How to Write a Press Release

For example, for a release I wrote for a client launching a new regional real estate website, I found the following supporting data on the use of web-based resources by home buyers:

According to a study commissioned by the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR), homebuyers using the Internet invest significant time investigating the housing market and financing options before contacting a real estate agent. 49 percent think the Internet helped them better understand the purchase process, 92 percent use the Internet much like a screening process to narrow choices, and 78 percent of Internet home buyers find their real estate agent on the Internet.

As you can see, this can be of great benefit in illustrating there is actually a need in the marketplace, or a value to the readers of a particular news outlet, for the news being announced in the release.

Finally, it’s important to use good formatting. Clearly separate paragraphs of information to make it easy to “scan” quickly. Large overlong paragraphs should be broken into two or more chunks, where each chunk contains your information.

The Final Touches

The final paragraph(s) should describe the company. This is the “about the company” paragraph (sometimes called the “boilerplate”), and if there is more than one company mentioned in the release, each should have its own paragraph. Explain the history, year founded, market approach, and the like. Repeat the public stock symbol if applicable (don’t litter your release with stock symbols, however).

The reason this short paragraph can be valuable is in demonstrating an expertise in the area of the news you’re announcing, a history of past accomplishments in your market segment, industry awards, or the like. This can help to establish your bona fides — the fact your company is a legitimate professional entity.

For modern internet-enabled companies, a last line either by itself (or last sentence of “about the company”) should state: “For more information visit: www.yourdomain.xyz” in the event the writer/editor chooses to pursue more information about your company without contacting you directly.