Today, when you sit down to write a press release — as well as being informative — it should be interactive and useful. Because everything is currently digital, enticing your contacts to read your press release is perhaps harder than ever, and your PR team needs a way to stand out, without going off-brand. Press releases should contain added value so that they get noticed, are appreciated, and published by journalists, influencers, bloggers, and the media. It’s important to note and understand that the industry is changing, and so should the way that you write your press releases, in order to measure up.

As professionals move towards a format that favors quick information and visual cues, we have adapted our list of tips for writing the perfect press release, to not only improve your click-through rate but also entice your contacts.

Make sure it’s truly interactive

As well as answering the classic questions (what? who? where? how? and why?), press releases should also include: links to provide greater information, your social media profiles, buttons to share content, and the possibility to download and embed. If you’re announcing an event, don’t forget to place a button to enable people to register or confirm attendance. And, of course, if you’re using email or a website to distribute it, make it responsive^[1] so it can be viewed on all kinds of devices. Here’s a good example:

Align it with current trends and news in your industry

By making your press release newsworthy and aligning your angle with current industry trends, it is more likely for journalists to react and respond. Because their career revolves greatly around newsworthy, breaking, impactful information, it is important you give an element of this in your press release. Think not only about what you are announcing but how your announcement could potentially tie in with current hot topics, or the wider industry in general.

In addition to this, if you have any eyecatching data or exclusive quotes and research, make sure to include these in the headline or within the first few lines of your press release, in order to drum up as much attention and excitement as possible.