As part of corporate communication strategies, the press release plays a crucial role.
This communication tool is widely used by bodies, organizations and professionals to communicate with the main press agencies at a national and international level, but also with different types of media such as television, radio, blogs and online information platforms.
The purpose of the press release is to officially disseminate information relating to events, innovations, complaints, research results, launches of new products and so on.
However, its success is not guaranteed if some basic principles are not respected in its drafting. Let’s go and discover them!
Correctly structure a press release
Creating a press release requires a different approach than writing a classic article for newspapers or the web.
A press release uses the inverted pyramid technique , in which the most important information is the one that is presented first. In this way, it is ensured that the reader is immediately made aware of the main topic of the press release.
After communicating the main news, which should be included in the title and initial text of the press release, you can move forward with the details. This structure not only highlights the importance of communication , but also guides the reader through the text in a step-by-step manner.
When drafting a press release, it is advisable to keep in mind the structure of the 5 Ws ( What, When, Who, Why, Where ), i.e. the fundamental questions: What, When, Who, Why and Where. These questions help you create a complete text that meets all the reader’s needs.
In detail, a press release should identify: the issuer (company, institution, organization, union, etc.), the subject (main topic of the communication), the date (when what is written in the text takes place or took place), the place (where the event takes place, where the company is located, etc.) and the “why” (the reason why what is described in the press release is important).
Writing a press release: key steps
Once you have assimilated the structure of the press release, you need to concentrate on drafting the text in the most effective way possible.
To write a quality press release, it is essential to carefully study every part of the text to give perfect communication to the media, who will then disseminate it to their audience.
1. Analysis of the target audience
An essential element of every corporate communication strategy is the definition of the target audience.
You cannot communicate effectively without an accurate understanding of your target audience, so you can use words, phrases and expressions that resonate with them and grab their attention.
This is why it is essential to have a good understanding of the target audience and create a tone of voice that can involve potential readers.
2. Create a catchy title
The title is a crucial element for a press release that wants to capture the attention of readers.
Not only that, it must be able to attract the attention of the journalists or newspapers that will receive it. In order for your release to stand out among hundreds of others, it is essential that the title is eye-catching and effectively summarizes the content of the release.
Furthermore, if the press release is also intended for online information platforms, it is important that the title is optimized for SEO .
The headline can determine the success of your press release; therefore, dedicate the right amount of time necessary to design the right one. This way you will have the opportunity to see the press release published quickly after sending it via e-mail.
3. Summary
The summary or subtitle of the press release should illustrate the content of the body of the text.
These sentences have an explanatory function and provide the reader with some information before proceeding with reading the complete content. Furthermore, they are essential to be able to give an overview of the content.
So it’s good to be able to create an engaging introduction that engages the user and leads him to move forward.
4. The attack
The attack of the press release is essential to be able to make the user continue reading and take him to the end of the article, i.e. to its closure. The information must meet the expectations that were realized for the user when creating the title and summary.
5. The central body
The main body of the press release should be concise, interesting and full of useful information. It must not be too long or too short, but must contain all the necessary information.
In this segment, you should include the most relevant details of the news, focus the reader’s attention on what you really want to communicate to them and insert any data, quotes, statements from people relevant to the company or organization.
6. The closure
After drafting the body of the text, you will have to conclude the press release in order to achieve the desired objective. The closing could be a call to action, to share or to realize the goal you had in mind with this communication.
7. Review the press release
Last but not least, it is essential to carefully review the content of the press release.
Before sending it, it is essential to make sure there are no grammatical, syntactical or contact input errors. After a thorough review, it will be ready to be sent to editorial offices and newspapers.
Don’t know how to create a press release or have no idea how to send it to the main newspapers?
If, however, you don’t know how to create it and need support, you must not hesitate in any way to ask for help from the Kadva service, we will help you achieve the right results.
