What is a press release? Meaning, examples and tips.

What is a press release?

A press release is a short, written statement – often structured like a news story – that a business will issue to the media to publicly share an important announcement. For example, this could be announcing product launches, rebrands, mergers, or events. Press releases should be newsworthy, as their purpose is to generate media attention for a brand or business. They are also often called media releases.

Some key things to use in a press release include a:

• Headline. Catchy, and succinctly summarises the purpose.
• Dateline. Tells the reader when the statement was released.
• Introduction. Succinct paragraph detailing the main news angle of the announcement. Called an intro.
• Body text. Following paragraphs expand on the intro in order of importance, working down to background details.
• Boilerplate. Short paragraph about the business which has issued the release, plus any necessary contact information.
• Call-to-action (CTA). Prompting the journalist to take the next action. For example, arrange an interview or get test products.

What is the purpose of a press release?

The main purpose of a press release is for a business to announce important information to the media with the aim of it being picked up by a journalist or editor and published in a newspaper – print or online – or covered on TV news.

It will usually have been written and issued by a company’s PR or communications team. People within such teams are often ex-journalists and know how to write and structure their releases like a traditional news story to make it more appealing to a news desk.

The press release is, however, a corporate document and representative of the brand or business in question. So, it may use formal language, industry jargon, and overplay the positive. Comms and PR professionals understand that their release will be rewritten by any journalist who picks it up, but they aim to make it as usable as possible by following the newswriting format to some extent.

Regardless, for a journalist to pick it up, the release must be newsworthy. That means it must contain news – information the editor thinks their readership would enjoy. Editors are less likely to pick up releases that simply promote the brand, with no news angle.

Provided there’s a news angle, the main thing is to start with a compelling headline and intro paragraph which puts across the key message in an easy-to-understand way and entices the journalist to read on.

Some key purposes of press releases include:

• Announcing newsworthy events and launches
• Gaining media coverage
• Shaping brand perception
• Generating traffic for a site or product
• Controlling the narrative after a reputational issue.

Press releases allow businesses to save money on advertising, while creating and building relationships with journalists and media outlets. This can help build brand credibility on a wider scale, especially if partnered with an online marketing campaign on social media, for example.

What are the benefits of a press release?

Whatever the size of your business, a press release can have many benefits, such as helping to build brand awareness and develop relationships with the media. For example, a press release can help you:

Build credibility.

Press releases are often distributed through reputable channels like news agency wire services and other media outlets, which can help boost a business’ trust, credibility, and authority in the space. And if a release has been picked up from a newswire by a journalist and written into a story in a national newspaper, this helps to built brand credibility and trust with its readers too, who could become future customers.

Save on costs.

A press release is considered a cost-effective means of communication. An employee in the PR, comms or marketing team will use their existing skills and time to draft the release, and their contacts to outreach it to newswires and the media. This gives businesses a wider reach, while also allowing them to shape their own narrative, to an extent – journalists will typically rewrite the release.

Gain media attention.

The beauty of publishing your press release on a news wire or similar media outlet is the breadth of those services’ reach. Once on the wire or database, your brand name and the story you have crafted in the release will be seen by newspaper editors, journalists, trade media and more.

Build journalist relationships.

If your press release is picked up by a journalist who covers your industry or sector, that could be the start of a fruitful working relationship. You want to share news about your company in press releases; they’re looking for news about the industry to publish in their magazine or paper. When you’re planning a new campaign or release, they may offer to cover it again.

Boost website and social traffic.

Building relationships, credibility, and coverage can also lead to increased online traffic for your brand. Whether you’re organising an event, a brand re-boot or a product launch, your press release should be clear and concise regarding the actions people should take if they want to interact with your news. This may then lead to increased site traffic, and social media interactions.

Reinventing the press release for a visual-first world.

Creating a press release isn’t just about the statement itself, it’s important to ensure that every announcement is visually appealing and eye-catching. Just like a social media post or email campaign, it needs to grab the attention of journalists, media contacts and your audience.

So, how do you create a unique press release for a visual-first world? Here are a few examples:

• Add eye-catching infographics. Infographics and charts help to bring your data to life. They can visualise otherwise complex information and make it more bite-sized and digestible for readers. It also allows you to get a little more creative, rather than sticking to text.
• Use relevant media snippets. Eye-catching photo and video content not only visually appeals to readers, but it also provides extra information. Adding product walkthroughs and brand-relevant images are great ways to pique people’s interest.
• Keep up consistent branding. Use your brand’s colour palette, logo and visual assets to ensure consistency across everything you release. This will also help to ensure your press release partners well with further campaigns on social media, email and even in print.
• Put faces to names and quotes. Often, press releases will include quotes, statements and ideas that are attached to particular people at your business. To make things feel more personal, include photos of the relevant people involved in the announcement.