What Is a Press Release? Importance, Types, & Examples

A press release is a short document that companies use to inform news outlets of newsworthy information in hopes of press coverage that will generate publicity and build brand awareness. It’s also known as a news release, media release, or press statement.

PR Underground is a team of public relations professionals who act as the middleman between an organization and the leading news media outlets and social media platforms.

While brands can pitch press releases to outlets directly, the benefit of working with PR Underground is their reputation in the public relations field.

Contact PR Underground for more information on press release distribution today!

What Is the Purpose of a Press Release?

Its purpose is to communicate important company news to the relevant audience. The possible goals are as varied as the types of business news.

Here are just a few such reasons press releases are sent out:

• To create awareness of a cause, initiative, or campaign (such as a corporate social responsibility initiative announcement.
• To promote a new product or service that will be a game-changer.
• Company milestones, such as the millionth automobile to roll off a manufacturer’s production line.
• Events, whether a company is hosting, sponsoring, or attending one.
• Industry awards that build credibility and brand awareness.
• A company announcement, including relocation, product recall, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and financial news.
• An employee announcement such as employee promotions or a new hire, especially a new executive.
• A research announcement, whether laboratory results from a biomedical company to a social survey by a customer research institute.

What Is the Benefit of a Press Release?

Press releases offer several benefits to companies. Let’s cover some of the most significant.

1. Promotion of Brand and Offerings

They’re great for promotional purposes, providing an easy and cost-effective way to generate publicity and gain media coverage for your brand.

Press releases are a very effective method of promoting companies’ products and services.

2. Improved SEO Performance

A major purpose of press releases is to get people talking. As such, a press release can generate valuable backlinks when people post about it, either on their own websites or social platforms.

The news story isn’t just about creating a buzz – it’s about putting your business on the digital map. The more people are talking and linking back to your website, the more the search engines will pay attention.

3. Reach a New Audience

A product announcement made through a professional PR firm takes your own story and brings it to an audience who may not yet be familiar with your brand. A skilled PR firm will help you publish and distribute your release and ensure you’re getting media coverage from advantageous sources.

A newsworthy event deserves all the attention it can get! Extend your reach beyond your traditional audience and find new customers by working with a talented public relations team.

How a Press Release Works

A press release goes through a few distinct stages.

• When a company has news, someone – either within the company or outside – writes a press release.
• The marketer then sends the release to media outlets or to a distribution company.
• The distribution company passes the information on through digital channels to those who may benefit from seeing this information.
• The word spreads that the company has a new service or offering, boosting awareness and potentially increasing sales.

Where to Send a Press Release

The appropriate recipient is any media outlet that has an audience who would find the news interesting and exciting and are thus potential customers.

Effective distribution companies know how to spread the news very quickly. A statement won’t be impactful without proper distribution – choose your PR expert with care.

A good press release generates interest in the company and helps to create brand awareness.

Types of Press Releases

There are many types of press releases, although they differ in function, not form.

Whether communicating an upcoming event, celebrating new hires, or providing investors with financial results, these press releases are an excellent tool for communication with the public.

Characteristics of a Press Release

Your press release must generate interest in the media outlet your company pitches and build buzz for your audience.

It needs to meet the following criteria in order to be successful:

• It is relevant for the media outlet and its audience.
• It is timely – old news is no news.
• It is true, in terms of accurate and verifiable detail, and without intent to mislead or deceive.
• It is clear, concise, and error-free.
• It follows the standard press release format with all the essential elements included.

What Is Included in a Press Release?

A press release has seven traditional elements: the company’s logo, the dateline, the headline, an introduction, body text, boilerplate, and media contact details.

Introductory Elements

Each of these elements has specific functions.

The logo helps identify the company and is usually included as a 200 × 200-pixel version that journalists can insert into a story published in print form.

The headline grabs the reader’s eye and sums up the entire press release. It should not exceed 6 words and should be comprised of 65 to 100 characters, including spaces. Most press releases format the headline centered, 14 points, and bold.

Sometimes a subheading is included. This expands on the headline and is limited to 170 characters.

The dateline specifies the release date, including whether an immediate release is desired or an alternative date.

Core Elements

The first paragraph is a factual summary of the most important information, including the time-honored key details that journalists dubbed the Five W’s (who, what, where, when, and why).

This key part of a press release is customarily single-spaced and 12-point.

The body paragraphs give additional details about the company announcement, including statistics, research findings, and quotes from someone such as a business executive.

These paragraphs should total 300 to 400 words and follow the AP style guide.

Concluding Elements

The media contact paragraph – sometimes called the end notation – provides the name, email address, and telephone number of the person who wrote the press release. You’ll add this info through a simple form when you submit your press release.

It often includes a CTA for journalists to visit the company’s website or attend an event. However, a CTA to the public is a no-no.

You may separately add a “boilerplate” text (this isn’t an integral part of the press release), which provides background information about the company such as its history, mission statement, and contact details.

What Are the Five Rules When Writing a Press Release?

The best practices mentioned below result in a well-written press release. These five rules maximize the power of communication.

1. Develop an angle. Every great piece of writing looks at a particular subject through a distinctive “lens”. Why is this announcement newsworthy and outstanding?
2. Write a strong headline (and subheading, if present). The headline of a press release is like the title of a novel: it conveys the entire story, while simultaneously whetting the reader’s appetite and inspiring them to find out more.
3. Write a solid opening paragraph. Anyone sufficiently intrigued by the headline should not be disappointed when they read on. The first sentence of this paragraph must convey the five w’s in an exciting way.
4. Include verified facts and figures that illustrate the newsworthiness and relevance of this particular press release and make it informative rather than overly self-promotional.
5. Include thoughtful and memorable quotes by leaders in your organization, as these help to personalize the piece and give it some of the business’ distinctive flavor.

Why a Solid Opening Draws Media Outlets to Pick Up Your Press Release

A solid opening establishes that your news is interesting and that you know how to communicate this information.

What Is the Most Important Thing About a Press Release?

The most important part of press release writing is arguably not a part of the press release at all!

The subject line is the first thing PR professionals or media sources see. Most will decide whether to open the email containing a company’s press release solely on the strength of the email’s subject line.

The most important part of press release writing is ensuring that the brand’s identity and its new product or service are center-stage. Readers should know exactly how to access these services, who to contact, and why it’s exciting news that this announcement is being made.

Working with PR professionals ensures your message will be heard loud and clear by the media sources you want to have to talk about your brand. It doesn’t matter if the tone is spot-on if you’re not working with a first-class distributor.

9 Best Practices for Writing a Press Release

A well-written press release has the following characteristics:

1. It is newsworthy – in other words, it conveys new and exciting information. It provides background information to back up the unique and superlative aspects of the news.
2. It is clear, factual, and free of filler, with every sentence conveying information – expanding on the five W’s and filling in other details.
3. It is concise: one page only (no less than 100 and no more than 2000 words).
4. It is dynamic, conveying passion and excitement while avoiding overly dramatic language.
5. It conveys carefully chosen company news to build brand awareness, creating a reputation for quality and reliability. As such, it is a valuable part of PR strategy.
6. It is informative. Even if it concerns a product launch or service announcement, it should avoid any CTA aimed at the public.
7. It is optimized to drive organic website traffic, thus serving as inbound digital marketing. Careful use of keywords and backlinks is of particular aid in this regard.
8. It has been checked for language errors before being released to media outlets. Software and human proofreading complement each other in this task.
9. It includes a media contact paragraph at the bottom of the page, with the details media outlets need to contact the press release writer to find out further information.

Here are some additional pointers to creating a successful press release.

Press Release Examples

The best way to learn how to write a good press release is to study those written by other companies, especially industry leaders in a particular field.

Check out real-life examples of press releases here.

Is Press Release a Marketing Strategy?

A press release or two can build brand awareness and build buzz around a new product or service. A news story creates a buzz around a company, especially when it’s releasing a new product or service. It also helps put a brand’s name on an ever-wider audience’s lips.

For these reasons, press releases are a vital part of any company’s marketing strategy.

The Need for a Press Release Distribution Service

Convinced that press releases are a valuable way of reaching your audience? Want more media coverage for your brand?

You may wonder where to send a press release: which media outlets to contact. There are so many outlets that pitching them all takes a lot of time – but not pitching them means less coverage.

You need a press release distribution provider!

Trust PR Underground to Distribute Your Press Releases

Enter PR Underground: your friendly PR professional team. PR Underground offers various membership tiers and distributes to Google News, 200+ TV and news sites, and DigitalJournal.com. A small additional charge secures distribution to 150 niche sites in Asia.

The US National Plan distributes to top sites such as Yahoo Finance, PR Newswire, Benzinga, and over 200 more.

Visit the PR Underground website today or call us at (646) 801-6772.