How to Write a Press Release

(Editor's note) If you arrived at this website by doing a search for the keywords how to write a press release or free press release, there are a couple of options. If you wanted to find a place where you could look at an example of a press release for free, see below. You'll find a free press release example. You'll find several other free press release examples, along with a line-by-line critique of each by clicking on  example of a press release and sample press release. 

If you're looking for companies that will distribute a press release for free, click on free press release distribution. You'll also find an article there about the differences between free press release distribution and services that ask you to pay. The variance in results can be significant.

Free Press Release Example

by George McKenzie
Former TV News Anchor and Radio Talk Show Host

The press release, which I wrote for a personal friend, was distributed at no cost to news outlets in San Antonio, Texas, to local newspapers, TV stations and radio stations. A self-analysis of the press release follows, explaining why I think it's a good example of how to write a press release.

****Press Release Starts Here****

Bexar County Taxpayers Taking Biggest Property Tax Hit In Years, Expert Says

For Immediate release

For further information, contact ________

(San Antonio, Texas, Date) Some Bexar County taxpayers are getting hit with increased property tax assessments of up to 100 percent, according to property tax expert Joseph L. Gross of J.L. Gross and Company Ad Valorem Tax Services of San Antonio.

"On average the hikes are the biggest I’ve seen in twenty years," says Gross. "And unfortunately, most people don’t know how to fight back."

Gross can offer insights on the following topics that would be of interest to taxpayers:

1) Commonly used arguments that don’t work. They’ll just cost you time, energy, and aggravation.

2) Often-overlooked facts and statistics you need to make an effective case that will result in lower
appraisals -- and therefore lower bills.

3) How to cut the time needed for the appeals process down to a minimum -- and still get a
favorable outcome.

4) Dates and deadlines you can’t afford to miss -- and how to ease the pain if it’s already too late.

'The thing that hardly ever works,' Gross says, 'is the thing most people are tempted to do. That is, to go downtown and pound on an appraiser’s desk.'

Gross has developed a website, www.jlgonline.com, which arms taxpayers with important facts they’ll need to make an effective and successful case at the appraisal office.

To get more information, or to arrange an interview with property tax expert Joe Gross, or his colleague Ed Nealy (a former San Antonio Spur), call 210-(number), cell phone 210-(number) or email (email address). 

Here's my self-analysis

I’ll critique this release one using the same criteria as all the others Ive critiqued on this website, and I'll share my thinking on why I constructed it the way I did.

Instant Eyeball Test:

One page. Contact information is complete and easy to find. In my opinion, an appropriate combination of short sentences, bullet points and bold print. Company logo not included.

Headline Test:

Mentions property taxpayers, which includes nearly everyone, so the MDM  (Media Decision Maker) immediately knows there’s a large potential audience. The headline reads like an announcement: you can easily envision these words at the top of the front page of a newspaper, can’t you?

Newsworthiness Test:

'Biggest tax hit in years' connects with two important news hooks: pocketbook issues and milestones. Both are automatically interesting to people.

Body: The first sentence reads like the lead sentence in a newspaper article.

Some Bexar County taxpayers are getting hit with increased property tax assessments of up to 100 percent, says Joe Gross

I believe there are three other things worth mentioning about that sentence:

1) It’s a quotation which helps introduce the expert, Joe Gross.

2) It mentions a statistic that adds detail to the story: 'assessments of up to 100 percent.'

2) Even if the Media Decision Maker doesn’t realize that a 100 percent hike is a LOT, using the words 'taxpayers are getting hit with' conveys that this is REALLY an increase that’s way beyond ordinary, and on top of that, taxpayers weren’t expecting it.

The next sentence reinforces just how unusual these hikes are:

"On average the hikes are the biggest I’ve seen in twenty years,' says Gross

After establishing that it’s newsworthy, I also wanted to add some mystery, so I included the following words as part of the quote:

most people don’t know how to fight back.

I wanted the MDM to be saying to themselves, 'We can do a story that tells people how to fight back.'

When I was writing this release, I asked Joe to give me four bullet points I could use in the middle of the page. Here are the points he faxed to me:

1) Property owners rights and remedies in regards to taxes,

2) Property owners’ exemptions and their benefits,

3) The appeal process, and

4) Important dates and deadlines.

With Joe’s permission, I rewrote them.

1) Commonly used arguments that don’t work. They just cost you time, energy, and in the end--money.

2) Often overlooked facts and statistics you’ll need to win your appeal.

3) How to cut the time needed for the appeals process down to a minimum and still get a favorable
outcome.

4) Dates and deadlines you can’t afford to miss -- and how to ease the pain if you do.

I reworked each point to mention a problem and imply that Joe could provide a solution (without giving away the solution -- remember, I like some mystery in my releases).

Some other points about the body:

I mentioned the website, hoping the MDM would ask the reporter doing the story to look it over. I was sure to explain how the site would help taxpayers, which would give the reporter a legitimate reason to mention it in the story without sounding like a blatant advertisement.

'Gross has developed a website, www.jlgonline.com, which arms taxpayers with important facts they’ll need to make an effective and successful case at the appraisal office.'

Finally, I was also sure to mention that Joe's assistant is a former San Antonio Spur. This gives a little celebrity glitter to the story, but that’s not all. An enterprising reporter might also ask Ed a question or two about the local NBA team while visiting Joe’s office. The folks in the sports department might be interested. It could also conceivably lead to a little additional publicity in the form of a 'Where are they now' story at some future date.

Medium Matching:

This is a 'one size fits all' release. We faxed this to radio, TV, and newspaper operations in San Antonio.

Perspective:

Written with the MDM and the audience in mind.

Miscellaneous:

The release resulted in one TV story on the 10PM newscast of the local NBC affiliate, and two local radio interviews. Both radio stations have since done follow-up stories with Joe.

Even though I suggested four possible topics to include in their news story, the NBC affiliate stuck with the 'hard news' angle: why were the increases so big? Joe got publicity, but he really didn’t have a chance to showcase all he could do for taxpayers. That’s really not a bad thing, because it gave him an opening to pitch some follow-up coverage.

I recommended that he write a thank you letter to the station, reiterating some of the bullet points in the news release. Plus I suggested he write a pitch letter to the producer/ host of their Morning Magazine general interest talk show.