What Are Press Release Best Practices?

Be Clear, Concise, and Engaging

A successful press release needs to communicate its main point in a concise, clear, and engaging way. Your headline should be attention-grabbing and provide an accurate preview of the message of your release.

The body of the press release should support this message with facts, quotes, statistics, or other evidence that provides more detail. Keep your press release focused on one key point, and be sure to include a call to action that encourages readers to take the desired action.

Capture Attention by Incorporating Visuals

We live in a social media-driven world where attention spans are short and visuals get the most attention. Chances are, you gravitate towards social media updates and news that have some sort of visual component, be it an image, video, infographic, or otherwise.

With press releases, the more visual they are, the better. After all, 80% of journalists find photos and videos helpful, while 86.1% have incorporated such assets into their stories.

Adding multimedia elements to your press release can be highly beneficial in several ways. Videos can show your product, images can illustrate your impact, and infographics can summarize data, all of which appeal to different learning styles.

Multimedia pieces are easier to publish on social media platforms, websites, blogs, and newsletters. Finally, they offer evidence to back up your assertions and reputation.

Enhance Press Releases With Relevant Quotes

Quotes add color to press releases. When collecting information to share with the public, get a quote from the organization’s spokesperson, marketing director, manager, etc. This is a great way to add substance to the content without having to do the heavy lifting yourself.

If getting a quote is a struggle, consider crafting a quote on the person’s behalf and have them sign off on it. They might tweak it to sound more like them or think of things to add to it. Either way, you’ll have a more credible story with words straight from the horse’s mouth.

Write Press Releases in News Article Style

Write a press release like a news or web article and include as many quotes from an expert as possible. Many print and web publications don’t always have time to do interviews. If a press release is written well enough, the content can be copied and pasted.

Boost Brand Recognition With Logo Inclusion

A press release is often a hot topic and is something many people are watching out for. It details in the simplest way, something newsworthy and something to get excited about. And because it’s a major marketing strategy, it’s important that you include your brand’s logo somewhere within the press release.

It doesn’t matter necessarily where in the press release it should go, but make it stand out enough that people can see what it is, but small enough to not overshadow the press release. Consumers will see the logo right away and make a connection about who posted it.

Weave a Unique Story

A standout practice is weaving a unique story element throughout the press release. Instead of presenting mundane facts, infuse your press release with an intriguing narrative that captivates readers. Start by establishing context—explain why the announcement matters, highlight industry trends or share a relatable anecdote.

Use the Inverted Pyramid Structure

One best practice for writing an effective company press release is to use the inverted pyramid structure. This classic journalism technique presents the most critical information first, then important details, and then the background or additional info.

This structure ensures the central message is promptly conveyed, enhancing readability and comprehension. It also lets readers grasp the core message quickly, making it effective in today’s fast-paced information consumption habits where people just skim through the press releases or news.

The inverted pyramid structure involves answers to the 5 Ws and 1H (What, why, when, where, who, and How) in the introductory paragraph so that readers know exactly what they are reading about and will be more hooked to gain more information.

Craft Targeted, Legitimate Releases

The best pitch practices involve knowing your audience and your craft. Targeted, legitimate releases are key. It should go without saying, but first, have legitimate content that interests individuals outside of your organization. Not just self-promoting fluff—good PR professionals aren’t just MarCom, but specialized practitioners.

And second, it needs to go to publications or reporters that would be interested (you don’t send a health tech release to an opera enthusiast magazine).