Press Release Writing
Information and guidelines prior to developing a Press Release
We anticipate some of the press releases are perfect, but others could use a revision or two.
Even minor mistakes can hurt your credibility.
Even minor mistakes can hurt your credibility.
Here are a couple of common press release errors you should try to avoid.
Lack of Content
A lot of press releases are not approved because they lack substantial or significant content. You don’t want the press release to be too long, but a short one could leave out important information. Try to stick to about 300 words.
All Upper Case Characters
Do not submit a press release in all upper case characters. The headline shouldn’t be in all caps, either, and will cause your press release to be rejected.
Grammatical Mistakes
Even the best writers make grammatical errors. Proofread your release before submitting it.
Advertising
Don’t write a press release like an advertisement. If we feel you are trying to sell your product rather than provide news, we can reject your press release.
Bad Formatting
On occasion, strange characters or bad formatting can creep into your press release during the submission (copy and paste) process. Make sure your press release is formatted as you intended and no strange characters are left in the copy.
Copyright and Violations
we discourage the use of copyrighted material in any manner that violates the copyright owner’s rights. In cases where copyright is disputed, the press release will be immediately removed without recourse or discussion, regardless of the arguments presented by the disputing parties.
Press Release Writing Tips
Begin with power
Your title and initial lines should briefly and directly convey what you want to say. Include the “who, what, where, when and why” in the lead of your press release. The remainder should include supporting facts and examples.
Speak the media language
Some media agencies and journalists will grab your press release and carry it in their publications with slight editing or no alteration. Even if it is not used word for word, journalists will reference it for other stories or to create their own story ideas. The more information you include, the less work the media has to do, and the more likely they’ll feature your press release.
Put yourself as the reader
Your press release should be able to keep the reader’s interest. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. Would you want to read your press release? Does it answer the first few questions that pop in your head?
Make it relevant
Try to point out real examples to support the message you want to communicate. Show why your information is important and how it benefits the reader. If your release isn’t newsworthy, don’t expect anyone to read it.
Support your story with facts
Facts make your point stronger and tell the journalist you’ve already done much of the research for them. If you pull facts from other sources, make sure you attribute them. Avoid fluff and add-ons, and never make anything up. If content seems too good to be true, tone it down or you could hurt your credibility.
Be concise
Avoid using superfluous adjectives, extravagant language, or unnecessary clichés. Get to the point and tell your story as directly as possible.
Avoid industry jargon
The harder your press release is to understand for journalists and laymen, the less likely it is to be picked up. A limited use of industry terminology is ok, if you’re trying to optimize the news release for internet search engines.
Avoid exclamation points
The use of exclamation points may hurt your credibility by creating unnecessary hype. However, if you have to use an exclamation point, use only one! Not several!!!
Get permission
Companies can be defensive about their name and image. Get written permission before including information or quotes from officials or associates of other companies/organizations.
Include company information
The press release should conclude with a short description of your company, including where your company is based, what products and service it provides and a brief history. If you write a press release for more than one company, provide information for all the companies at the end of the release. Also include contact information and both phone number and e-mail for each company’s spokesperson.
Are You Ready to Get Published?
We publish news releases for hundreds of companies, government agencies and NGO’s and we deliver the news quickly and accurately to journalists on behalf of our customers in Indonesia and around the region. So if you are ready to get published or just want to ask about our services or other information, please feel free to contact us.