Press releases (also know as, press statement, news release or media release) are a great tool to increase awareness of your event and your brand. Writing a release can seem daunting. I remember writing my first few and agonizing over the wording and formatting.
Your release has the two goals of grabbing attention and giving information in a clear and concise way. This is not a time to over exagerate or use flowery language. You want people to know about and attend your event and to trust you for future events.
Here are the simple steps that I follow for writing an event press release.
Parts of a Press Release
- Headline
- This is one sentence that you use to grab your readers attention. This will also be the subject line of the emails that you send out.
- Dateline
- When, what time, and where is your event. Learn how to pick the right time for your event.
- Lead Paragraph
- What is the event and why does the press care. You need to give them a reason to attend.
- Body
- This is one or two paragraphs that go into greater detail. Who will be attending, why you are hosting the event etc.
- Company Information
- This is a generic about us paragraph that your company will use on press releases.
- Contact Person
- Provide who the press should reach out to for more information.
- Ending
- It is standard practice that you end the press release with “ ### “. The three pound signs let your reader know that the release is finished.
Perfecting the Release
The format of the press release is very formulaic. Use the formula. This allows the press to see what you are about very quickly. So how to you stand out?
Here are some tips.
- Give them a good story (but keep it true).
- Use the third person, active voice.
- Keep it to one page 300- 500 words.
- Don’t make them hunt down vital facts.
The last point is my biggest tip. Some people will tell you to not give everything away – I say the opposite. Give the press everything. Let them know about the amazing event that you are hosting. One caveat to this; if you have a surprise guest, do not put that in the press release. If it is in the release the press can let the public know the details.
Submitting Your Master Piece
Most newspapers and TV stations have an email address or a portal for submissions. You do not want to add your press release as an attachment (in fact don’t add any attachments). The release is the body of your email.
If you are going to be submitting more than once a year, create a list of the TV, Newspaper, and Radio stations in your area and where you need to submit you information. This will keep your submission release down significantly.
I submit my press release twice. Two weeks ahead of the event and then the day before. This gives the press time to put your event on their calendar and then reminds them.
A last note, be ready for the press to not show up. Most of the events a small business will host will fall below the murder and meyham that makes up most of the news. Plan for them to be there but don’t hold up your agenda if they don’t show.