Advertising is not an easy business, and in this area you really need to know a lot and be well versed. The most difficult PR text is a press release. Its structure often has to be set by the organization, but there are already accepted standards by which you can try to create the perfect text.
What is this?
So what is a press release? This is a press release, usually containing a news item about the organization issuing it. The text may also contain a position on any issue, which is transmitted for publication in the media. With the help of such an advertising document, any company can inform the media about situations that have developed, important events, their position, etc.
Preparing and writing
It is extremely important to understand which events can be covered in a press release and which will be left out. You should start writing the text if you are sure that it will really be interesting to someone. Uninformative and uninteresting press releases may not even be sent to journalists, as they will not even pay attention to them.attention.
Better if you follow some rules:
- information should be interesting, professionally oriented, the right audience;
- it must be relevant, topical, new and reference;
- should be written simply and easily, so that the reader perceives it well, but at the same time be socially significant;
- it is desirable to use the appeals of the leaders of the organization, the authoritative opinion of experts.
The text must be accurate, in which case it will not need to be redone, which means that it will be possible to publish it in the press. Every press release needs to be worked on to gain credibility and earn the respect of the media.
The most common is the announcement of the event. It is often covered in press releases. It can be dedicated to some significant event or will sum up the results of the work done, or maybe tell about the achievements of the company.
Structure
So, the structure of a press release is probably known to almost all copywriters - the "inverted pyramid". It is on this principle that the essence should be stated. In this case, first we talk about the most important thing, and then the details are already told.
What the press release consists of:
- title;
- lead;
- main text;
- "hat".
This is a classic text structure that has been adopted by many organizations.
Headline
Press releases in the press should stand out and be remembered. The reader begins with the title of the article,accordingly, it is extremely important that it carries an informational occasion. The headline should grab attention and interest. It is better not to use more than 15 words. Under it, it is sometimes necessary to indicate the date of the news and the heading where it should be published.
Lead
This is the first paragraph of the text, on which the whole text rests. It is necessary for the full disclosure of the news. It is better to use important facts in it. At the same time, you should not load it with unnecessary information, so you will have to fit in 40 words. It is worth starting the text confidently, and it is important to write concisely.
Copywriters know that the lead must answer five important questions: “who?”, “What?”, “When?”, “Where?” and “why?”.
Main text
Further in the structure of the press release, you need to tell everything in more detail. Here the reader may need details of what he can expect. But this does not mean that you need to “pour water” and confuse everyone. You need to stick to brevity, but each time ask yourself the question “how?”. Only in this way will it be possible to write an informative text. It is better if the event does not stretch over dozens of paragraphs, and it is also recommended to use only 3-4 sentences in each paragraph.
Hat
This is also an important element in the structure of the text, also called help. Here it is necessary to tell a little about the organization:
- a couple of sentences about the company, work, services or goods, projects and everything related to the topic of the press release;
- full name of the company, its details (address, phone number, etc.);
- you can write general information about the organization (by whom it was founded, when it appeared, type of activity, etc.);
- at the end, you should indicate the information about the author of the press release (his full name, phone number).
Out of the box
But the structure of a press release may be slightly different from the “inverted pyramid principle”. It is important to understand here that journalists are busy people, so they do not have much time to study your text. It is extremely important to interest them from the first words, to convince them that this text really needs to be printed, that it will be interesting and relevant.
Some copywriters in this case turn the pyramid of text over again. Thus, at the beginning of the press release, they have the main meaning and conclusion, and only after that - specifics with arguments. By the way, a similar presentation of information is used for mailings by e-mail and in selling texts.
Nuances
Of course, in writing the text a lot depends on the advertising copywriter. It must be a true professional and an expert in his field. He must understand and be able to write the necessary information. That is why many people turn to PR agencies, because finding a freelancer who knows how to work with press releases is not easy. Experience is essential in this business.
The job of a copywriter in this job is to write a document for the press. This should not be a news item, painted in detail and taking into account all aspects of the genre. This is a message to reporters about an upcoming event.
Special View
A press release is often an announcement of events, messages about organizations and their plans, etc. But there is such a thing as a "communique". This is a type of press release that is more related to international relations and politics.
Usually such a text contains information about the outcome of negotiations, agreements, key moments of the whole state, the course of military operations, training camps, summits, etc. A communiqué can be written from two sides at once. The text will indicate not only positive points, but also disagreements. But that doesn't mean it's an international treaty.
Examples
Absolutely no matter if it's a press release of events in the library or a text from the city administration, you still have the opportunity to write an interesting message.
Some copywriters believe that in order to write an interesting press release, you need to move away from all the canons that were adopted 20 years ago and use the principle of selling texts as writing. Of course, in this case, the AIDA model will look a little different, but it will definitely help to grab the reader's attention and arouse interest. By the way, many believe that in a press release as much as 90% of success belongs to a great headline.
The most interesting and memorable example of a press release is Michael Jordan's address. What did it remember? In 1995, the athlete decided to announce his return to basketball. But he did it in a very unusual way. His press releaseconsisted of only two words: "I'm back." At the moment, this is perhaps the shortest announcement of the event.
How to write?
Now more and more copywriters are talking about the need to move away from the usual structures, and to be interested not only in content, but also in form. But so far, not all press services are ready to change dramatically, so they often use the “principle of an inverted pyramid” when writing.
But even with this structure, you can write interesting text. The main thing is to do it when you really have something to say. At the same time, it is important to write simply and clearly so that readers are interested. It is not necessary to describe events ornately and use "decorations" of the text. The main thing is for the reader to understand what you wanted to convey to him.
Explain events in all sorts of ways: using text, illustrations, photos, videos, quotes, etc. Do not clutter up paragraphs with a lot of sentences, but remember that one paragraph is one thought.
Better not overuse adjectives, but get good at quotes. There should be a lot of them, but it is better if they are the words of leaders or opinion leaders.
