When you're ready to share your news, ensuring it's delivered effectively is key. It starts with ensuring your press release looks its best because even the biggest announcements can fall flat if formatted incorrectly.
The Headline
Your headline should grab attention while clearly stating what's happening. The most common headline mistakes happen when companies get too excited about their news and forget to communicate the basics.
Keep your headline under 100 characters, include your company name, and use active verbs that communicate what's happening. If you're announcing funding, say how much and from whom. If you're launching a product, name it and explain what it does. Be specific.
The Dateline
The dateline tells readers where and when your news is happening, and there's a specific format that looks professional when published:
CITY NAME, State/Country, Month Day, Year – followed by your content. So "NEW YORK, March 15, 2024 –" or "LONDON, March 15, 2024 –" or "AUSTIN, Texas, March 15, 2024 –."
Don't use vague locations like "Our headquarters" instead of the actual city. Remember, a dateline provides crucial context about where your news is coming from and when it's relevant.
The Lead Paragraph
Your first paragraph should answer who, what, when, where, and why without making readers search for clues.
The lead paragraph is where many press releases go wrong. They either bury the actual news in corporate buzzwords or assume readers already understand the context. Save the technical details for later in the body.
The Body
The body of your press release should expand on your lead paragraph without overwhelming readers. Structure it with short paragraphs of two to three sentences each, present the most crucial information first, and include quotes from real humans with real titles that add value to the messaging.
Don't bury your actual news in paragraph four after three paragraphs of corporate background. Your readers need to quickly understand your news, and dense, technical paragraphs full of jargon and fluff are not setting your news up for success.
Quotes
Quotes are an opportunity to give your news a human connection. People connect with other humans, not corporate terms being thrown at them.
When formatting quotes, always attribute them properly with the person's full name and title on first reference, then last name only afterward. Start new paragraphs for each speaker, and remember that periods and commas go inside quotation marks. These seem like small details, but they make your announcement look polished.
The Boilerplate
Your boilerplate is the standard "About [Company]" section that appears at the bottom of every press release. Think of it as your company's dating profile—accurate, appealing, and under 100 words. It should include your company's mission, key achievements, and basic facts that provide context for readers who aren't familiar with your business. Keep it factual, keep it brief, and update it regularly as your company grows and evolves.
Contact Information
This seems obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many press releases forget to include proper contact details or use generic email addresses that lead to customer service departments.
Include the name and title of your media contact, a direct phone number, an email address that goes to a specific person, and your company website. Make it easy for people to reach you!
The Bitwire Advantage
Here's the thing about formatting: it matters, but it shouldn't consume your entire day. That's why we make it easy to submit when the time comes.
Our submission process includes built-in formatting guidance and a user-friendly platform. You don't need to memorize style guides or worry about whether your formatting will look good when published—we've got that covered. Learn more about how to submit your first release here.
Key Takeaway
Good formatting won't save bad news, but bad formatting can hurt good news. Remember that if your press release looks unprofessional when it goes live, it reflects poorly on your company. Keep it clean, keep it clear, and keep it professional. Your news deserves better than overwhelming body paragraphs and robotic quotes. Details matter!
