No doubt is possible when you have an excellent press release in your hands. It could be published as is, it goes straight to the point, it is easy to understand and its subject is interesting and explained very clearly.
How to identify a good press release
A good press release has a clear and consistent structure that follows a proven model. The structure of this model can be described as an inverted pyramid. The most important thing is to first challenge the reader. It is only after you enter more into the subject’s heart. Finally, you will end your press release with company contact information, a short presentation, and pictures.
Let’s examine these three essential steps:
1. Intercept the reader
The title
The title alone is often what determines whether a press release will be read or not. Particular attention should therefore be paid to it. A good title is short, goes to the basics and gives a clear overview of the subject of the release to the reader. Avoid praise that will give publicity to your press releases. The title should, however, contain a catchy element that will arouse interest such as:
“French banks accelerate their digital transformation”
” Microsoft’s valuation rises above $ 500 billion for the first time in 17 years”
The introduction
The purpose of the introduction is to introduce the subject to the reader. A good introduction clearly expresses what the press release is about, or what its main purpose is. The most important message of the press release is presented from the first sentences. A statement whose introduction is too vague will certainly not be read to the end.
You should always keep these questions in mind when writing your introduction: Who? What? Or ? When? Why ? How?
An introductory sentence should look like this:
“12 primary schools in Île-de-France are taking measures for a healthier diet in their canteens.”
2. Get to the heart of the subject
Spend between two and four paragraphs developing the facts mentioned in the introduction. These paragraphs will go into detail using numbers, descriptions of products or events, and quotes.
Figures and statistics are a great way to convince your readers of the value of your business. Make a topic more interesting by using graphs or visual statistics tables.
Quotes can give a lot of credibility to your news release – especially if you’re using a domain expert or a leader in your organization. The purpose of citations is not to provide new information but rather to present an opinion or a new point of view on an issue.
A good press release must fit on one page so as not to leave room for the superfluous. Strive to be concise in your writing.
3. The finishing touch
Coordinates
It is all too common to see press releases that do not have contact information at the end. Even an excellent press release will end up in the trash if journalists do not easily find where to direct their questions.
So add your contact information, that is, the mobile numbers and e-mail addresses of one or two people at the end of your press release. Make sure these people are available and able to provide additional information on the subject.
Presentation, links and images
The end of a press release is usually the perfect place to place a more detailed presentation of the company or organization. A well-done presentation should summarize the activities and history of a business in a single paragraph. The purpose of the presentation is to communicate in a few sentences the area of activity of the company as well as its successes and objectives.
The rest of the press release should be devoted to links to your website, videos, studies or other supporting material to complement the press release.
High-quality images and videos will be the icing on the cake for your release. Photos of people on events or expert video interviews will add value to your release as long as they do not clutter the recipient’s inbox. You must add the images and videos as links and not as attachments.
My release is ready, and then?
Once your press release is over, it’s time to release it. You may create a statement of an excellent bill, it will not be published if it does not reach the right target audience. It is, therefore, crucial to have up-to-date journalistic coordinates and to target your press releases to the right type of reporters.