Writer's toolbox: press releases

You've got a great story to tell. But if anyone's ever going to know about it, you need a good press release. Here's a nuts-and-bolts guide to writing one.

You've got a great story to tell and you want the world to know. But to get a journalist to read your press release, you need to write it right. So what elements do you need to include? And what should you avoid?

Electronic or hardcopy, most press releases are heading straight for the wastepaper basket. Even if your press release tells a great story – it has to look right, contain the correct information and be written in the right style. So, make sure you follow these rules.

Get your headline right
Headlines should be in the active tense, they should be positive and they should tell the story. Headlines (and stories) should be about people and issues that will catch the journalist's attention.

Kids blame parents and sweet companies for obesity

Then start the story with an introductory paragraph that contains the five Ws and the H of the story (who, what, when, where, why and how). The key here is to grab the journalist's attention and give them the essential information. You don't have to put all five in the first sentence, or even the first paragraph, but make sure they come before the details.

Kids angry at parents and sweet producers for not offering alternatives to sugary snacks have started voicing their concerns about healthy eating on a new website.

Both the headline and introductory paragraph should be written in bold – with the headline in a larger font.

Stick to the facts as you go into the story
Next you need to give the journalist the hard facts, putting the next most important fact first. Keep it simple and don't exaggerate – journalists are interested in the story and not your company, so save your plug to the end.

Danish children have been using a new online forum at yourfruitcompany.com over the past four months to encourage each other to eat healthier foods and talk about obesity issues.

Use a quote or two to flesh it out and add weight
Now it's time to add more detail. Bring in a quote early, so the journalist knows they have someone they can use as a reference. This is a good moment to demonstrate that you really know your subject area – so make sure the quote sounds 'expert'. Also, quotes are personal, so you can use them to bring in stronger opinions.

According to yourfruitcompany President Mr. Yourfruit, Danish kids are tired of the food offered by parents and supermarkets. "It's easy to see that kids are aware of what they should and shouldn't eat. The average child in Denmark eats five kilos of sugar a year – but many feel let down by parents who don't help them eat healthily. Now, they've decided to do something about it."

If you can – pull in an expert
A quote from an independent expert will increase your credibility – so if you can find one who's willing to be quoted, put them in. (In our story here, we could even use a quote from one of the kids in the online forum, as long as we are careful about permission).

And now for you
Finish the press release with the information about your company that you want to get across. Then add your company boilerplate, and finish with ####.

The yourfruitcompany online forum was created by the Yourfuitcompany to encourage children to eat more fruit. The website also includes a diet diary, where kids can track the food they eat during the week. Kids can then get an online analysis of their diet and suggestions of what foods they need to eat more or less of.

The yourfruitcompany is Denmark's top fruit grower – and a leading importer of fruit and vegetables. The company has strict fair-trade principles.
 
####

Never forget the contact details
Always include someone to contact at the end of your press release. You can even invite the journalist to call and arrange an interview.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Mr. Fruit, please call Ann Apple at +45 1000 1000 or email Ann at ann(at)yourfruit.com.

A few things to remember

• The average press release is between 300-800 words. Two pages is okay, one page is better.
• Remove selling words like state-of-the-art and cutting-edge.
• Write like a journalist: in the third person. Don't use I or we unless it's a quote.
• Add your company logo at the top.
• Don't start the press release by saying your company is the global leader in anything. Nearly all companies say this, and nearly all editors delete it. If you do say it, put it in your boilerplate.
• In long press releases, you can use sub-headings to break up the text. These make the text easier to read (especially online).

That's the nuts and bolts of a press release - all you need to do is decide what to write in it.