Salutation (Dear xx, or Hi xx – whatever you prefer)

Try not to start with ‘How are you?’ unless you know the person; it’s a nicety that really doesn’t need to be there and makes most journalists/bloggers cringe.

Just use these first two paragraphs to tell whoever you’re sending the release to who you are, what you have to say, and why their readers might care. For instance, your name, the name of your business and what it does – and that you’ve noticed that they regularly cover the type of product you sell.

If your product is difficult to understand or is very technical, add three key points:

Maybe why the product is unique Something about the heritage of the product And maybe why you’re sending the release now instead of any other time

Say that’s there’s the full release below, but end on a call to action. That’s probably either going to be offering a trial, or meeting for a coffee to discuss more.

Thanks

Sign off with your name

----------------------------(You can put this line here if you like, but you don’t need to) -------------------------

Headline goes here, NO NEED FOR ALL CAPITALS

London (or wherever you’re from), date: These first two paragraphs should include the who, what, where and when.

Second paragraph goes here…

Then use the next four to five paragraphs to flesh this out and introduce the why. Include a quote in the third paragraph, but only if that person is available for interview.

This whole ‘release’ section; from below the header to where it says ‘ENDS’ – should be less than 250 words. No need to drag it out. Keep it short and to the point.

If you’re struggling to cut down text, save your document and revisit it the next day. Try reading it out loud, and if you’re still stuck, give it to a friend or colleague to review.

ENDS

About:

This bit (called your boilerplate) allows you to say a little bit more about your business. It should be concise (about two paragraphs), but always sign off with full contact details.

Website URL – Twitter feed – Blog if relevant

Name of key contact, phone number