I get a lot of questions emailed to me. By far, the most popular questions are about press releases. So here's the scoop on everything you need to know about press releases, how to write them, and how to deliver those bad boys to the media.

What is a press release?

Entrepreneur Magazine defines the press release as “A public relations announcement issued to the news media and other targeted publications for the purpose of letting the public know of company developments.”

A press release should share news about your company. You might also see people referring to press releases as ‘news releases.’

Also, the abbreviation ‘PR’ does not mean ‘press release.’ It stands for ‘public relations.’ Public relations encompasses many additional elements beyond just writing press releases.

Who are press releases for?

You can write a press release with the intention of getting media coverage (print, broadcast, and online outlets).

You can also issue a press release that speaks directly to your customers. These press releases are often keyword-rich, include an offer that customers can respond to, and are optimized for searching and browsing.

When should I write and send a press release?

You can write and issue press releases for many occasions including (but not limited to):

• New products or services
• Book releases
• Company events or contests
• New study or research findings
• Tip sheets (original tips related to your business)
• New business launch
• New location
• Company anniversary
• Company awards
• New partnerships
• New investors
• New employee announcements

**Remember if you are sending press releases to the news media, ONLY send press releases to an outlet when appropriate. For example, you wouldn’t send a new employee announcement to a national consumer magazine, but you might send it to the business section of your local newspaper.

How do I write a press release?

Before you even type one word, make sure you are writing your press release from the perspective of the media. This means you have to have an angle (news hook).

There has to be a reason for a member of the media to cover your story. It’s not good enough to say “I created this brand new line of organic skincare that smells amazing and feels great.” They don’t care about that. They aren’t there to provide free advertising for your business.

Instead, you would need to find an angle. For example, a client of mine, Om Aroma, released a Pumpkin Seed Night Serum last fall – which is deliciously amazing by the way! Around the same time, a study was released that showed pumpkin seeds could boost sex drive. This was a catchy, newsworthy tie-in to announce a new product.

After you have your angle, your press release must include the following elements:

Headline

Headlines are not easy to write. I probably write 20-30 headlines before I settle on one. The best thing to do is look at the headlines on the cover of magazines, in newspapers, and the titles of segments for top news programs like The Today Show. This will help you create an “inspiration file” of words and phrases to use as a headline.

EXAMPLE: Give your Grocery Cart a Healthy Makeover

Subhead

You might also want to include a subhead to further describe your news.

EXAMPLE: Wellness Expert Melissa Cassera Releases Supermarket Cheat Sheet to Find Deliciously Slim Foods in Every Aisle

Body

Press releases should feature the most important information at the top and then flow down. Remember to write in ‘third person.’

Navigating the supermarket can be stressful. Between confusing labels, hard to avoid bakery aromas, and tempting displays of unhealthy foods, it’s all too easy to ditch the well-meaning shopping list and splurge. Wellness Expert Melissa Cassera recently released a Grocery Cart Makeover Guide available for free download on her website <website URL>. The guide is filled with ideas to help people load their carts with slimming foods that still satisfy the taste buds.

The remainder of the press release features supporting information and quotes that help back-up the heading, subhead, and lead-in information.

Boilerplate

This is a PR term that basically describes your company in a few short sentences. You can also include your web address here.

About Melissa Cassera
Melissa Cassera is a nationally-syndicated Wellness Expert covering the latest in healthy living advice for audiences across the country. She speaks regularly on Wellness and Nutrition topics and serves as a spokesperson for a number of healthy living brands. For more information, visit www.melissacassera.com

How do I format a press release?

This is what it should look like (minus the pink background of course)

Once it’s done, what do I do with it?

You can send it to a targeted list of media contacts. Please make sure the content within the press release is appropriate for the contacts you are sending it to. I also recommend you send the press release along with a short personal pitch, a paragraph or two, that includes a personal greeting and a little synopsis of what is in the press release. I always copy and paste the press release into the body of the email rather than send as an attachment. Always check your formatting before emailing.

You may also post your press release in your press room on your website. I like to write the headline and then create a click-able link to the release, which opens in a PDF document.

You can also do the following with your finished press release:

• Print and include in your media kit
• Print and bring to trade shows or other industry events where you might meet the media
• Purchase a newswire distribution service such as ereleases.com
• Post on free press release distribution sites like PRLog.com
• Send to your customer list

Was this article helpful? Do you have additional questions about press releases? Please share in the comments below!

Hands down the biggest complaint I receive from small business owners when they contact me for PR goes something like this:

I wrote a press release and emailed it to over 100 people. I only got one response. What am I doing wrong?

Now, I’m not going to say the press release is ‘dead’ or that you should never use them. In fact, a press release can be extremely effective if used in the right context.

What’s wrong is that the press release can’t possibly be tailored to all of those 100 members of the media it was sent to.

For example, if you’re sending the same pitch to Glamour Magazine, your local business journal, and Good Morning America – each of those outlets need to receive a very different pitch. Let’s say your product is the latest eco-friendly lip balm.

• Glamour should receive a pitch for their beauty section to review the product or include it on their editor favorites section. You can also pump up your pitch by including the top reasons you should wear lip balm or the hidden ingredients in most lip balm brands. Remember major magazines work about 5-6 months ahead, so in February you would pitch for their summer issue. In June, you would pitch the holiday issue.
• Your local business journal will spotlight local business members. Note the word local. Your story needs to have a local approach and you must be comfortable discussing how you built the business, your challenges as a start up, and sometimes your revenue growth. This is a company story rather than a story about your product.
• Good Morning America or any other TV show requires segments to be more visual. It’s not enough to bring your product and show it on air and talk about the inspiration behind it. Instead maybe pitch a segment about the harmful chemicals found in cosmetics that you uncovered during your research. Or band together with other small business owners in a similar category and go on air as the ‘expert’ presenting a group of items (including your own) as Best Eco-Beauty Picks. There are also a number of industry experts that you could pitch directly to consider your product for an on-air placement.

Understanding the differences between the outlets you are pitching – and understanding the intricacies of each outlet – will make your pitching more successful. You can certainly use that press release, but make sure to customize a short pitch for each person you contact and use the press release as a way to provide additional information in a concise and compelling manner!