Press releases (2024)

FAQs

How effective are press releases? ›

Writing a press release is a way to create buzz around products, partnerships, or any noteworthy news. It nudges journalists to cover the story. In the Cision survey, 68% of journalists found press releases to be the most useful source for generating content or ideas.

A press release should always answer these questions:Who, Why, What, When and How.

If you use them the right way, then yes, press releases are still effective for SEO in 2024. Even if you get a nofollow link from a press release—or an article that talks about your press release—they can still have a huge impact.

Whatever sector you're in, press releases do serve a purpose, and definitely won't be vanishing from our daily lives any time soon.

Press releases, however, can only do so much. They are no substitute for a marketing strategy and are limited in impact. Another problem is that they can come across as insincere or shallow because companies use them to accentuate the positive while eliminating the negative.

The five 'w's ( who, what, when, where and why) , should be a part of any press release. There should be no jargon.

But the most golden of all the rules is to remember the five Ws – who, what, where, why and when. These are the details that will put your story into context. And you want them to follow your opening paragraph as soon as possible.

> The three most effective words to use in writing a news release and headline are “free,” “new” and “best.” The meanings are well understood by all. For blogs, some of the best words for headlines are surprising, smart, science and critical. >

— A bad press release is one that takes forever to get to the point, doesn't have a newsworthy angle, is filled with jargon and buzzwords, and reads more like an advertisem*nt than a news story. Want to write better press releases? Check out our guide that's filled with tips and practical advice.

Do journalists read press releases? ›

Some literally receive hundreds of press releases a days and many don't bother opening their emails. They purely scan the list of email headers, so think carefully about what you are putting in the subject line.

One of the most effective ways to establish this credibility is through well-crafted press releases. Press releases serve as a direct line of communication between your company and the public. They allow you to share important news, updates, and milestones.

Don't use slang, unpopular jargon, or complicated acronyms.

A press release should be professional, grammatically appropriate and easy to navigate. Avoid using unconventional language that could misrepresent a company or the conveyed message.

Introduction – first paragraph in a press release, that generally gives basic answers to the questions of who, what, when, where and why.

Authenticity and credibility

A blatant attempt at publicizing a company without substance may go unnoticed by most journalists, but when a press release ticks all the boxes, it is viewed as one of the most trusted sources of information by readers.

The average costs of professional press release writing can vary from $150 to $1,000 per piece for freelancers. With in-house teams or PR agencies, those costs will be a part of a larger sum for all services.

You can measure the coverage and authority by tracking the number and quality of media outlets, journalists, bloggers, and experts that have picked up, published, or cited your press release. You can also look at the domain authority, reach, and reputation of the sources that have covered your press release.

Using a book press release does not guarantee that you'll sell more books, but if you combine it with your other book promotion efforts, you should reap some rewards.