Put both the location and date in the same parenthesis. At the start of your first paragraph, in all caps, include the name of the city and state where the company is located followed by the date the release is being distributed. The email subject line should be even shorter, as most email subject previews are only about 50 characters before cutting you off. Try to target a length of 100 characters for the entire headline. Keep your headline short and direct, including your company’s name when possible. Add formatting.Īfter you write the release, you need to go back and add the standard formatting for a press release. At the end of the paragraph, make sure to also add a hyperlinked URL to your company’s website. A clear and well-written boilerplate will help reporters accurately describe your company in their coverage.Īt the bottom of your press release you’ll want to include an “about” header followed by a short, consistent paragraph explaining what your company does, your company’s mission, where it’s headquartered and other relevant information. The goal of the boilerplate is to help reporters understand more about your company if they are referencing your company in their story. Some call it a boilerplate, and others call it an “about us” section. Related: Is Sending Out a Press Release Really Worth the Money? 5.
If they approve the quote that you’ve drafted, you’ve now got a testimonial that can be used anywhere in the future, referencing the news article the quote appeared in or the press release which is posted on your website.
DATELINE REPORTERS FULL
You will want to draft a full quote for these partners that praises your company by name, describing why they like you so much, etc. The same goes for partners you may be referencing in the release such as a new customer or happy partner. Instead of asking your source to give you a quote to use, I highly recommend you write a proposed draft quote and include it directly into your press release - then go to the source with the full draft release and ask for edits or permission to use the quote.
DATELINE REPORTERS HOW TO
Most people, even successful CEOs, may not know how to draft a quote that contributes to the goals of a press release. A bad quote is usually so generic that it doesn’t benefit the story to include it. Including meaningful quotes allows you to add some subjectivity to the story and also helps reporters understand why your company or source is relevant to the story you are pitching.ĭrafting the perfect quote can be a tricky task. The second or third paragraph of your press release should include a quote from a key source that contributes to how you want the story told. A one or two sentence lead-in may be okay, but if it takes you a paragraph before even mentioning the company’s name or what your announcement is, then you are not writing an effective press release that will create the results you want. Your job is to explain how you’re the solution or relevant to the greater story. Don’t write a long lead-in paragraph explaining an issue - that’s their job to set up the story for their audience. Remember that the idea of a press release is to get the reporter to write their own story, not for you to write it for them. If they remove the last paragraph of your press release, do the first four paragraphs still tell a complete story? What if they only run three paragraphs (or only two)? Always put the most important info at the top of a press release so that if the release is cut short, it still tells a complete story. If a newspaper is going to run your press release word-for-word, they’re going to do it based on how much space they have available.
Assume your entire press release is five paragraphs. Here’s another reason why the top-down structure is so important. If you can’t simply highlight the key newsworthy element of your announcement in the first paragraph, it’s not worth their time to keep reading, especially when they have 100 other emails in their inbox to consider. Why is this so important? A reporter is only going to read the first paragraph before deciding if they want to finish reading the press release and move on to the next one. Put the details and “extra” facts in the base of your pyramid (paragraphs four or five of the press release). Like the top of a pyramid, you do not have a lot of space, so you need to be direct and concise with the information you pack in there. Think of your press release like a pyramid with the most important facts at the top. Related: A Press Release Can Still be One of the Most Effective Marketing Tools - If You Have the Right Contacts 2.
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