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Press Release Template – 35 Essential Elements for a News – worthy Release

by Barbara Rozgonyi, founder of CoryWest Media

To request permission to reproduce or republish this article, contact connect AT corywestmedia DOT com.

Recently, a new client prospect asked me what goes into writing a press release. When I wrote down all of my ingredients, I was surprised. You can see how much planning goes into one campaign. The good news is that once you set up your template, you can go back to it again and again. Use this list to set up your own campaign.

1. Headline – between 80 and 170 characters
2. Keywords – selected to match your search engine optimization goals
3. Subhead – two to three sentences that summarize your release with a call to action
4. Opening – compelling lead sentence
5. Body Copy – 5 paragraphs: intro, point 1, point 2, point 3
6. Quotes – from you and a client/industry resource
7. Links – use anchor text links to your site
8. Contact Information – give phone number, site and email
9. Image[s] – select a flattering portrait, not a quick mug shot
10. Logo – upload only if the image supports your story or the brand
11. Tags – how do you want bloggers to find you?
12. Landing Page – where you want the readers to go after they see your release
13. Data Capture – how will you measure stats? Some distributors do this for you
14. Incentive – what do they get – a free report, more information?
15. Pitch – what’s the hook for someone who will write about your story – what makes it interesting to their readers?
16. Features – what makes your news news?
17. Benefits – how do your features benefit the reader?
18. Who – is your target audience and why do they need to know about you?
19. What – is it that you’re tying into – a news story, industry stats, trends?
20. When – is this is an event is there anyway you can make the story more evergreen?
21. Where – is location important to you – local businesses may prefer local coverage
22. Why – is this information relevant to your reader? Do the “so what?” test.
23. Markets – segment by interest, industry and geography as well as point of purchase
24. Distribution channels – traditional, online, blogs, your customers
25. Media Attachments – images, documents, videos, podcasts
26. Links – buy a domain name just for the release for optimal branding
27. Platform – how does this fit into your overall platform approach?
28. Follow up – what happens when someone contacts you?
29. Media interviews – what will you say?
30. Online newsroom – how will you promote the news on your site?
31. Company background – a brief paragraph about what you or your company does
32.  Trackbacks – will you accept or monitor trackbacks?
33. GoogleAlerts – set up automatic messaging
34. Tracking – how will you track results online?
35. Clipping – clip out articles in local papers

About the author . . .

An in-demand publicist, professional speaker and marketing communications consultant since 1990, Barbara Rozgonyi is grounded, edgy and prophetic. “Panoramic PR,” Barbara’s latest project, compresses everything she knows into an affordable, manageable course that teaches small business owners, entrepreneurs, authors, experts, coaches and anyone else who wants more free publicity how to get completely covered by being fully exposed. Claim a free report and get automatic articles like this one at http://www.powerprsecrets.com.

Craving PR inspiration? Feed into the Wired PR Works blog therapy suite.All site content copyright Barbara Rozgonyi, CoryWest Media 2005-2007