How to Write a Press Release That Gets Action

Most press releases are boring. For some reason that has me baffled, most companies, authors, and others think that the world at large is interested that they've got a new widget or have just released their first novel. Whoopee. Here's how to write a press release that gets some attention.

What they want to know from your press release

First, what they don't want to know is that you've got a new widget or book, unless it's something that has the potential to stop global warming, end famine, or has really good dirt on a politician or celebrity. Most announcements won't have that kind of impact.

So, you have to think of something else. Your press release has to be relevant, news worthy, or have a provocative twist that can create news. Remember that these are the folks creating newspapers, providing TV news, or running web sites that rely on a continuous stream of interesting, relevant and entertaining content. If it ain't worth hearing about, they're not interested.

So, rule number one is to make your press release relevant and newsworthy.

Not too long ago I issued a press release about a product and web site that taught the same principles discussed in the recent movie, "The Secret."

Instead of simply announcing the product, I related it directly to the upcoming Larry King Live show where he featured several of the gurus from the film. In a non-confrontational way I pointed out that the movie (and the talking heads in the movie) referred primarily to "What" the secret is; while the product we were selling taught people "How" to implement the secret in their daily lives.

By first relating the press release to a current and newsworthy event, and then giving it a little twist, the sales of the product shot up from a few a day to a couple hundred in the two days surrounding the Larry King show.

You can tie your press release to almost any current event, but make sure it's in good taste. I got chastised big time once for relating a press release to the Middle East conflict. Bad on me.

Here's an example of how you might get media attention. Let's say that your book is ready to go to press and you'd like a little publicity to spice up your marketing efforts. It's a novel about a young man who'd been living high off his celebrity wife, but is now on his own and struggling. It's poignant, but filled with humorous looks at celebrities, romance, and being a single guy.

So, you find out that a certain real celebrity is going through a similar situation (not that it would ever happen). Your headline might read something like, "New Novel Predicts Future for (Name of Celebrity)."

Then, in the body you go on to say that it doesn't really predict this person's future, but "the author" is humbled by the odd coincidence that the book, written before these tragic circumstances unfolded, seems to parallel this celebrity's real life.

See, now they're interested. It's current, and it creates some curiosity.

That brings us to press release headlines.

Think of a press release as an advertisement. The purpose of the headline in advertising is to get them to read the subhead. The purpose of the subhead is to get them to read the first sentence in the body. The purpose of the first sentence in the body is to get them to read the second sentence. The process continues until they're hooked, having read the entire advertisement in spite of their best efforts.

Thus, the headline has to evoke curiosity, strike fear, hit a strong emotional chord, or otherwise make the reader want to see what comes next.

Here are some real examples (from actual press releases):

"It's a musical instrument that can kill you..."
"It's in your home...your blinds, your dishes...and it's poisoning your kids..."
"Who would pay two million dollars for a piano?"
"Will kids getting high keep a drug from going to people who really need it?"
"It's an environmental hazard that threatens every drop of your drinking water..."
Man Pulls His Weightâ¦And Tons Moreâ¦To Make Dreams Come True For Terminally-Ill Tots

Another important aspect of a good headline is specificity. That is, being specific will increase your response rate by at least 63.7%.

The previous sentence is an example of specificity. Doesn't that grab your attention better than "will increase your response rate by a lot?"

Another example:

"The new regulations will impact 375,000 people" works better than "The new regulations will affect a lot of people"

The Press Release Subhead

Press releases won't always contain a subheading, but they can; and sometimes the subhead can be extremely important.

Let's take one of the above headlines: "It's a musical instrument that can kill youâ¦." Now, to be honest, I don't know what the original press release said, so I'll make something up.

The subhead may then say: "13,687 people said they'd died and gone to heaven after hearing this instrument for the first time."

The subhead builds on the headline, giving one more reason to read the body of the press release.

Writing the Press Release body

I've got a short outline of the basic format below. Remember, though, that you want to continue the momentum created in the headline. Many press releases fall flat because the first paragraph switches gears too quickly. The first sentence should be short, crisp, and tie directly to the headline and subhead.

Bad press release:

Headline: "It's a musical instrument that can kill youâ¦"

First paragraph: "Johnson electronics announces the first all-digital piano that integrates directly with your iPOD."

Oooh, that's bad.

Now, try this:

Headline: "It's a musical instrument that can kill youâ¦"

First paragraph: "They didn't believe us, but the proof lay on the floor in full view of everyone." Orâ¦ "They stood in open-mouthed shock."

That's not at all how most people write press releases, and it's one reason most press releases are ignored. Would you rather read a press release with the headline and lead as above, or this:

Headline: Johnson Electronics Announces New XP-1002X Digital Piano
Lead: New technology allows the XP-1002X to integrate directly with your iPOD.

The rest of the story

The rest of your press release builds momentum and interest in the benefits of the product before ever revealing the features of the product - just like advertising copy.

Here are a few other tips for the body (note that as with any advertising, the headline and lead account for 70-80% of the sale):

Insert interesting quotes from important or interesting people. This could be the head of your company, the lead engineer, customers, or (best case) celebrities and well-known people.
Tie the body copy back to the headline and as much as possible any current events that are in the headlines.
Include one or two hard-hitting statistics that shock the reader to attention, such as "A recent study indicates that 1 in 6 deaths last year were attributed to watching soap operas on TV." Shocking! You may get called for an interview just to talk about your shocking statistic!
Make a bold claim or statement. Face it - people want to be entertained, not bored. Don't say anything libelous or inaccurate, but have some fun.

Finally, try to keep the press release to 800 words or less (one page should do it). I realize that this is a lot to ask for, but you can say quite a bit in a few short sentences if you do it well.

After all, you do want to be called for interviews, don't you? If you raise a question, evoke curiosity, or say something provocative or controversial, reporters will believe they have something interesting to write or talk about (on radio or TV).
One example that comes to mind is the company that convinced a small town in Oregon to temporarily change their name to the name of the company (with .COM after the name). It was quirky enough to get worldwide coverage.

Now, here's the basic layout of a press release:

For Immediate Release
Your Name
Your Company
Phone
Fax
email address
Web site URL

Hey! This is the Main Headline

And, this is a sub-headline

City, State - Date - This is the introductory paragraph. It's vitally important that the introductory paragraph state what the newsworthy item is about and creates a hook to get the person to read even more later. It doesn't have to be a long paragraph, but should definitely pack a major punch.

And, now the body of the press release. Say you're relating your book about customer service to a recent event in your life. It's OK to quote yourself, as if the press release is being written about you. For example: As Sam said, "it's not what's in the package that matters as much as it's that the package gets delivered on time. Clearly, this is not what Brown really does. There is a strong difference between what they say in their commercials and what they do." Then, add a little about why your ideas would help "Brown" with their customer service. (I actually wrote a press release along these lines for a client).

As you can see in this conclusion, Brown needs some help. Add another quote --- . "It seems that the management needs to listen to its own hype, says Sam. "I teach my clients to pay attention to what's going on with their customers, and when a company gets so big as Brown, the folks at the top can forget that their customers actually write their paychecks."

Your Name is a blah, blah, blah. She has blah and blah with a penchant for doing blah when least expected. This can sometimes be a problem, but you know what we're talking about. Here you say a little about yourself, again giving contact information. The press release ends with the three pound (#) signs.

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