5 Guidelines to Writing a Press Release That Gets Attention

When I worked as the news editor at an alt-weekly in Wisconsin, we went out of our way to publish at least a snippet of every press release submitted by local businesses and organizations. We did it as a commitment to our community, but for me, it meant making a lot of bad writing palatable to our readers.

It also opened my eyes to just how terrible so much nonprofit PR is. Here are five things to remember when writing press releases for your nonprofit.

1. Know your audience.

This might be the most difficult advice to grasp. You’re not writing for your executive director, your board or a major donor. You’re writing for the reader and for the reporter you hope will give you coverage or placement. Don’t forget this (and please remind your management team of this as your release makes its way through the arduous nonprofit PR approval process).

A good lede, the most important part of your release, has about 35 words. Don’t waste them on a list of sponsors or your organization’s mission. Highlight what’s great about the event you’re trying to sell, the service you’re providing or the change you’re making in people’s lives.

Save your “Run for a great cause at the Great Health 8k, a collaboration of the West Central Neighborhood Alliance, Children’s Ministry Hospital of Chicago and the Western Suburbs and the Springfield Retired Short Firefighters’ Association, generously supported by a grant from the Johnson Family Foundation and Suburban Auto Parts, August 23″ spiel for the end. It will be the first thing hacked off the release anyway. Instead: start by telling your audience what’s great about the event or service instead.

Sean Ryan, the race director of the Green Bay Marathon and creator of the Door County Triathlon and the Fall 50, once told me he puts little emphasis on the charitable aspect when promoting his events. He said that if he asks a participant after an event who it benefited, most will get it wrong or they won’t know at all.”The fact that these events are benefiting charities is definitely meaningful to the community,” he said. “But in my experience, it’s not particularly important to most of the participants.”

Ryan focuses on creating a professional, sustainable event first, and with that comes greater dollars for his nonprofit partners. By its seventh year, the Door County Triathlon raised $60,000 for the local YMCA and Parks Department.

2. Don’t beg, at least not first.

Too many nonprofits lead with tales of their dire circumstances. Respect your organization. You’re a nonprofit, so by definition the reader knows you need money. Begging for it is redundant. Treat yourself, and present yourself, like a business with a quality product or service to sell, one that is valuable to the community. Try something like this:

“Each year, the Family Centers of Evanston provides parental education to single mothers that helps keep vulnerable young children out of emergency rooms, teens out of jail and students in the classroom.”

Show the reporter and the reader specific ways your services benefit them and why supporting your organization is a smart investment, not just something to be guilted into. If you can quantify statements like the above, you’re going to show your audience that you’re a serious organization with structure, insight and one producing concrete results.

3. Pick a good quote.

In a press release, an organization gets to choose what is quoted, so it stuns me that the stock quote in each release is always some jargon-loaded phrase leaves me reaching for a red pen. 

I’ll repeat: you get to choose your quote! You get to think about it, refine it, perfect it–so why not try to say something meaningful, powerful or controversial even? If you’re boring when you have control of your message, what are you going to be like when you don’t?

4. Don’t take me for granted.

We all want to be special, right? So why are you spamming your press release to 55 recipients?

As a reporter and editor, when I get a mass email that says, “Please publish the attached release. Thanks,” how enthusiastic do you think I’m going to be about reading it, let alone writing an original story, sending a photographer or giving it prominent placement?

I get emails addressed, “Dear media representative,” or, if they’re trying to sound personable and fun, “Hey writer friends!” Nice work “PR professional.”

It doesn’t take much to fluff a reporter’s ego. “Hi Myles, loved your last piece on the community clinic. Thought you might want to check out this event we have coming up (press release attached) next month featuring Dr. James Jones, who will talk about how to make health care more affordable for working families. We’d love to see you there! Let me now if you need more information or would like to line up an interview in advance of the event.”

That’s short, to the point and personal. It takes a couple of minutes, but will yield results.

I can’t tell you how often I go to events only because I’m personally invited. I feel obligated, but I also feel valued. That’s the ego being served.

5. Don’t puke Skittles all over my screen.

This last point is actually the one that made me write this post.

More colors, more fonts and more bold font does not impress me or the people looking at your fliers. This is not kindergarten and my mail program does not accept cored construction paper. Keep your Comic Sans and your yellow highlights in the nursery and your CAPS LOCK turned off.

The only attention it’s grabbing from me is the bad kind, the kind that makes me bury your news or delete it. If your press release is loaded with rainbow colors, don’t send it. Take that time you spent highlighting and selecting just the right shade of green text and use it to craft a more compelling message. Those colors are just so many shades of desperation.

People don’t want to date desperate, and they don’t want to give their money to it.

Be professional. Be personal. It will produce results.