This post is written by Andita Listyarini, Communications and Learning Officer of the International Land Coalition (ILC) Asia in Indonesia.

  • The problem: Ensuring your press release achieves the desired outreach may seem like a daunting task.
  • Why it matters: Even in the age of digital information, the press release remains a classic and effective tool to amplify your brand identity.
  • The solution: By finding the balance between being concise and informative, your press release will have a better chance of getting picked up.

Many people working in the public relations industry dread the idea of writing a press release - especially a short, effective one that grabs journalists’ attention. Media professionals receive dozens of press releases every day, and even failing to write an attractive email subject could mean that your release will go down the drain.

So, what does it take to create that attention-grabbing press release? First of all, defining what a press release is will help us to do so. A press release is a document that announces a newsworthy story about your organisation, brand, or company, and provides sufficient information for journalists, in the hope that the media will want to cover it.

It is always a challenge to collate information on complex issues and make it relatable to your audience.

There are many benefits to writing a press release, apart from getting higher visibility for your organisation. It helps to establish your reputation as an expert in your field and build a good rapport with media contacts. In times of crisis, it also helps you to respond to such situations with your own perspective.

When I first started my career as a communications professional, I did not have a solid idea of what an appealing press release would look like. My first opportunity to write one was when I was out in the field covering a work event, so there was a quick turnaround. It made me realise that writing and publishing a press release is indeed a time-intensive task, but requires fastidiousness even when you are working under pressure. On top of that, the most challenging part is to ensure that your release will eventually get covered in the media.

Keeping in mind the diverse objectives of writing a press release, below are some tips that should work for every context:

  1. Find a newsworthy angle

Whether it’s an event announcement, product launch, or simply breaking news about your organisation, a well-written press release is not only interesting but must also be relevant to the media’s news agenda. I often ask myself the two questions “so what?” and “why now?” when writing one. To get journalists to cover your story, you need to ensure that your press release has this hook.

  1. Create an impactful headline

Use the main information in your release to make a short, clear, and compelling headline. Your headline should capture the most essential facts of your story.

  1. Use simple language

It always helps to position yourself as the readers of your press release. It is always a challenge to collate information on complex issues and make it relatable to your audience. Be sure that you are not using terminology that may confuse your readers.

  1. Provide quotes

Journalists like the idea of having a human voice scattered among facts and figures. Quotes also help to bring visibility to the people behind your organisation and add credibility to the issues you are trying to raise awareness of.

  1. Keep it concise

The basic idea of distributing a press release is to give an overview of your story with a few pertinent details. Keep your release to the point as we know that journalists are busy individuals who work on tight deadlines.

The task of writing an effective press release does not stop here. Be sure that you have reviewed all of the information provided and check that you do not have any errors. End the press release with your boilerplate; a brief background and overview of the company, and contact information.

Be mindful that there will always be trials and errors in writing an effective press release and that is okay! By maintaining a good relationship with your media contacts, you can also learn from them.

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