A PR firm deals with a variety of mediums, from digital to print. In these new and traditional marketing techniques, a press release is a constant, a tool used by every public relations and marketing firm to speak directly to an audience. But, what is a press release and how do you write one?
What Is a Press Release?
A press release, or news release, is traditionally any written or recorded spoken statement meant to be a call-to-action or official announcement. Say you’re writing about a new product—the focus would be to inform the audience about the new product or service in a news release format. The same goes for a new promotion or special event. It’s just a way of getting the news out there.
When finished, the press release is sent to a professional news outlet or some other media source for distribution.
A press release answers the essential questions: who, what, why, and where. The purpose is generally action-oriented and should contain plenty of information as to not leave the audience in the dark. This can be accomplished in a page of writing—typically, no more than two pages.
Here are some good opportunities for a press release:
- Company updates
- Rebranding
- Advertising New products
- General promotion
- A grand opening
You may find press releases in the form of media releases and inside newspapers, magazines, posters, email blasts, or even a TV spot.
Writing a press release
PR Plus writes a press release using the essential questions: who, what, why, and where. The goal of a press release is to answer these questions thoroughly and clearly in a short span of words. So, clarity is vital.
Equal to clarity is engagement. Much like ad copy, our press releases are made digestible with both fun and informative content—words people want to read. Starting with a captivating title (something to grab people’s attention), we move into the first paragraph, where we answer those essential questions. Providing some useful statistics and insight to our subject goes a long way, because an audience not only wants a background on the topic, they want to learn…whether they know it or not.
With that goal in mind and knowing all about the topic, a press release writes itself.
PR Plus and Press Releases
PR Plus connects your brand, your company with the help of the public and media outlets. Our effective and talented staff has nearly 30 years of experience writing press releases and copywriting. Contact us at (702) 696-1999 if you have any questions.