| Creating an effective press release represents one of | | | | the second paragraph. |
| the most fundamental elements of any public relations | | | | The second paragraph should describe why the first |
| program, and there are several basic rules to help you | | | | paragraph is newsworthy and provide any supporting |
| write one. | | | | numerical data. |
| 1) Choose a newsworthy topic. | | | | 7) Provide a quotation with a favorable opinion in the |
| The emphasis for newsworthy is on the word "new." | | | | third paragraph. |
| The release must discuss a recent development or | | | | The third paragraph should contain a quote from your |
| frame the topic as a new one. | | | | CEO, and this is the only place in the entire release to |
| 2) Use the local angle as a news hook. | | | | include an opinion about the topic. Also, you should not |
| You can increase the coverage of your release by | | | | introduce new facts in the quotation. These facts |
| focusing, in the headline and the body of the release, | | | | belong in the body of the release. |
| on your organization's physical location. For example, | | | | 8) At the end of the release include a "boilerplate" |
| "Church Sends Group to Rebuild House in New | | | | describing your company. |
| Orleans" may not garner as much regional publicity as | | | | The boilerplate should be the same in every release |
| "Greenwich Church Sends Group to Rebuild House in | | | | you distribute and should be given a subhead, "About |
| New Orleans." | | | | [My Company]." It should be about two paragraphs |
| 3) Keep the writing factual and concise. | | | | long and include your company's main activities and |
| A press release should state the facts in a direct, | | | | prominent clients as well as its qualifications. For smaller |
| succinct manner. | | | | companies, the boilerplate should also provide a short |
| 4) Use the inverted pyramid style. | | | | bio of the CEO. |
| The most important, newsworthy facts belong at the | | | | 9) Keep the length short. |
| beginning of the release with supporting information | | | | No press release should EVER be more than two |
| below. The "inverted pyramid" also refers to the | | | | pages. |
| decreasing newsworthy value in each subsequent | | | | 10) Check carefully for spelling, grammatical or |
| paragraph. | | | | punctuation errors. |
| 5) Re-state the headline in the first paragraph. | | | | Editors may receive up to 300 press releases per day. |
| The first paragraph of the press release should | | | | Errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation make your |
| re-state the headline almost word for word. It should | | | | release look unprofessional and may result in its |
| only be two-to-three sentences long. | | | | immediate rejection. |
| 6) Describe and quantify the newsworthy element in | | | | |