4. You can manage your image

An effective press release is also a good way to control how your business is viewed. You can build your brand image and shape public perception through an informative official statement with facts to counter any negative publicity. 

One major question you may have is:

When do you Need a Press Release?

Ideally, a press release is a viable outlet whenever you want to share content that’s newsworthy.

But how do you decide if your content is newsworthy?

For content to be considered newsworthy, there are a few factors that you need to take into consideration:

• Impact – is someone going to be affected by this information?
• Immediacy – is this urgent news?
• Recognition – is this about something well-known?

Most successful press releases satisfy at least two of those three criteria.

Press Release Format and Template

The next step in learning how to write a press release is understanding the press release format.

If your press release conforms to a format that a journalist is familiar with, your odds of getting published are higher.

IMPORTANT: Before you write a press release you MUST do something newsworthy, in other words have news which journalists actually want to cover!

Your hook for the story/finding you’re pitching must be based on a trending topic journalists are covering right now.

Here’s a typical press release format:

• Headline Which Grabs People’s Attention: A title which grabs people’s attention and clearly explains what the release is about – Is it a newsworthy study? A product launch^[5]?
• Location: Where you are and where the news is taking place
• Strong Lead: This is where you explain your newsworthy study/content in one sentence
• Body: This should be easily skimmable information provided in decreasing levels of importance. It’s a very good idea to add in quotes throughout the body to back up your arguments.
• Boilerplate: A few words describing your company to the audience
• Press Contact: Name and contact details of your media coordinator or communications executive. Typically, anyone who the reporter can get in touch with to get more information.

Note: While there’s no preferred font for your press release, sticking to a common font like Arial or Times New Roman is a good idea.