Writing a press release made simple

One question we are always asked here at Astley Media HQ is ‘How do I write a press release?’
It can be a daunting task and often it’s best left to the professionals but follow our simple 8-point guide and you won’t go far wrong:

1) Be honest with yourself about whether whatever it is you want to write about is interesting enough. That may sound obvious but a lot of press releases fall at the first hurdle because they are boring or are nothing more than a plug for a business or product. Use the ‘pub test’. If someone told you what you are planning to put in your release, would it be something you’d be desperate to tell someone else about while having a drink with friends for instance?

2) Use the pyramid technique. This means that you distill the most important information into the first two paragraphs and then expand the detail as the press release unfolds. For instance … A new showroom in Exeter which has kitchens and bathrooms only usually seen in much larger cities outside the South West has turned over £500,000 in a six-month period, taken on new staff and won exciting new contracts abroad. Obviously you cannot get all of that detail into one paragraph so you need to decide on the most important piece of information and focus on that.
If we decide that the money is the most interesting angle, the first paragraph could read: A kitchen and bathroom showroom which is seeking to keep the spend of high earners in the South West has secured orders of more than £500,000 so far in 2013.
We would follow that with the other information and then a brief history about the business and a pen picture of the people running it.

3) Don’t forget the who, what, when, where, how, why. These should be the guiding principles of any press release. If you don’t answer these questions yourself, you cannot guarantee that the person who receives it will be bothered to either, and that could mean your hard work is consigned to the waste bin.

4) Keep it tight. Journalists will make an instant judgement about whether your release is newsworthy or not and many are short on time, and patience. Your press release should be no more than 300 words long. You can add a notes to editors section at the bottom which can include more routine information.

5) Collaborate! If you have pulled off a deal thanks to the help of a local firm of solicitors or accountants, ask if they would like to put out a joint press release. Many have their own marketing departments so may even do the job for you and associating your name with theirs could boost your credibility.

6) Add your contact details (mobile, website, email and social media accounts), date the release and state an embargo if you want to manage the timing of the information. NB: This only usually works for big announcements and embargoes can sometimes work against you.

7) Make it ‘oven ready’. Many newspapers, in particular, are short on resource these days and the more you can do to help them, the better chance you have of your release being used. That means thinking pictures as well as words. The photograph above is one we used to illustrate the kitchen and bathroom showroom story, it was real life example! Investing in a professional photographer can pay dividends in terms of the amount of exposure you can potentially achieve.

8) Support those who you are asking to support you. If you want a local newspaper to publish your press release, the least you can do is buy it! This is also a good way to see what the competition is up to and learn some news writing techniques.
For more information and a free one-hour consultation with a member of the Astley Media team, please email marc@astleymedia.co.uk or visit www.astleymedia.co.uk

* The boys pictured are Astley Media clients Ross and Mark from Sapphire Living Space, near Darts Farm, Topsham, Devon.
They are pictured in their amazing spiral cellar, which is sunk into the ground of their showroom and is the only one on display outside of London.
It is is quite extraordinary and well worth a visit.
Their website can be found at http://www.sapphirespaces.co.uk/the-company/sapphire-living-space