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Create Press Releases with Punch: Professional Writing Guidelines

The beauty of a press release is that it cleverly disguises a pitch for your company, service, or product within a seemingly unbiased, info-packed news piece. So you have to write it that way. Resist your impulse to sell your company and build your press release one objective, interesting section at a time.

Headline. Otherwise known as "The Hook", your press release headline should invoke powerful emotions.State your most thrilling news, finding, or announcement as succinctly as possible.

Subhead. Your opportunity to strengthen your "hook" by providing more useful information. Emotions should still be running high as you reel in your audience by adding to the drama of the headline.

Lead Paragraph. The 'who, what, when, where and how' of the story. A journalist or reader that scans your lead paragraph should have a firm grasp of the purpose and angle of the release.

Body Paragraphs. Spend the rest of your press release supporting claims made in the header, subhead, and opening paragraph. This includes facts, figures, and quotes from meaningful sources.

Boilerplate. This is one or two-sentence blurb that briefly describes your company and the services it provides. Readers interested in the release will gladly follow this information to your web site.

For More Information. Below the ###s, add a one-sentence blurb that directs journalists and readers to an actual person that can provide more information on the story or the company behind it.

For advice, assistance, or full-service management of your press release by PR experts, Contact Concept Marketing Group by email at pressrelease@marketingsource.com.