10 Steps for Drafting an Effective Press Release

Creating an effective press release represents one of the most fundamental elements of any public relations program, and there are several basic rules to help you write one.

1) Choose a newsworthy topic.

The emphasis for newsworthy is on the word "new." The release must discuss a recent development or frame the topic as a new one.

2) Use the local angle as a news hook.

You can increase the coverage of your release by focusing, in the headline and the body of the release, on your organization's physical location. For example, "Church Sends Group to Rebuild House in New Orleans" may not garner as much regional publicity as "Greenwich Church Sends Group to Rebuild House in New Orleans."

3) Keep the writing factual and concise.

A press release should state the facts in a direct, succinct manner.

4) Use the inverted pyramid style.

The most important, newsworthy facts belong at the beginning of the release with supporting information below. The "inverted pyramid" also refers to the decreasing newsworthy value in each subsequent paragraph.

5) Re-state the headline in the first paragraph.

The first paragraph of the press release should re-state the headline almost word for word. It should only be two-to-three sentences long.

6) Describe and quantify the newsworthy element in the second paragraph.

The second paragraph should describe why the first paragraph is newsworthy and provide any supporting numerical data.

7) Provide a quotation with a favorable opinion in the third paragraph.

The third paragraph should contain a quote from your CEO, and this is the only place in the entire release to include an opinion about the topic. Also, you should not introduce new facts in the quotation. These facts belong in the body of the release.

8) At the end of the release include a "boilerplate" describing your company.

The boilerplate should be the same in every release you distribute and should be given a subhead, "About [My Company]." It should be about two paragraphs long and include your company's main activities and prominent clients as well as its qualifications. For smaller companies, the boilerplate should also provide a short bio of the CEO.

9) Keep the length short.

No press release should EVER be more than two pages.

10) Check carefully for spelling, grammatical or punctuation errors.

Editors may receive up to 300 press releases per day. Errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation make your release look unprofessional and may result in its immediate rejection.

In 2003, Willy Gissen founded Cut-It-Out Communications (www.cioediting.com), a full-service Westchester public relations firm. With over 10 years of related experience, he trained with a former SVP of a top New York City PR firm, Hill & Knowlton, and served on the communications staff of the McCall/Mehiel gubernatorial campaign. He holds a BA in Government from Harvard College.