A press release is an effective way to promote an event. A well written press release can attract media coverage for the event, which help to get the word out about the event and encourage more people to attend it, thus improving the success of the event and the person or company that is hosting it. This guide explains what a press release is and explains how to create one for an event.
One of the most effective ways to promote an upcoming event is by creating a press release. Press release are distributed to the media, which then helps to get more attention for the event and increases its success and the success of the person or company that is hosting it.
What is a Pre Release?
A press release is a written form of communication that is intended for media outlet. It is a brief document that highlights the specific and most pertinent details about an event. Once a press release is written, it is distributed to various media outlet, such as news organizations, bloggers, social media influencer, and so forth.
The main objective of a press release is to promote an event. It serves three promotional and marketing purposes, wich include:
- Alerting the media of the event in the hope that they will share the information.
- Letting the media know about a person or a business in hope that they will find a story within the release and write a news article about the story, and in turn, the event.
- Promoting a person or a business on the World Wide Web through websites, blogs, and social media networks.
There are two basic types of press releases:
- Immediate releases. An immediate release press release can be shared by anyone as soon as the release itself is made public.
- Time contingent releases. Some press releases have time limits attached to them. They are only offered to specific news services, blog owner, and websites and only those media sources can report on them immediately. Other websites, news services, and blog owners can report on the press release at a later time.
Press Release Structure
If a press release is written properly and well, it can be a valuable promotional tool for an event and the company or person that is hosting the event. In order to create an effective press release and increases the chances that it will get picked up by media outlets, keep the following structure in mind.
- Create an attention-grabbing headline. If you want your press release to get noticed, you are going to have to create an eye-catching, thought-provoking headline that will make people want to click on it and learn more. Your headline should also contain keywords that people will most likely use when they are searching the Internet. A headline is the opener for a press release; it’s what makes people want to read it. When creating your headline, make sure that you include the name of the event and a detail or two, such the location, the date, or the theme. Keep in mind that you don’t want to include too many details in your headline. Also, make sure that you are using title case for your headline.
- Write a summary. Create a summary of the event that contains up to four sentences. It might be a wise idea to write this part of your press release after you have written the rest of the document, as it will be easier to summarize what you have written down the main points.
- Write a dateline and lead paragraph. The dateline and lead paragraph answer the most important questions about an event, including the who, what, when, why, where, and how. This part of the release should be no more than 30 words and the text should be as simple as possible. Also, remember to tick to the most critical information of the event. The format for this part of the press release is as follows:
- City
- State
- Month
- Day
- Year
- Details
- Compose the body of the press release. It is within the body of the press release that you will have the chance to tell more detail about the event. The body usually has two to three paragraphs. In the first paragraph, elaborate the details that pertain to the event. Discuss the target audience, any guest who may be there, and the benefits of attending the event. If there is any other pertinent information about the event, include it in the body. For example, if the date of the event has some significance to the company or person, highlight it in the body.
- Generate the boilerplate statement. A boilerplate is a block of text that can be used over and over again. It’s similar to an “about” page on a website. The details of the company or person hosting the event are highlighted in the boilerplate, such as the names of important executives, the services or products that a company offers, the mission and vision of a person, and anything else that is important and directly relates to the event and the person or company hosting it. The information presented in the boilerplate should serve as the persona that you want to project for company or a person.
- Include contact information. Lastly, you want to make sure that you wrap it up with contact information. The contact information includes the name of the organization or person hosting the event, the web address, the name of the key contact person, an email address, and perhaps a phone number.
Tips for Writing an Effective Press Release
- Write in the third person.
- Make sure you use strong, powerful language that will attract readers and get them excited.
- Use an active voice, including engaging verbs that add interest to the press release and make the event more exciting.
- Avoid using slang or too many exclamation points, as these things make a press release seem less professional and more salesy. You don’t want to come off as if you are trying to sell something, as doing so will detract readers.
- Include a hook by tying the event into recent trends, news stories, and social matters. This can help to create excitement and a sense of urgency for the event and can let reader know that they will get real value out of attending the event.
- Make it short. Press releases are supposed to be brief. It should be between 300 and 800 words. Anything longer will lose the attention of the audience.
- Make sure you check over your press release before sending it out. Make any necessary edits and polish it up.
- Don’t use bullets or include long lists. Doing so may cause search engines to reject your press release, as they may identify it as an attempt to fill a document with search engine optimization.
Press Release Templates
Though the template for a press release for an event is provided above, if you really want to make creating a press release as easy as possible, you might want to consider using a template. There are several programs that offer free press release templates. Some of the best options include:
- Microsoft Word. This highly popular word processing software provides a free press release template. To locate it, simply type “press release” into the search box on Word and you will receive several choices of press release templates. You can select the template you like the most and fill in your own details to create a quick and professional document.
- Microsoft Publisher. You can also follow detailed instructions from one of the many ‘how to’ articles that are listed online and make your own template to use for your press release by using Microsoft Publisher. You can save your template and use it whenever you want to create a press release.
What Types of Events can Press Releases Promote?
A press release can be used to promote virtually any type of event. Some common events that are promoted via a press release include:
- The opening of a new location
- A red carpet event
- A premier
- A charity event
- An awards event
- An event that celebrates an executive
Wrapping it Up
A press release can be an invaluable marketing and promotional tool for an event. If it is written properly, there is a very good chance that the event will receive media coverage and that more people will become interested in attending the event, which leads to greater success.
