisitions. Businesses will put out notifications when they’re purchasing another company – or being purchased. Such as when Microsoft announced it was acquiring Blizzard. Since this can be a major change in terms of people’s livelihoods and the business’s products, it’s important to notify the public about it.

  The nature of the merger or acquisition can alter the contents of the press release greatly. If a company is being bought, it’ll be quite different than if they’re the one doing the buying. Customers and employees are likely to be apprehensive about such a major change, so it’s important to affirm your commitment to your customers and employees.

• Social issues. Businesses have always responded to major social events, such as tragedies, celebrations, and holidays. Many businesses are getting involved in social issues like racial equality and acceptance of different sexual orientations and gender identities.

  In the case of a major world event, such as the invasion of Ukraine, many businesses put out press releases in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. It’s important that social issues be remarked on as events bring them to the fore, or your business will seem cold or out of touch.

• Notable innovations. This will depend on the nature of your business, but if you run a pharmaceutical business or technology company where innovation is your bread and butter, then announcing breakthroughs in innovation is very much to your advantage. It’s a way to build excitement as well as show how committed you are to your business.

• Policy change. Major policy changes can require a press release. If this is something that affects the public, then it’s especially important. In other cases, it can also be to the organization’s benefit to announce changes. When it comes to social issues, announcing a policy change in support of one can help your public image.

  If a business has been accused of treating its workers poorly, then announcing changes to their worker’s benefits or requirements can also be helpful. Press releases can also highlight corrections in response to other similar controversies.

• Awards. If your organization has received an award, a press release commemorating that is a good idea. You can also spotlight employees of yours that have received awards or hand out awards to employees or members of the public for their contributions.

How to Write a Press Release

Due to the way that press releases were originally distributed, they’ve become heavily standardized. That means that they’re all formatted the same way and follow a similar structure. It’s highly recommended that you follow these standards, as deviating from them too much can make your business look disorganized or unprofessional.

Press releases typically consist of a few parts. Here is what a press release should include:

• Headline. Every press release should have a headline explaining what it’s about. It should be attention-grabbing so that people don’t just scroll past it. There are several different strategies to catch people’s eyes, and you should choose one that fits in with your business’s culture.

• Date. The date that the information was released should be up at the top. Remember that this is an official communication, and most of the people who will be reading it are journalists. You want to make sure that the date is correct, of course, but the date itself helps add clarity. And it limits the potential for confusion or misassumptions.

• Contact information. There should be a way to contact your organization’s PR department. Generally, there should be someone in charge of dealing with communications of this nature, but some just have a department to contact. It should have multiple methods to get in touch, such as phone numbers, email, and social media.

• Summary. This should go over the basics of what the release is focused on. Typically they’re bullet points, but some will also put a paragraph in italics. Either way, it makes it stand out from the rest of the writing and is a quick read.

• Intro. As with essays, press releases should have an introduction paragraph that goes over the most important information. In the case of an event, what it is and the date should go here. Whatever the case, you’re looking to cover all your questions in words: who, what, where, why, and when.

• Body. the body of your press release should go into more detail about what you’re covering. Press releases should be short, conversational, and easy to read, which means that you don’t want to go into too much detail or get too technical. Generally, a press release is one page – though it can be as many as two.

• About. It’s traditional to end with a brief paragraph talking about the company. Not everyone does this anymore, and not all templates include this. But if you want to be as standardized as possible with your press release, it’s a good idea to include this.

• ###. While ending with pound signs seems peculiar, it comes from when releases were wired to journalists. The three-pound signs made it clear that the release was finished, in the same way that many short stories or books will end with THE END, despite the fact it’s often obvious.

Press Release Template

Press releases should be pithy. At a maximum, they’re two pages long, though most are a page in length. You want to have a newsy tone so that they’re easy to read and readers don’t have to be very familiar with your company or products in order to understand them.

Here is a basic template to use for a news release:

Press Release FAQ

1. How often should you send out press releases?

   The general consensus is that press releases should be sent out every three to four weeks or monthly. It’s important to keep your customers informed about your business and be communicative, but sending them out weekly or daily gets overwhelming and irritating quickly.

2. When should you write a press release?

   Press releases should be written when you have news to share about your business. These can include policy changes, mergers, and acquisitions, changes in leadership, awards, anniversaries, or events.

Author

Di Doherty

Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.