Write Guide - How to Write a Press Release

[nahyungkim1220]

Overview

Create a guide for future content creators/marketing team members on how to write a press release for 100 Automations

Action item

• Write a guide
• Get it reviewed by product
• Get it reviewed by marketing

Resources

Write a Press Release

[nahyungkim1220]

What is a Press Release?

Press releases are announcements, official statements, or interesting news a company or brand releases about itself. They provide information about your company to anyone who wants to write about your company (journalists, reporters, anyone in media). Press releases can efficiently promote an event or the release of a new product across different publishers with little budget.

Press releases are often written several months in advance of an event (even a year early for product releases). When a press release is finished, it is archived into the press kit (also known as a media kit or marketing kit) until the awaited event (like a product release) approaches. A press kit contains tools that help publishers and media people easily write about your company. It includes key information about your company, logos, relevant images, team bios, press releases, and any other information worth sharing.

When the big event nears, press releases are sent out to publishers (like tech news websites) by your company's PR (Public Relations) team, taken up by journalists on those platforms. They are fleshed out into full-length articles, or published as they are (depending on the style of the press release).

Traditional press releases are straight to the facts and less narrative, generally not over 1 page. They often provide key information on which journalists can base full-length articles on. More recently, more press releases have been being written as full news articles so they could be published as they are. For 100 Automations' purposes, press releases are better written as full articles, since it makes redistribution more efficient.

How to Write a Press Release

Here are some things to consider when writing a press release. This guide is from GrowthZone, adjusted to 100 Automation’s preference for full-length articles.

The Basics of Crafting a Press Release:

• Make it newsworthy; it’s not an ad, it’s a news article
• Use an attention-grabbing headline
• Be time-sensitive – no one wants old news
• Stick to one topic
• Write it in a professional tone, or even better, write it like you’re a reporter
• Proofread it and then have someone else proofread it

Key Components of a Press Release:

• Letterhead (identify that it’s from your organization)
• Date
• Headline: Limit it to 15 words
• Subtitle: Say what you couldn’t say in your title; it should add interest for those interested in the title
• Lead paragraph: Your organization’s location (city, state) followed by an em dash (—) and the 5 Ws (who, what, when, why, where) of the story
• 2nd Paragraph: Supportive information and at least one quote
• Other paragraphs: Additional, relevant, non-essential information
• Call to Action: An exact, complete, non-embedded URL (not “Click Here to visit website”) in one of the paragraphs
• Conclusion: A brief description of your organization
• Media Contact Information: Name, email, phone, and website OR Name of the organization and how to contact their media team

References

The articles below can give you an idea of how to set the tone, create an interesting headline, and include key facts in your press release.

• Gen Zers Say Silicon Valley Is Elitist and Exclusive. Can They Build a New System? (NY Times)
• Code for America Launches New Blueprint for Human-Centered Safety Net
• How to support open-source software and stay sane (Nature Journal)

Additional Resources

• 100 Automation's First Issue on writing a press release
• Voice: Use an impartial and unbiased voice, but be sure to reflect the emotions (e.g. frustrations, excitement) of the key players.
• Citations: Follow the Associated Press (AP) style to format quotes, dates, and certain other specifics such as how to write names in news articles. The Purdue Writing Lab's Common AP Style Guidelines will cover everything you need to know to write a press release.
• Structure: If you are unsure how to structure your article, you can use the most common format seen in newspapers: the inverted pyramid. The inverted pyramid format presents the most important information first, followed by less important information. You can see a visual chart and learn more about the inverted pyramid in PressBooks' News Writing Basics.

[nahyungkim1220]

Draft 1 is finished and feels like it could be more succinct & clear.
Please give feedback on clarity & if the guide is missing any directions for first-time press writers!

[Olivia-Chiong]

Sent this to be reviewed on the marketing board hackforla/marketing#8

[Olivia-Chiong]

Marketing is reviewing and combining it into a guide.

[superbunker]

If there's no response from marketing, we should either publish this or move it to the backlog