How to write a good corporate press release

Build your brand, explain your mission and engage your audience. This can all be done through a corporate press release that excites, attracts and most importantly promotes your business. Despite the ever growing presence of social media, press releases remain a credible and effective tool to promote a brand or message. Its role is central to communication whether that be internally or externally. To stand out today, it is imperative that corporate communication methods adapt effective strategies behind their press releases. Keep reading to discover how to write a top quality press release. 

Write the press release you would like to read

We all know what a press release is. When you get an email or a newsletter from a brand or company, what is the first thing you look at? What makes you want to keep reading and find out more about what has landed in your inbox? When constructing any form of corporate communication, always keep in mind that if you do not enjoy reading it yourself then it is highly likely that your audience will not enjoy it either. Make it memorable and be direct.  

Technical recommendations for a corporate press release

In order to adapt your content to your target, and to spread a corporate message, here are some recommendations to follow when writing your press release. These elements are not the firsts you will think of, but it’s important to base your content on them.

Timing is a virtue 

Before writing there are a few crucial factors that should be taken into consideration in order to optimise the reach of the press release.  First things first, think about the time and date when sending. This can greatly affect its success and how much traction and engagement it will receive. If you are based in the UK and you are targeting the US, remember that there is a large difference in time zone. If the press release is promoting a product or event, strategize as to how far in advance you will need to communicate in order to spark buzz and interest. Timing is key. 

Use Data

A great device to use when sending press releases is an email recommendation tool. There are several email marketing softwares available that can be used to create, optimise and analyse email or press campaigns. Companies such as Cision, Mail Chimp and Freshmarketer are just a few examples. These platforms not only make it easier to send to the masses but they will also provide detailed reports after sending. This can include comprehensive analysis on who opened and clicked on any relevant links.  Many platforms can also provide search engines, media contacts and specific lists which allow you to target the right subject matter or journalist.  

Aesthetically pleasing 

Another aspect to remember is that readers are always attracted by the visual content of any communication. If images, logos or videos are included or attached, make sure that they are in high resolution. Quality is vital and a blurry or low resolution image can come across as unprofessional and badly presented. 

Boiler Plate: The cherry on the cake

Insert a boiler plate. In public relations a boiler plate is a short paragraph that provides a high level background. Albeit short in length, it tells the reader who you are and what you represent, creating a golden opportunity to explain the company as a whole, not just the specific product or message you are communicating that day. The boiler plate acts as a form of company business card making it a great way to end a press release. 

Catch the reader’s attention

Catching the reader’s attention is the primary objective. In order to do this, crafting a short, appealing headline or email subject is a must. If your headline is not good, the email will not be opened. Keep in mind that journalists receive hundreds, if not more, press releases per day. What makes yours stand out against the others? Keep in mind that a captivating headline goes a long way. Next, get to the point. Once creating an excellent headline, the body is the following crucial factor. The beauty is in the details. Journalists do not have time to read through pages and pages of irrelevant information. In essence they need to know the facts about said communication. The five W’s, Who, What, Why, When, Where, is a strategy that can never go wrong. Remember to keep the content appealing, interesting and relevant enough to hold interest. Do not waste the journalist’s time. 

Examples of good press releases

To spark some inspiration, it is a great idea to look at previous styles of press releases.  Whether you are announcing a new product, event or service, keeping examples on file means you already have a creative starting point. Find below a few examples of some winning press releases! 

Event Press Release 

In 2021, HEINZ released not just a successful but also an extremely innovative press release that captivated the public and the press alike. Their title ‘HEINZ Is Searching for Its First-Ever ‘Head Burger Artist’ intrigued and made its readers hungry for more information. They were not looking for a new employee, instead they created a competition where anyone could win $25,000, free travel to sample some delicious burgers and of course HEINZ condiments for life. HEINZ managed to not only grab attention but also encouraged the public to actively get involved in their product. Besides the appealing headline, the press release had all the basic elements required to immediately attract their audience. By holding the interest of the reader, HEINZ portrayed a great example of how to get people excited for a new product by including its audience in the communication.  Encouraging its consumers to get involved made their corporate communication newsworthy in a fun and tantalising way. This press release is a nice reminder that not every press release or corporate communication needs to be super serious and that an element of excitement and fun can go a long way! 

Product Launch Press Release 

When launching a new product, ask yourself why this product is innovative and what makes it a newsworthy headline. A wonderful example is when Apple launched their Apple Watch product. The headline ‘Apple Watch: The ultimate combination of design, function and value’, engages, intrigues and leaves the reader wanting more. Alongside this they included high quality, sleek images that created buzz for something the reader may have not known they wanted or even needed. The Apple Watch press release demonstrates how technically a non-essential product can become essential in daily life. 

Maximise your reach 

Know your audience. You would not sell milk to someone who is lactose intolerant or promote meat to a vegan. It sounds simple but targeting the right audience is essential. Even if this audience is small, specificity is key. Although time consuming, making sure your press release hits the right journalist or inbox can be far more rewarding than sending to generic email addresses. Researching journalists or outlets who have written similar stories about your topic or product is a sure way to know that your news will be valuable to them.

Get a newsroom

If you want your well-written, fascinating corporate news delivered to your target audience, get a newsroom! An effective press release needs to be properly referenced. A newsroom allows all your corporate stories to be centralised. They can be organised, written, modified and assembled for further diffusion from the newsroom.

Your newsroom also is a mandatory part of your SEO strategy. It is one of the most efficient ways to ensure key audience visibility while also encouraging durable gains in terms of traffic on your website. Your news stories and press releases will be made available for visitors around the world at no cost.

You should most likely pay attention to the complexity of building and installing a newsroom. This tool has to be heavily SEO-friendly, ergonomic and frequently updated. The technicality of a good newsroom cannot be ignored if you want optimal media coverage. Solutions such as Wiztopic can heavily help as they offer an easy way to build optimised, functional newsrooms you can easily manage from a single interface.

There you have it, some of the most essential tools in order to write a great corporate press release to promote your message to the masses. When it boils down to it, the three most important points to remember when writing a killer corporate press release are: 

• A short, catchy headline. 
• Be direct. 
• Specify your audience. 

Good luck and get writing!