How to Write Press Releases: The Definitive Guide to Writing PRs That Work

Whether we’re opening a news app on our phones or unfolding the morning paper, we’re always looking for captivating stories that help us learn about our world. That’s why press releases are still so valuable for businesses and consumers alike.

Here we’ll outline how to write a press release in 2020. As technology continues to take over traditional news consumption, and as customer reliance on digital information grows, it’s more critical each year to lean into the most up-to-date means of disseminating information about your business.

How Press Releases Benefit Your Business

You know the goings-on of your business through and through, but consider the fact that most of your customers have no way of gaining useful information — at least, not unless you inform them.

This is precisely what a press release is designed to do. A press release is simply a specifically-formatted document distributed by a company to different media outlets. The intention is to provide the media with engaging information about a business, thereby generating interest in its affairs. This is an excellent opportunity to cultivate a benevolent relationship with your customer base and the journalists who will cover your story.

Do Press Releases Benefit Amazon Sellers, Too?

When it comes to your Amazon business, it’s critical to take every measure to get noticed and make sales.

A good press release can generate long-running traffic, quality backlinks, and improved rankings for your Amazon page.

Press releases have a tendency to stay relevant for a while after being published; this translates into higher engagement with your brand as your press release continues to circulate. You might even see a few new reviews left on your Amazon listing, which could snowball into a higher Amazon ranking and even more purchases. Overall, you’ll bolster your network of authoritative backlinks when you use a press release successfully.

Furthermore, you can boost your search engine ranking through a deftly-crafted press release. Once you’ve nailed down your target keywords, integrate them into your press release, then include these keywords throughout all your external campaign work. When your press release is published, it will be indexed for the same keywords as your other campaigns, which tells search engines that your brand is a highly valuable resource in your niche. Remember, a higher search engine ranking increases the chance of customers arriving at your Amazon page through an organic search, which will boost your Amazon ranking and increase your visibility to new audiences.

Lastly, press releases give you the opportunity to link readers directly to your Amazon page. As we mention below, there are some finicky rules about incorporating links into a press release, but this is a great place to drive prospective customers straight to your listing. Plus, because the content of your press release is captivating and relevant, these customers will be equipped with important knowledge about your brand.

An informed purchase is always better than a blind one.

You’ll likely foster a more loyal, engaged community of customers thanks to the content of your press release.

Whether you’re notifying consumers to an update to your Amazon listing, or offering a promotion to new customers, you’re practically guaranteed to see a bump in your Amazon sales when you employ a press release.

How to Select the Best Topics for Your Press Release

With a few thoughtful tweaks, you can turn almost anything into the foundation of a press release. Here are just a handful of topics you can use to generate media attention for your business:

●      New product line

●      Company anniversary

●      Website redesign

●      Pro bono work done for a newsworthy client

●      Hosting a contest

●      Offering a free product sample

For more topic ideas, download our free guide: 108 Brilliant Press Release Ideas

You can truly create a press release from anything that happens inside your business. Now, the key is to figure out how to write the press release so that it stands out in 2020.

Proper Press Release Format Is Essential

The formatting of your press release will make all the difference when it comes to being picked up by journalists. Think of precisely what kind of angle your story can take; ask yourself what the broad appeal of your story is. Be creative, yet precise; it should be crystal-clear what unique value your press release holds.

Here’s how to write the essential components of your press release to maximize clarity, interest and search engine optimization (SEO).

Have a Hook-worthy, Captivating Title

The headline is the most important part of your press release!

It can inspire readers to stay on your press release to find out more information about your business.

A major component in choosing your headline is taking keyword research into account. Optimize the best keywords in the headline – cut out the fluff… eliminate as many non-keywords as possible. As viewers will be searching for your press releases in search engines, utilizing seed keywords, specific words, phrases, and long tail keywords is a must! We recommend using keyword tools like SEMRush, Uber Suggest, and Google Keyword Planner for this.

Ensure the title is 80 characters or fewer. Your title should include the unique hook or angle of your press release, written to include action verbs, as well as the main keyword you want to target. For maximum SEO, place the primary keyword you’re targeting in your press release as close to the beginning of the title as possible. The reason? Google cuts off titles at 80 characters (50 characters for mobile). Doing this helps ensure the fact that your keyword always gets indexed.

Briefly Summarize the Press Release Body

This section offers a snappy synopsis of what your press release states. It should entice prospective journalists to write about your company.

Keep this section to under 250 characters. Again, for SEO purposes, place your main  targeted keyword in this section.

Add a Dateline

Remember, your press release will read like news; include these items to add temporal and locational context.

Don’t publish your press release on the hour, when most news sites tend to publish content. Instead, schedule your publications at “weird” times throughout the day, such as forty-two minutes past the hour.

Have an Interesting Lead and Introductory Paragraph

This is where you’ll really want to hook your readers into your press release. By adding your most valuable statistics, announcements, figures or facts right at the top, you’ll convey the most unique, catchy elements of your story and keep readers eager to learn more. The information here should be what surprises, informs or inspires your readers.

Insert a Catchy Quote

When writing a press release, you should never forget to include a relevant quote. Go ahead, grab the best line from an interview with the organization’s leader, or from the company spokesperson’s best presentation.

Quotes are included in press releases to give the media or a journalist a valuable statement straight from an industry thought leader.

The quote itself should embody the organization, so it’s vital to include who said it and note his or her role within the company or the organization. If you’re quoting people outside the governing body, such as customers or board members, be sure to give them a proper label. Don’t forget to ask permission from the person regarding whether you can use his or her quote before it goes live.

Make Sure the Body Paragraphs are Comprehensive

Throughout the rest of the press release body, you can back up the initial hook with relevant quotes, authoritative outbound links, and extra data. You can include important keywords throughout the body, just be careful not to overuse them or place them in positions that don’t make sense; search engines penalize keyword stuffing.

● For best SEO practices, limit the number of links in your press release to three. Also, keep at least two of those as naked URLs (instead of descriptive hyperlinks); search engines favor these types of links. To avoid appearing spammy, ensure you place these links at least 100 characters apart from each other.

● Include any supplementary data you have, but remember that the most enticing figures should have already been presented in the lead paragraph of the press release.

● Lastly, keep your press release between 350 and 700 words. Too short, and you won’t provide comprehensive information; too long, and you’ll lose your readers’ interest.

Include Bullet Points, Images, Videos and Other Easy-to-Skim Elements

By including items that aid in comprehension, journalists who are short on time and readers who tend to skim will still get a great idea of what your press release is about.

Add a Boilerplate Company Statement

After you’ve written the body of your press release, include a quick, plainly-worded statement about your business. Tell readers exactly what your business does, and link to your company’s website. Include the official business name and your contact information.

Things to Avoid When You Write a Press Release

Be wary of distracting stylistic choices or unnecessary information. Press releases should reflect the objective nature of news reporting; therefore, you should omit any instances of the following:

●      First- or second-person voice

●      Fluff, filler or flowery wording

●      Opinions and hyperbole

●      Links to non-authoritative/spammy sites

As you can see, adhering to up-to-date practices for the best press release format will help you craft the most effective, authoritative press release, especially when it comes to SEO.

How Do You Distribute a Press Release in 2020?

First, consider using a press release distribution service. These services connect your business with respected journalists in relevant fields. Plus, some services will help you perfect your press release copy. Alternatively, you could reach out to journalists and media stations yourself. Keep in mind that these outlets are likely swarmed by story pitches, so ensure you make your press release stand out.

Write a Press Release: The Final Word

Now that you know what a press release is, how to format one and how to distribute it, you can try writing one. Remember, even in an increasingly digital age, consumers rely on news professionals to disseminate important business information. Whether you want your story to pop up on someone’s notification screen or to be printed in old-school ink, your press release has the power to generate interest in the amazing things your business does.

To learn more about press release services, please visit https://prreach.com/.

Frequently Asked Questions