8 ways PR pros can write outstanding press releases

Some might say the venerable press release is fading away, but this communicator argues that well-written copy still effectively spreads your news.

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You can post it on social media, but that may not reach everyone in your industry. There’s an alternative of far-reaching scope—a well-written press release.

The press release might seem old-school to some, it’s still an important PR tool. It connects to the audiences you care about: reporters, investors and customers.

The press release should only be used to announce real company news—product launches, opening a new office, introducing a new partnership, promoting or hiring an executive or receiving an award. A press release is the perfect way to get the word out.

Don’t just use a template to write a press release. Write a release that grabs your audience’s attention and keeps it to the end, a release that the media pick up.

Create a professional press release by doing the following:

1. Write a good headline. You have only a few words to get your readers’ attention. Make them count. Your headline should engage readers and make people want to know what you have to say.

2. Put the most important information in the first sentences. A reader bored by your first paragraph will not read beyond your first paragraph. Be sure to answer the who, what, where, when and why first.

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