There's no right or wrong way to write a press release. In fact, there are several ways to write one. The key thing to remember is the audience you are writing the press release for. Will this release go to the local press? Will you send it to a specifically targeted audience? Will this be something you put online? If you are sending this to a reporter through email you don't want your contact information first. You want an attention grabbing title. Something that makes them think you may have a legitimate news idea for them. This is because that title will be the first thing they see. However, if you put this online it's important to have your contact information on the top. Your audience will be able to easily identify where to get a hold of you if they have questions or want to cover your story. These are all things to think about before you write. However, there are a few general rules of thumb that apply to all releases.
1. It must be newsworthy. No reporter wants yet another advertisement about how great your company is. It may be great, but that's not news. Tell them something NEW about you. Do you have a new product? Are you about to host an event? Did you have record sales this year? Tell them something they'll want to talk about.
2. Try to keep it all on one page. Reporters are bombarded with press releases all day long. Trust me, I know, I was one. They are too busy trying to get the story to read through all the stuff they get all day.
3. Give it all up front. Don't hide your news in the middle or give your release a "surprise" ending. It doesn't work. I'll be honest, if I didn't see a good story in the first paragraph the release went in the trash.
4. Make the title snappy, eye-catching. Something like "Man bites dog". Don't mislead the reader. It's got to be a title that actually matches the story. But, it's got to grab attention.
5. Include facts and figures. Reporters (and people in general) love to get their hands on the latest poll or a study with a surprising outcome. If you can link this with your product it makes their job easier and lends you more credibility.
6. Quote the experts. Nothing says legitimate news source like an expert who agrees with your story. See if you can get permission to include that expert's contact info while you're at it. This will make the reporter's job a lot easier if they do decide to cover the story.
7. End with sources where the audience can get more information. This would include a website, or your direct phone number. If someone wants to cover your story, or blog about it, they'll want to know where to direct their audience as well.
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How to Write a Press Release