Once you’ve learned the basics of how utilizing press releases can be beneficial for your business, the next step is to learn how to write one for your company.
While it may feel intimidating to write a professional piece like this, with some preparation and practice, anyone can successfully write a press release, media advisory, or feature story to snag the media’s attention.
Here are some key points to keep in mind throughout the process, along with a sample of a successful press release sent out on behalf of a business and a template to help you write your own press release.
Selecting a topic
Not everything your business does may warrant a press release and news coverage. When selecting a topic, consider what elements of your business may be appealing to local media and everyday people and what you would want to read. It is essential to highlight what makes your business unique as well as its importance to the community. Things to focus on are your business’s significant and notable products, services, and events, and how they can help or affect others.
Here are some common subjects of press releases to inspire you:
- Product launches or new features
- Upcoming events
- Prominent new employees
- Partnerships
- Awards
- Changes in ownership
- Anniversaries
- Rebranding
- Charitable initiatives
- Advocacy campaigns
The importance of formatting
The format of your press release is a crucial determinant of whether a journalist or news corporation is going to take the time to read it or not. A clean and properly structured press release will illustrate your professionalism and experience, even if you are just getting started.
Follow these basic formatting guidelines to create a successful news release:
- One page long
- Single-spaced text and heading
- Concise and direct headline and subheader
- Include a dateline before the body of the text
- ex: Los Angeles, CA, January 1, 2024
- Include a boilerplate at the end
- This is a standard biography of the organization in paragraph format
- Include a slug, or ending notion, at the bottom center of the page
- This indicates to the reader or journalist that they have reached the end of the document
- ex: ###
Writing style for press releases
In addition to formatting, it is critical to write in a way that works in the media and speak their language. Journalists and general audiences reading your news releases appreciate accurate, precise, and clear language.
Here are some tips that you might find helpful when considering writing style:
- Headlines should be short but complete sentences, and try to use the company’s name in them, usually in the present tense.
- ex: PCar Pirates host Porsche enthusiasts at Marconi.
- Use the inverted pyramid writing structure.
- Include the most important information or main idea at the beginning, so anyone skimming can immediately get the point.
- Make the body content specific and succinct.
- Keep your sentences short and clear, using precise details instead of generalities.
- Use hyperlinks.
- Link out to any relevant web pages whenever possible.
- ex: company’s website, sign-up sheet for an event, product page
- Include at least one strong quote from a prominent figure associated with the company.
- Any quotes should be referred to in the past tense and followed by “[speaker’s name] said.”
- ex: “We worked very hard all year to curate interactive activities to make this event special,” manager John Smith said.
- Be as objective and non-promotional as possible.
- Emphasize local interest and the value of what your business is doing, rather than using it purely as an advertisement
Sample press release
Here is a sample of a news release that has successfully caught the attention of several journalists, written on behalf of The Chakra Shack in Laguna Beach, CA, run by @TCSlaguna. This press release has been published on a local news website and has attracted media coverage at the event it is announcing.
Feel free to utilize this example news release as inspiration to write your own press release. You can follow its structure, absorb the content and writing style, and use it as a visual representation of what yours should look and feel like.
Download: Sample Press Release - The Chakra Shack
Template to write a press release
Now it’s your turn to write a press release for your business following the instructions and sample included above. To help make it easier, we’ve created a press release template for you to follow.
Using the attached .docx file below, edit the document and include information relevant to your business, replacing anything with [brackets]. Edit the business information at the top to be that of your business, along with your logo, and follow the guidelines and write about the piece of news or event for your business.
Download: Press Release Template
Sending your press release
Once you’ve written your own press release, it’s time to send it out to journalists. Read our next resource to learn How to Submit a Press Release.
Cyrena Guyot is a Public Relations Manager, overseeing PR, internal communications, advertising, graphic design, web design and event planning for small businesses, prominent corporations, and organizations local to Orange County, California. Cyrena is available for PR inquiries.
Cyrena Guyot is not affiliated with Block, Inc. This article is only for informational purposes. The information provided in this article solely reflects the author's views and is not endorsed by Square. This article is limited in scope and is only intended as a high-level overview of the topics mentioned. For guidance or advice specific to your business, you should consult with a qualified professional.
