Understand the difference between a press release and an article
You’ve probably heard the term “press release” before, but do you know what it means when it comes to how to write a press release for yourself? It seems to be a common misconception that the term is just a fancy word for an article, but there are some differences between the two.
An article is best described as written content that is printed or displayed electronically. It can cover any topic, but most of the time it’s timeless content that people will benefit from regardless of when they read it. A press release, on the other hand, is usually time-sensitive information about a current event, social concern, or announcement. A press release is what you’ll see when a new business opens or there’s a major event, like an expansion. When it comes to writing one about yourself, there are a few details you need to know. So let’s find out how to write a press release about yourself!
Company press releases
When a business writes and publishes a press release, its entire purpose is to inform the public and draw attention to the business. This can be a great marketing tool, when completed correctly, or it can be a hindrance to the business if poorly developed. Knowing how to write a press release about yourself can be tricky. In order for a business to create a truly beneficial press release, there are a few things they need to keep in mind:
Title
It may seem like a small thing, but a press release headline can easily make or break it. The title should be concise and direct, while also informing the reader about the topic of the article and capturing her interest. A general rule of thumb is that the title should be less than twenty words and should be interesting: the reader should feel compelled to search for more information.
Summary
Once a suitable title has been created, a summary should follow. The abstract should give more details about the article. You can explain more about the new company or the change the company has made. Once the audience has read the abstract, they should know exactly what the article is about and what the headline or title is for. The summary should be short and will usually only be two or three sentences. After the summary, a standard format press release will have the time and date of the release. If it’s published online, it’s likely that the publishing service does it automatically.
Introduction
The introduction of a press release should be a long summary of the entire article. You should include five main points: who, what, when, where and why. You need to further educate the reader about what is happening, why it is happening, and how it can be useful to them or beneficial in general. This is what gets people excited about what’s going on, and it’s the key to how to write a PR about yourself. If it is poorly written or explained, it can cause the opposite effect.
Body and Authority
Then the title, timestamp, abstract and introduction are established; It’s time to move on to the body of the press release. The body should include information and quotes provided by someone with power over the subject of the release. If the company is new, the information must be from the owner. If it’s a press release about a new invention, ideally the information should come from the person who came up with the idea. If not, it could be from the person who decided the product was worth making.
Conclusion
With all the main points out of the way and the audience now having a full understanding of what the company has to offer, it’s time to wrap up the press release. This is the part where the reader should be able to figure out how to get more information about the company, product or service, or the part of the information that calls for action.
Write a press release about yourself
Now that you understand the basics of how to write a press release, you can apply the concept to yourself. Although press releases are often directed at businesses, they can also be used for individuals such as public speakers, freelancers, or other contract-type services that individuals provide. For example, if you’re a public speaker traveling to a city for the first time, putting out a press release about it is a great way to gain a following and build your audience while you’re there.
In order to sell yourself through a press release as a marketing medium, you need to find something captivating to engage your audience. They must feel that they will be missing something if they don’t read the content. You need to be able to tell them what makes you stand out and what it is that you are doing that is significant, compared to other people in the field. If you want to know how to write a press release to help sell yourself to an audience, the following tips may be helpful.
First and foremost, make sure your readers know what you’re doing.
Once they understand what you do, show them why you stand out from the competition.
When doing this, never put other people down or say that you are “better than” someone else. People tend to respond much better to positive information that seems exciting and new than to a negative atmosphere.
Write the press release in the third person.
It may seem strange to write about yourself this way, but it will be much better for the reader, and it’s harder to leave out important information that you might assume the reader knows if you wrote it in the first person.
Be honest.
Don’t try to become something you are not. You need to be able to present yourself in a way that makes your readers look good, but you need to make sure that you give them an accurate idea of who you are and what you have to offer. One of the fastest ways to damage your reputation is to mislead your audience.
Remember, when you know how to write a press release, you have a valuable marketing tool, and if written and distributed correctly, it can give you a powerful business advantage, whether you’re an individual or writing on behalf of a company.