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A press release can be an effective way to get your story to the media. Use it to:
- Inform the community and potential funders of your success stories
- Get your program into the news if you have won awards or recognition
- Announce classes, workshops, conferences, and special events
- Show how you are making a differenc
Strategies for Effective Press Releases
Lynne Brown-Zounes, RSVP director, offers some strategies that have worked for her programs.
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Timing |
Time your press release for a time of the year when the news is thin
and the newspaper is really looking for stories. Summer is the thinnest
news time of the year. | |
Getting attention |
Write your press release with a catchy and interesting title to capture attention. | |
Personal stories |
Find the news within your agency. Volunteers are doing amazing stuff, so go for the tangible human-interest stories. | |
Reuse/multipurpose |
Keep a copy of all of your press releases and newspaper articles.
Reuse them as a marketing piece or selling tool to send to all
potential funders or volunteers. | |
Focus |
The goal of a press release is simply to get people to call. It is
not a recruitment tool. Rather, the person who answers your phone
should recruit. |
Here are four guidelines to follow when writing your press release.
- The Purpose - Getting Attention
The
idea behind a press release is to stir up interest so that a reporter
will interview you and write a full-page story rather than just a
couple of inches of text.
To get attention:
Do…provide enough information to be informative, but
Don't…tell the whole story! Leave out just enough so that the media person will call you for more information.
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Use Proper Formatting
Your
press release should only be one page--one side of an 8 1/2" x 11"
sheet of paper. If you can't say it in one page, you don't know how to
say it. Keep refining your story down to one page.
Include the following information at the top of the page:
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(Upper left corner)
"For Immediate Release" followed by the date |
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(Upper right corner)
Contact Information - put the name,
phone number, and e-mail address of the person who can be contacted by
reporters for more information. |
A Powerful Headline
For example, you might say something like
"Grandparents Go Back to School" or
"Seniors Receive Stipends"
The headline is 90% of your release, so make it riveting and get attention by using a boastful claim. | |
Content
Double-space the content of your press release. |
[Click here to see an example of a press release.]
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The Inverted Pyramid
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A press release puts the important information at the top. If
someone reads just a few lines, they would have a good idea of what it
is about. |
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Sections of the press release |
In this section… | |
Lead or summary |
The lead or summary consists of one to three sentences that answer the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how. | |
Bridge |
The second paragraph could be called a bridge, since it will connect
the lead to more detailed information to follow. This section may give
more "how" and "why" information not included in the lead.
Use quotes: Journalists like to use quotes in their stories
since personal quotes not only state facts, but also paint a picture.
Insert quotes from experts that pertain to your issue and complement
the lead.
Tip: Identfy the people you quote with more than just a name. Don't just say "says Lynne Brown." Do say "says Professor Brown, a bilingual educator at the University of Massachusetts." | |
Body |
The third paragraph and base of the pyramid is the body. This is
where you may include more quotes or details illustrating your issue. | |
Call to action |
In this final section, make your "call to action." What do you want
the person reading this press release to do? Remember, the purpose of
the press release is to get attention. Your call to action might say
things like:
"For more information, call…"
"To find out how you can volunteer, contact…"
Tip: Don't try to make a hard sell for anything with a press release. The media people will see right through this. |
- Revise and Refine
The last step
in writing a release is to leave it for a while or have a fresh pair of
eyes look it over. Check for spelling, punctuation, and clarity. As a
final test, make sure that your release states your purpose in the
beginning. Make sure you included contact information.
This material was adapted with permission from the presentation "How
to Write a Press Release," presented at the 2001 Cluster Conference in
Philadelphia by Lynne Brown-Zounes, Senior Corps project director,
Lowell, Mass. Download a Sample Press Release written by Lynne. |
