A journalist explains: A 10-step checklist for crafting the perfect press release

Here at SmartCompany, we receive more than our fair share of press releases. We know how they work, what they should include and what makes them stand out. Crucially, we know what makes a really good one.

But we also understand that for those not in the journalism trade — perhaps those busy running their own business or building their tech startup — this isn’t common knowledge.

If your business has big news to share and big hopes of media attention, a well-crafted press release can get your story noticed by those who can make it happen.

Get it wrong, however, and a stellar story can easily be passed by.

This 10-step guide covers what to include in your press release in order to give you the best chance of attracting media attention.

We’ve also included a handy checklist so you can make sure you’ve ticked all the right boxes (literally) before you hit send.

Be clear in what you’re pitching

The best press releases make it clear in the subject line, and within the first line or two, exactly what the story you’re pitching is about.

Your aim is to get your story into the media. So, beyond the fact that your business exists, what do you think that article would say?

A good way to approach this to ask yourself why a reader would enjoy your story, and why it’s relevant now.

Perhaps it’s because you’ve just closed a huge Series A round. But it could be something less obvious like a hurdle you’ve recently overcome as a founder, a sales record you’ve broken or a high-profile person joining your team.

Take a few minutes to consider what your story is and why it’s interesting, and lead with a one sentence version of this.

It’s always best to lead with what has happened and why it’s interesting, rather than starting with a paragraph about who the founders are and what the business does. We’ll get to that later.

Get to the facts

Journalists love stats that back up a story, so wherever you can include numbers. If you say you’re growing, how much? Has your revenue doubled in 12 months? Have you increased your user-base ten-fold? All of this adds credibility to your story.

Get to these figures quickly and make them as clear as possible. That could mean bullet points or text in bold, anything to draw the eye of someone who may be skim-reading.

Explain what your business does

Now it’s time to explain clearly and concisely exactly what your business does (I admit this can be easier for some businesses than others).

Generally, this means avoiding too much ‘fluffy’ language. Your tech may well be state-of-the-art, ground-breaking, innovative and cloud-based, but these words mean nothing if you can’t describe what it is or what it does.

It can help to add some context here, explaining how the business fits into the broader landscape. Is it tapping into an ongoing trend or breaking new ground in a particular industry, for example?

Finally, this is also the time to introduce the entrepreneurs behind the business, a bit about their background and what makes them interesting.

Include quotes, and make them juicy

The best press releases include quotes from several involved people. For example, if you’re pitching a startup funding round, include a few lines from each of the founders, as well as some of the investors, if possible.

But what’s more important is the content of these quotes, and what they add to the narrative.

The fact that, as a founder, you’re “happy to have X investor on board” is kind of a given. Consider why you’re happy, what that investor brings to the table, and what the investment means for the business.

Quotes are best when they’re heart-felt and emotive. Tell us how you’re really feeling, and what this means to you.

At the same time, be prepared for journalists to ask follow-up questions and request interviews. It can help to anticipate the kind of questions they may ask, and prepare your spokespeople accordingly.

Include images

Including images with your press release will simply make things run more smoothly. Different publications prefer different image dimensions and styles, so try to include a few options, including headshots, portrait and landscape pics, if possible.

You can find our guide to taking the perfect professional picture here.

Be available for interview

A lot of journalists will want to conduct an interview to add some colour and individuality to their story. For business publications, they will likely want to speak with the founder or business owner.

Knowing someone is available for a chat can improve your chances of having your story picked up considerably, so make this clear in your email. If you feel comfortable, it can help to include contact details.

However, please make sure you or your spokesperson are, in fact, available.

Journos work fast and to tight deadlines. If your press release says someone is free to chat, please make sure they haven’t just boarded a 12-hour international flight (yes, that has happened more than once).

Ensure your spokesperson or spokespeople have some time freed up in their diary on the day you send the press release, and ideally a day or two afterwards, just in case.

Include background info

Once you’ve covered all the juicy details and immediate talking points, it’s time to work on your ‘about the business’ info.

Again, this is all about facts. Simple nuggets like the year you were founded, founders’ names, where you’re headquartered and how many employees you have provide invaluable background information for journalists. If it’s part of your story, pop it in.

If you’re able to, include your most up-to-date user numbers, headcount or revenue growth stats. You can also use this space to boast about any awards or accolades you’ve racked up.

Consider (carefully) embargoes and exclusives

Sending out your press release under embargo or as an exclusive can improve the chances of getting your story picked up, but tread carefully — they are very different things.

What is an embargo?

A press release can be sent ‘under embargo’, meaning you are requesting outlets to keep your news under wraps until a specific date or time. Most journalists will be happy to oblige, giving them time to conduct an interview and write up a story ahead of time.

Generally, embargoes are lifted for all publications at the same time. If the embargo is set at 2pm and one outlet publishes at 8am, don’t expect the rest to wait another six hours.

If you are sending your press release under embargo, it is important to make this very, very clear — think in big red letters at the very beginning of the email.

What is an exclusive?

An exclusive — as it sounds — is a story released to one publication only. Pick the publication you would most like to tell your story, and do not shop around until it’s clear they’re not interested.

Once your exclusive story is published with one outlet, then feel free to share your press release with others.

Do not offer an exclusive to more than one publication and wait to see who bites. This will invariably leave you in hot water with someone (and perhaps everyone).

It is also ill-advised to offer the same story as an exclusive to one publication and under embargo to others. Choose one option or neither, and stick to the plan.

Know who you’re sending to

Once you’ve perfected your press release, be prepared to tweak it depending on who you’re sending it to.

Please, we’re begging you, don’t send the exact same thing to every publication you can think of. Research the kind of content those publications share, and who their readers are. Would they be interested? Why?

If they wouldn’t be interested in your capital raise, for example, try to suggest an angle they might be more keen on, or take them off the list for now.

It also always helps to address the email to the particular editor or team, wherever possible. Showing you’ve done your homework can go a long way.

Let it go

While the above tips can give you an edge, there’s no guarantee that even the perfectly crafted press release will get your story told in the media.

It’s important to accept that there are other forces at play: the daily news cycle, the time of year, and the sheer volume of emails in all journalists’ inboxes, to name a few.

If your story isn’t picked up that doesn’t mean it’s bad or wrong. It might mean it’s not quite the right fit for that day, or simply that the journalists don’t have the time to pick it up. Follow up the next day, and perhaps once more. But then try to accept that it wasn’t meant to be this time, probably for no fault of your own.

Equally, know that there is only so much you can do to control the story. Journalists will always use editorial judgement.

They may not phrase things exactly in the way you would like, they will likely do additional research, add colour and context, and refer back to that one unfortunate incident last year.

With the exception of factual inaccuracies, editors are unlikely to change articles after publication. All you can do is make your press release pop, take a deep breath and send it out into the wild.

Good luck, we’re rooting for you.

A 10-step checklist to the perfect press release

1. Can you explain your pitch in one sentence, and does your press release lead with this?

2. Have you included relevant stats and figures? (For example, 3000% revenue growth or a 1000% increase in users in six months.)

3. Have you clearly explained what the business does, plus any context?

4. Have you included quotes from more than one person? Do they add something to the narrative?

5. Have you included images of the people involved? The more options the better!

6. Have you made it clear who is available for interview, prepared them and cleared their diaries for calls?

7. Have you included an ‘about us’ section, covering all relevant background information?

8. Have you thought about offering your release under embargo or as an exclusive, and researched how to do this correctly?

9. Have you tailored your press release or email to the publication or editor you’re sending it to?

10. Are you ready to send your story into the world, understanding that you can’t control exactly what journalists do with it? Be brave. You’re ready to hit send.