Press Release Style: The 2 Absolute ‘Must-Have’ Style & Content Elements

Press Release Style: The 2 Absolute ‘Must-Have’ Style & Content Elements

Posted on 19. Oct, 2011 by + in Press Release Writing Tips

Some people say that because press releases today are visible and read by end users, that they should speak directly to the audience. That they should use words like “we” or “you” to address the reader rather than being written in 3rd person.

We disagree.

We do agree that press releases have changed dramatically since the “old days.” Press releases used to be docs that went to the media (the gatekeeper) and then it was up to the media to decide whether or not it was “important” enough to be published in their forum. Today however, the internet is the forum and people can publish directly to it. People then decide what they want to see by typing search terms into search engines. For example, a newspaper may not think that a company announcing a new model train engine was “worthy” enough for press, but a model train enthusiast probably would — and now they can find that news themselves by searching the internet.

However, in the past, editors would often publish the releases in full or in part as they were issued by the company — meaning that the manner of writing was often the same once that press release became a public facing piece of content. The “end published result” of a press release — whether it’s published in full or editorialized by a journalist, has always been more journalistic than a typical “we” promotional piece from the company.

As a press release publisher, we’ve talked a lot about the voice and purpose of a press release — and we remain grounded on two main editorial factors that must be present in the press releases that we publish:

1. The release must announce something “new” or make a statement about something current — vs. something the company always does.

For example:
or


vs.

2. The content must be written in a somewhat objective 3rd person manner — except for in quotes.

Joe Smith, ranked among the top Chicago personal Injury lawyers by XYZ rating scale, will host a webinar this Tuesday to teach the public about…

vs.

As the best law firm in Chicago, we wanted to host a webinar about what to look for in a personal injury lawyer

We’ve found that without these two guidelines in place, the content can really begin blurring between “press release” and “advertisement.” It’s very important to maintain integrity as a website where people can find news announcements vs. ads.

And it’s for your benefit as well…

Readers are very wary of hype on the web today. Most people realize that anyone can publish anything to the web with the push of a button. Writing a press release in objective language almost forces you to provide proof vs. opinions — to validate the claims that you make rather than just stating opinions. Saying “you’re going to love the new hamburger we’ve just introduced” is an opinion. Saying “9 out of 10 people who tried the new burger and completed a survey said it was the best burger they’ve had in the last year,” is backed by some proof. By writing in a more objective tone, you’re sending a stronger, more persuasive message.

What Say You?

What are your opinions on whether or not a press release should address readers in the first person?

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7 Responses to “Press Release Style: The 2 Absolute ‘Must-Have’ Style & Content Elements”

  1. Karen

    19. Oct, 2011

    Totally agree that releases should not be in first person. I try to think of it like, could I see a newscaster on the 6:00 news saying this and being taken seriously? For instance: ‘We offer the best discounts in own on this amazing product, and you should rush down to get it!’ versus ‘The product has earned the Good Housekeeping seal of approval, and Company XYZ has agreed to beat any competitor’s price.’

    I don’t want to be spoken directly to, or given a hard sell. I want to read an objective report of news, and then form my own opinions.
    Karen recently posted..It Won’t Ever Go Away.

  2. Megan

    20. Oct, 2011

    Great examples! I agree releases written in the third person seem to lose credibility. Karen is right — a reader is not looking at press releases hoping to get a hard sell. Instead, they are looking for factual, newsworthy info to develop their own perspective. If a release is written in the third person, it will automatically be deemed too promotional for many readers to take it seriously.

  3. Katie

    20. Oct, 2011

    Karen, that’s a great point about trying to imagine a newscaster announcing the news in your PR. Consumers are smart enough to see through the hype and talking down to them will only make them move on to the competition.

  4. Liyya

    21. Oct, 2011

    I couldn’t agree more with the 2 Absolute Must-Haves for a Press Release. Clients constantly want to brag about how great they are (and they should), but I have to remind them to save the bragging rights for the quotes’ sections and try to stick to the facts for the rest of the PR – don’t TELL people why you’re great, but SHOW them how great you really are — it’s definitely a fine line! :)

    @Karen, you couldn’t be more right! :) I couldn’t agree more with the 2 Absolute Must-Haves for a Press Release. Clients constantly want to brag about how great they are (and they should), but I have to remind them to save the bragging rights for the quotes’ sections and try to stick to the facts for the rest of the PR – don’t TELL people why you’re great, but SHOW them how great you really are — it’s definitely a fine line! :)

    @Karen, you couldn’t be more right! :)

  5. Geoff

    03. Nov, 2011

    You truly had a fantastic examples! I concur releases written in the third person appear to shed credibility and that’s a great point about attempting to picture a newscaster saying the information in your PR. Consumers are smart enough to see via the buzz and speaking down to them will only make them transfer on to the competition.
    Geoff recently posted..What Men Really Want from Women

  6. Tara Geissinger

    Tara Geissinger

    04. Nov, 2011

    Glad you liked them Geoff! I really love using that ‘trick’ too — it helps keep me in line. :)

  7. Chris Wechner

    14. Nov, 2012

    Christine make some really good comments within this post; however, I think Karen simplified this brilliantly…

    If I cannot imagine the 6 p.m. news anchor saying this, it probably should NOT be in my press release. (I have such a hard time explaining this concept to my clients and press release writers…This might help me a lot.)
    Chris Wechner recently posted..Speaking Tip: Do I make myself clear (to myself)?

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