Think of all the different ways there are to format words. Haikus and sonnets have to have a certain number of syllables in each line. Every teacher you had in school may have had special rules about how they wanted essays arranged.
Press releases also need to be written in the proper format, and not knowing about it is like losing a recipe before you go to bake. It’s your unique touches that will make the dish shine, but you won’t get anywhere without knowing the basics.
Read on to learn how to format a press release for maximum success.
How to Format a Press Release
Press releases aren’t copy-and-paste documents that look the same in every industry. Most are made up of the same basic components.
Start by writing “for immediate release” in all caps or “embargoed until March 2026.“ if the release needs to be held. Then, start including the essential components, from the headline to the marker at the end.
Headline and/or Subheadline
Many journalists won’t even make it past the press release headline. Use it to make a positive first impression. If you don’t grab their attention right away, they’ll move on.
The headline should summarize the main point of the press release. If they need more context, add a second subheadline.
Dateline
The dateline indicates where and when the press release was written. It should be written in all caps. Place the location first, followed by the year.
Opening Paragraph
Your opening paragraph provides another opportunity to hook the reader.
The journalists you send the press release to need to understand not only the purpose of the press release but also how it relates to them. The opening paragraph needs to answer the five W’s:
- Who
- What
- When
- Where
- Why
Second and Third Paragraphs
The body paragraphs provide additional information to support the points made in the opening paragraph.
Use the inverted pyramid style. Begin with the most important information and then proceed to what is less important to know.
Keep these paragraphs concise. Focus on only one major idea per paragraph and keep each paragraph two to four sentences long.
Quotes
A quote can give a personal touch to the press release. It serves as a reminder that it comes from actual human beings. It also supports the points you’re trying to make.
Get a personal statement from important members of your business, such as a CEO or spokesperson. You can bold the name of the speaker and italicize the quote or set it off as a separate section with larger text. The important part is to make the quote distinct from the rest of your body paragraphs.
Boilerplate
The boilerplate is a brief paragraph used to summarize your business. What’s your mission, and what’s your history?
This information does more than let journalists know who you are. It helps set you apart from other businesses in your niche who may be releasing similar information.
Contact Information
A press release is meant to encourage engagement. That can’t happen if they don’t know where to find you or how to contact you.
Include contact information with your:
- Name
- Title
- Phone number
- Email address
- Social media handles
End of the Press Release
The End or Conclusion may work in storybooks or blog posts, but it’s not the standard practice for press releases. There’s a standard way to indicate when the content is over.
Use three pound signs (###) in the center of the document.
Why Press Release Formatting Matters
The importance of proper press release formatting can’t be overstated.
It’s the first thing journalists look at. If it isn’t properly formatted, they’ll probably throw your press release away. It also makes you look more professional.
It makes the process of writing a press release easier, turning it into a more straightforward fill-in-the-blank puzzle. You know all the information you need to include and where it needs to go, so you’re less likely to miss anything.
Press Release Best Practices
Two press releases can use the same, equally effective press release format but differ in their level of success. It’s only the beginning of the process.
Once you have your format laid out, focus on the content of the document. What you put in it is the key to its success. Following press release best practices makes your document more effective.
Keep the document concise, from the headlines to the body paragraphs. Use bullet points to summarize long sections. Make it no more than two pages long.
Choose a standard font, such as Arial or Times New Roman. Use single spacing for added readability, and bold key points to make them stand out.
Avoid sales-focused terms and industry jargon that only members of your industry would understand. Focus on describing the facts in a relatable, interesting way.
Proofread the document. A typo or grammar mistake can instantly make you untrustworthy.
Add visual elements, such as:
- Photos
- Videos
- Infographics
- Tables
They support your statements and make the document less of a chore to read. A study by WebFX found that content on the web with visuals receives 94% more views than text-only content.
Using Downloadable Press Release Templates
One of the best ways to learn how to format a press release is to find examples of other press releases intended to achieve a similar purpose. What do they look like? How successful were they?
Formatting varies across industries and purposes. Using a downloadable press release template makes the process easier. There are options available for almost any type of press release and any program, including Google Docs and Microsoft Word.
Find the Best Press Release Service Today
Learning how to format a press release gives you a head start on making it successful. It lets you know what to put in and how. Using a template that fits your industry makes it even easier.
Working with eReleases connects you with the only national partner for Cision PR Newswire. We can edit your releases or write one for you.
When they’re ready to go, we send them to a curated selection from our over 1.7 million media contacts. We’ll also send you detailed data on their impact. Contact us to maximize your PR efforts today.