How and When to Write a Press Release: Best Practices & Tips [+ Free Template]

Be Available to Provide More Info

Kimberly Haas, Reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader^[4], says her biggest issue “is when someone puts something out, and then nobody is available for an in-person interview.” Having a solid point of contact allows for the distribution of your story to expand beyond the press release — which ideally is just meant to invite more attention to the overarching story.

Think Outside the Box

Lexi Mills, key speaker at numerous SearchLove conferences by Distilled, Managing Director at Marquis Communication and award-winning digital marketing expert knows the ins and outs of both press release creation and distribution. Sometimes reaching out the old-fashioned way by contacting the media via phone can yield better results. This is more so a case for breaking news, but certainly should be noted. Make sure to thank individuals for their time and state the subject line of the follow-up email you will be sending.

Mills also offered a long-term strategy of understanding how publications adapt your content for distribution. Copyscape^[5] is a tool of choice which will allow you to easily see what aspects of your releases have been changed when publications push them live. Knowing how various publications differ in their styles and guidelines will allow you to draft better releases with even higher success rates in the future.

Now that you know how to write a press release you should be set to reap the benefits! Download our free press release template to get started.