Press Releases

As the community relations specialist, I was responsible for getting press releases out to the local media in a timely manner. Each week I was writing two to three press releases. On this page you will find some of the press releases that I created.

Once the press releases were completed, I would immediately share them with local and state media. Some of the organizations I would share press releases with were The Laurinburg Exchange, WLNC Radio, Boarderbelt News, and WRAL News.

When writing press releases I always follow these simple guidelines.

1. Most press releases are perfect at just a page long – two pages maximum. Ultimately, organizations want to provide enough information so that news outlets have sufficient material for publishing their own stories about whatever the organization is announcing in the release.

When formatting a press release, you want to write it in a newsy, straightforward way so a journalist who might write about it can imagine it as an article on their news site.

To start, here are the basics every press release should include:

Your contact information.
The phrase "For immediate release.''
A headline that quickly explains the announcement.
Your business location in the first sentence of the press release.

You also want to include "###" or another signifier to show the journalist that the release has ended. In the past, this prevented busy journalists from waiting or flipping the page for more information when there was no more news.

Now, onto the body of the press release:

The first paragraph should state what the announcement is while providing some context around your business and what it does.
The next two to three paragraphs should include quotes from a company spokesperson or business executive to explain the "why" behind this announcement.
The last paragraph should wrap everything up in a catchy way.

Many people think press releases have to be chock full of buzzwords and branded terms.

"Big data," anyone? Five-syllable words you have to look up on Thesaurus.com? Quotes from every executive on the planet that go on for pages? We've seen it all. Unfortunately, so have reporters – and they are not fans.

Instead of stuffing your next release with industry jargon, can you include new data? A remarkable graphic or video? A shareable SlideShare? If so, a creative angle can help carry your content and increase the likelihood of social sharing.

Tips for Publishing Press Releases

Writing a press release is really only half the battle. Once you're finished with production, you can focus on distribution.

Of course, we're all familiar with the traditional distribution levers we can pull, which include publishing the press release on our website/blog as well as sharing the press release with our followers via social media and email.

1. Reach out to specific journalists.

Instead of blasting a press release out to every journalist you can find an email address for, focus on a few journalists who have experience covering your industry and send them personalized messages. It is always important to establish a great relationship with members of the media.