Five tips for writing the perfect press release

I see dozens of press releases in a typical week, and most are nothing special. Company A is proud to release product B; company X has selected vendor Y; so-and-so is named to powerful-position-Z. But some releases do stick out, leading to my top tips for writing press releases that grab attention:

1. Select a powerful title and theme. ANSYS’ recent ANSYS Harnessing the Power of Ocean Waves is a great example. Read the release and you’ll note that ANSYS is not actually harnessing anything (rather, providing enabling technology to another firm) — but the headline is a grabber, associating ANSYS’ name with a global, greater good.
2. Involve the reader. Tell them what they get by spending their time on this release. Autodesk Increases Moldflow Performance Two Fold is not a great headline but you understand right away why you should read the release. Is it a hardware or software improvement? How do I get it the improved version?
3. Tell the reader what you want them to do and provide a way for them to do it. Your press release is designed to spur action, isn’t it? Contact your sales rep at … For press inquiries, call … Download more information at … Too many releases leave the reader digging for information; make it too difficult, and the reader may lose interest. Too, if you can’t figure out what you want someone to do after reading the release, perhaps it’s not newsworthy.
4. Make sure it’s newsworthy, not just self-aggrandizing. If the press release touts a customer win, make the customer the center of the press release. What will they do better with the chosen tool? Why? How? “Company A selects Vendor B” is usually of interest only to Vendor B and the displaced competitor. The undecided customers Vendor B is trying to woo will all likely ignore the release or expect than any transaction with B will require them to also announce an allegiance. “Customer X Wins Award for Most Innovative Child Safety Device” with a subhead of “PLM Vendor Y Product Z Made it Possible” would be a lot more interesting.
5. Keep it brief. After the attention-getting headline, a paragraph should explain the problem and the solution — the newsman’s who, what, where, why, when and how. If it’s a complicated CAE or design issue, perhaps a couple of paragraphs. Include a quote from a relevant speaker only if it adds to the central theme and not simply to have a “name” in the release.

And a sixth point: I’m a fan of the “tell me what you’re going to tell me, tell me and then tell me what you’ve told me” school of writing and speaking. But that doesn’t work in a press release because it’s simply too long. Make a key, news-worthy point, stick to it, keep it short and provide the reader with a next step. Then edit out every other word. Check spelling and contact info. Make sure you have permission for the release, if it involves a third party. Basic stuff but crucial.