Does the title of this article catch your interest? To most PR practitioners, a press release is essentially their bread and butter. It is important to craft a release that encapsulates the subject of your publicity, to convey the right and full message to your audience.
There really isn’t one way of approach to crafting a release, there are also many references and materials out there that have already been written to teach you how to craft the ‘perfect’ press release. So what is required in crafting a strong message in your press release? We have highlighted a few key points essential when we craft a press release.
Establishing your brand voice
Brand messaging is a big part when it comes to crafting a press release. Each brand has their own unique personality and voice, it is important to know what that voice is when you’re writing. The audience identifies with the brand’s personality – corporate, sporty, luxury, fun etc. – so make sure that your release reflects the brand well by using the right sentence structure and choice of words.
Key messages
It is important for every brand to be easily recognised or to be associated with certain characteristics. Key messages play an important role to help instil these brand identifications. It is also used to highlight your main objective(s) in the press release to be communicated to your audience. When crafting a press release, it is imperative to include these key messages.
Accurate information
As with most articles or news, we read them for the information/stories contained in them. Your press release should also contain an accurate interpretation of information about your subject. Whether it is about specifications for a new smartphone launch, a new collection of a fashion label, or a promotion announcement for a product, it is important to ensure that all the details of the release are clearly and accurately stated.
Tonality
The tonality of your press release should be based on the brand’s personality. Although formality is usually appreciated, a press release will come to live if it has more character and emotion. Do keep in mind to not overdo it, at the end of the day, it still has to be a professional piece. It is also important to note that you should always try to remain factual and informative, and not trying too hard on selling or advertising the brand.
Keeping it simple and concise
Less is sometimes more when it comes to a press release. As long as all the necessary information and key messages are in the press release, that should suffice. Do also keep in mind to not write too much or too fancy; leave the creative writing style to the editors.
Call-to-action
Last but not least, an effective press release should end with a call-to-action to let your audience know what you want to achieve. Whether it is to get your audience to purchase a product or to visit a store, ensure that these messages are clearly written out. These call-to-actions should be subtle and can be as simple as including a store address or your brand’s website.
They say “practice makes perfect” and it is true when crafting a press release. If you are new at it, always get a second opinion on your release. Eventually, writing a press release will be clear and simple.