Points to note when drafting a press release

The art of writing press release is not known by many; One needs to follow basic format before writing the press release. Information like city, state, date will be stated at the beginning. Then there will be a three pounds sign which indicates that the press release has ended. The length of the press release is important. In most cases, PR professional suggest that it should be concise, and should not be more than 350 words. It will be short, but it will contain all the important information. In case of a long press release, you will find that although it is stretched, it has restated the same information in different words again and again.

In case there is some groundbreaking news, the press release should not be more than 500 words long. The word limit should be somewhere in between 350 and 500. It is better not to stretch a press release. Then there will be hardly any difference between a news article and a press release. Most media houses do not like press releases which keep on stating the same information again and again. Coming to the content, the press release should have 5-7 paragraphs. The first paragraph should be simple. A simple press release can have the maximum impact on the readers.

This will contain the basic information like the when, how, why, where and what. In case of the last paragraph which is considered the most vital, it will contain information about the organization. There can be one or two quotes and there should be two to three paragraphs which will contain something newsworthy. If you have written a good press release, it will not be difficult to publish it. If you have a story to tell, you can share it with the rest of the world. Moreover, you should always think from the perspective of a journalist. Once you know about your readers, it will be easier for you to write the content.

Check the format of the press release. When you tell a story, you just don’t narrate it, you must think of an interesting angle which will help to sustain the interest of the readers. The story can cover a wide range of topics like holidays, or events, developments within the company, unique products, personal accomplishments, and something funny or wise. Laughter is the best medicine. If you can bring a smile on the face of the readers with your story, it will be double whammy!