A release works harder when it points to a page that sells, as Roar Entertainment does for every concert it announces. For the version that runs on your own site, see blog and article writing and the rest of our copywriting.
Press release writing
A story, not an advert.
Our press release writing services turn a launch, appointment or event into a story an editor can use as it stands, with the facts checked first.
What works
What makes a press release newsworthy?
An editor asks three things: is it new, does it matter to our readers, and can we run it tonight? A release earns its place by answering all three in the first paragraph, with a person, a number or a date the journalist can check.
We find that angle before we write. A new branch is not news; the forty jobs it brings to a town is. The inverted pyramid does the rest: the whole story first, the detail after, so the piece still works when it is cut from the bottom.
Anatomy
What goes in a press release?
One page, in this order. Journalists in Liverpool, Johannesburg and Pennsylvania expect the same shape.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Headline | States the news in plain words, the way a paper would print it |
| Dateline and first paragraph | Who, what, when, where and why, in two or three sentences |
| Body | The detail: figures, background, what happens next |
| Quote | A named person saying something only a person could say |
| Boilerplate | A short standing paragraph about your organisation |
| Notes to editors | Contact details, photo captions, interview availability, the word ENDS |
Included
What comes with a press release?
- The release, in two formatsA Word document editors can lift copy from, and a PDF on your letterhead for the record.
- A pitch emailThree or four lines that sell the story to a busy inbox, written to be sent from your own address.
- A social versionThe same news cut for LinkedIn, Facebook and your website, so it lands everywhere on the same morning.
How it runs
How does press release writing work?
A short brief
What has happened, who is involved, which dates and figures are confirmed and who can be quoted.
Angle and draft
We send the angle in a sentence first. Once you agree, the full draft follows with the quotes written for approval.
Fact check and sign-off
Every name, title, number and date is checked against your documents. The people quoted approve their words.
Timing and release
We advise on the day and hour, on embargoes and on who to send it to first. You send it, or we send it in your name.
Questions
Questions about press release writing
Question not here? Send it to us and we will answer it directly.
Ask a questionHow do we start a press release?
Email hello@redfoxbranding.com or fill in the project form with what you are announcing and when it must be public. We tell you straight away whether there is a story in it and what would make it stronger. The fixed quote covers the release, the pitch email and the formats listed above.
How long should a press release be?
One side of A4 or US Letter, usually 300 to 500 words. Editors skim dozens a day, so anything longer is cut or ignored. If the story needs background, it goes in the notes to editors or a separate fact sheet, never in the body of the release.
Will you send it to journalists for us?
We write the pitch email and, where you ask, build the media list. A release sent from your own address, by a named person who can answer questions, gets more replies than one from an agency, so we usually set you up to send it yourself.
Which spelling do you use, UK or US?
Whichever the outlets you are sending to use. UK and South African press take British spelling; American outlets take US spelling and often Associated Press style for dates, titles and numbers. If you are announcing in more than one country, we supply a version for each, with the local contact on each.
Announcing a show or an event?
Get a quote for press release writing
Tell us what has happened, who it affects and the date it can go public. You get a fixed quote and our view on the angle before you commit. If there is no story yet, we say so. Good press release writing starts with that honesty.