A press release is a tool used by public relations professionals. It’s a strictly formatted document sent to journalists and other media outlets. Marketing professionals, entrepreneurs, and brand builders should learn how to expertly use this tool to help gain media coverage and connect with your audience.
In this article we will discuss how to write a press release for an event, determine how long should a press release be, and review press release examples.
What is the Purpose of a Press Release?
The primary purpose of a press release is to gain media coverage that reaches your target audience and spreads your brand’s messaging far and wide. The secondary purposes of a press release are to build relationships with key journalists and media professionals, boost SEO, and increase brand awareness.
How to Write a Press Release for an Event: Step-by-Step Process
When writing the first press release for your brand, you should follow industry guidelines and standards to help you present yourself as a seasoned professional and gain respect from your media contacts. Following a step-by-step process for writing a press release will help you expertly present your brand.
First, your header should include your logo (if applicable), email address and phone number for the media contact at your organization (if you don’t have one, it’s most likely going to be you), today’s date, and the desired date of release.
Most of the time the information can be released immediately. This can be indicated by writing, “For Immediate Release.”
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Next you’ll want a strong title (written in bold) and an informative subtitle (written in italics). The title should draw in your audience and the subtitle should be informative and enticing, but also succinct.
The first paragraph of the press release opens up with the city, state, and date before launching into the topic of the press release. This first sentence tells your audience what is happening and why it’s important. The first paragraph is then followed by a quote from a key individual involved in the event.
After the quote, the second paragraph provides the most important details about the event that weren’t covered in the first paragraph. This second paragraph is then followed by another quote from a different key individual who’s prominent in the event. The final paragraph then provides any additional information that might be of interest or value to the reader.
The press release is written in the inverted pyramid style of writing, which means that the most important details are written first. The details that are less important to your audience are written at the end of the document. When writing a press release, the most important information should also be written first and the least important information written in the last paragraph.
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At the end of your press release should be your brand’s boilerplate and contact information. To signal the complete end of your press release, it’s common to list “-30-” or “###.”
This is a professional nod to the industry, signals you know what you’re doing, and respectfully tells your media contact the press release is finished.
How Long Should a Press Release Be?
An important part of writing a press release is determining how long it should be. The length can vary based on the topic, publication, and target audience. When writing a press release, you should always be thinking about your audience and putting them first.
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The first audience that’s going to read your press release is the journalist or media contact you’re sending it to. You don’t want to write something so long, mundane, and overly detailed that they don’t even want to finish reading it. Your press release should inspire them to want to write about the topic and publish your press release in their publication.
Your second audience that will hopefully be reading your press release is your target audience that consumes the publication you sent it to. The information should also be engaging and informative for them too.
The length of your press release should be just long enough to communicate the important information and details of your event. For most events, this can be done in a one-page document. Occasionally, with additional quotes and pertinent information for a more complex event, the length can go up to two pages.
How to Write a Press Release for an Event: Example
Now that we’ve reviewed the step-by-step process on how to write a press release, let’s review a press release example for an event. The below press release example comes from the widely popular conference for technology, film, and music professionals, South by Southwest. Let’s review the title, subtitle, and first paragraph.
The first paragraph effectively tells the reader what the document is about (SXSW Film Festival) and why it’s important (draws thousands of fans, shows the most entertaining new films of the year). Next comes the second paragraph and a quote.
Lastly, let’s review the boilerplate, the way the company’s press contact information is listed, and the conclusion of the press release with “###.”
Ford Press Release Example
With events becoming increasingly digital over the past several years, press releases can also expand to cover this category. Digital events call for media coverage too! Let’s review a Ford press release example for one of their upcoming webcasts.
The headline clearly states what the press release is about. The first paragraphs explain what the virtual fireside chat is and why the audience should be interested. The following paragraphs provide more important information about the event. Let’s review the last two paragraphs of the press release and Ford’s boilerplate.
The last two paragraphs of the press release provide more information for the audience that’s interesting but not as important as what was previously discussed. The boilerplate expertly describes Ford’s mission, strengths, and capabilities.
Conclusion
The press release is an effective tool coming from the public relations industry. It can help brands connect with their audience, gain media coverage, and boost brand awareness. Now that we’ve reviewed the step-by-step process of writing a press release for an event, we hope you see the value in using this written tool for promoting your brand.
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