How Long Should a Press Release Be?

Every day, we have loads of different conversations with everyone around us; some are about everything and nothing and go on for absolute ages, like the chats we have with friends. Some, however, have more of a purpose, like a quick office meeting or a rundown of the house rules for someone visiting you.

And if you think of a press release as a conversation a brand has with consumers, it’s definitely the second type. Simple, short and to-the-point, letting everyone know about new products, services, or developments in your company.

How Long Should An Effective Press Release Be?

300 – 400 words or about three or four short paragraphs, that’s the magic number. Any longer and publications probably won’t look at it, or your readers might not get to the end.

And because it’s 2022, why not get interactive with it? The more videos or images your press release contains the better – research shows that multimedia press releases get 9 times more views than text-only ones.

Hey, if you wanted to, you could make your entire press release a video or image because the more exciting your packaging, the more likely people are to take notice. You could also consider a social media press release (more on that later).

What do Press Releases do And Why Should You Write Them?

This sounds obvious but it’s actually really important – before you even start, you need to ask yourself why you’re writing this. So many companies make the mistake of writing press releases for topics that aren’t newsworthy, so don’t be those guys.

Here are the best reasons to write a press release:

1.     You have a new product to launch.
2.     You have a new service to launch.
3.     You’re discontinuing a popular product or service.
4.     You have some kind of news that will, in some way, affect your consumers.

And that’s it! Anything else should be left to the content guys and email marketing specialists really.

How Do You Make Headlines?

Good journalists get hundreds, sometimes even THOUSANDS of press releases in their inboxes every day. So the age-old question is, how do you stand out?

Well first off, you can’t just tell the story like it is. To write an effective press release you need attention-grabbing headlines and that starts with an angle.

Here’s One Example:

Say you currently own a car company, manufacturing mostly SUVs and family sedans. Your cars will now be made with noise-canceling technology, ensuring that they are super-quiet inside.

A bad headline for this would be:

Our Cars Now Come With Noise-Cancelling Technology.

You’re telling people what it is but not why they should care. Now, a good example of a press release headline would be:

New Noise-Cancelling Tech Will Revolutionize Kids’ Car Naps.

So in this one, not only do you have an angle, you’re also speaking directly to your target market. You’re telling them what your new product will actually do for them and that’s important.

You can check out some more examples of effective headlines here.

Structuring Your Press Release – First Section

Most press release layouts are the same as any other news article and they must include the all-important WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, WHEN.

Your first few sentences are also known as ‘the top line’ should tell the whole story, fast.

Once you’ve announced your news in your press release headline, you want to expand on it in this section, but don’t be tempted to put your entire backstory in this paragraph! In journalists’ terms, this should be your WHAT, so, this way, even if readers don’t get past the first paragraph they’ll still get an idea of what your announcement is about.

Structuring Your Press Release – Second and Third Sections

Your following paragraphs should be your WHY and your HOW, including some supporting information and quotes from relevant people. Also, it’s important that your quotes aren’t made up of jargon; they should sound exactly like a natural, everyday conversation.

Okay, but how do you end a press release? Your final paragraph or ‘boilerplate’, would normally have a little bit of background about your company or brand and some contact details. Also, make sure your grammar is perfect, and the way you convey the message is clear.

In today’s world, it’s always great to include your social media handles in the contact details, especially if you’ve got an impressive following and beautifully curated page.

Make Sure You’re Ready To Publish

Way back when press releases were something a journalist would use to write an article, but times have changed and now, a press release is an article. This is because most of them are published online rather than in a newspaper, so you need to keep that in mind when you’re writing.

As I mentioned earlier, journalists are really under a lot of time pressure with virtual piles of press releases competing for their attention. So, if yours is ready-to-go, clear, and appealing they’re far more likely to publish or share it.

Distributing Your Press Release

If you’ve been doing this for ages then go ahead and skip this section. If however, you’d like some awesome tips for even more reach, read on.

Firstly, you’ll want to find journalists who write about your specific product or industry, as they’re far more likely to take an interest. It’s also worth trying to build a relationship with them via LinkedIn or other social platforms before you send your release through.

Secondly, you’ll want to craft a killer pitch. How? Well, it’s simple: You keep it as short as possible – we’re talking a couple of sentences, to begin with. And most importantly, personalize it!

Timing Is EVERYTHING

It’s often overlooked but, WHEN you send your press release out is as important as ‘why.’  You only have one chance to distribute and if you send at the wrong time, it’s almost a guarantee you won’t get noticed.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are seen as prime sending days, as journalists are most likely to have cleared urgent matters from their inboxes and will probably have more time to read new emails.