The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How
1. The What: New products and services or events are among the common reasons why businesses and organizations write a press release. What you intend to promote determines the format.
2. The Why (and sometimes “how”): Find an angle on your topic that will give people a reason to pay attention; you can also tie it to an important date or holiday to make it more interesting. Keep it brief, and think about how the subject of your piece came about. Quotes from people involved and a newspaper or magazine-style “human interest” story tend to appeal to journalists. You can also include your “why” in the subject line, the most attention-grabbing part of your piece.
Example: A new, more accurate hurricane prediction technology will be unveiled at the start of The Atlantic hurricane season (June 1st), and the press release includes a story about its inventors and how it was invented.
3. The Who: Focus on the “star” of the release. If you’re working with a person, a business, or an organization in this newsworthy effort, make sure to highlight them, but don’t be afraid to feature yourself and your organization, too.
4. The When: Will the book be published next week? Which date should people RSVP to the event by? When did you start offering your discount, and how long will it last? This helps make your release newsworthy.
5. The Where: Where will your event take place? Where is your business or organization located? Don’t overlook this when you write a press release, even if it’s a background detail. It can help you get noticed in local publications.
Quotes
“Everyone’s their own nation, with their own blog. Because everybody has something important to say, everybody’s putting out press releases on what they ate for breakfast. It’s the era of self-importance.” ~ Tom Rachman
Comments? Suggestions? Need help with your press release? Feel free to contact me.
Michelle Troutman
classywriting.com
