How to Write a Killer Lead for Your Press Release
by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases

The lead is one of the most important pieces of your press release. If it isn’t strong, you’ll lose the interest of your readers, and they won’t waste any time reading the rest of your press release. As a result, your release won’t get picked up, so you won’t get any media coverage. So, what can you do to write a killer lead for your press release? Here are some tips to get you started. Add your own tips by leaving a comment.

• Answer the most basic questions - After reading the lead of your press release, the editor should have answers to the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions. Your goal with the lead is to hook the reader in while providing a clear, concise overview of your story. With that in mind, don’t bog your lead down with any unnecessary details. Focus only on answering the most basic questions then format these answers into short, easy-to-read paragraphs. .

• Ditch the template leads - The editors you’re sending your press release out to will likely be going through dozens of other press releases that day. Your lead needs to stand out from the pack so that it grabs their attention. This means you should ditch the template leads. In other words, don’t start your press release out with “ABC Company, a leader in the such and such industry, is pleased to announce …” It’s boring and overdone. Find a new angle, but always be careful of trying to be too clever and losing clarity.

• Focus on something special - Your lead needs to “wow” the reader, so that he’ll feel compelled to read the rest of the press release. Find a unique angle for your story, or focus on some special feature or benefit that makes you different from everyone else. This gives your press release the best chance of standing out from the hundreds of others you’re competing with.

• Keep it short - When writing your press release lead, you should always strive for brevity. Your goal is to get as much information across in the fewest words possible. You probably won’t get it right the first time, which is why I recommend writing several different versions of your lead. When editing, cut out unnecessary words, jargon, repeated words, and anything else that isn’t necessary for answering the who, what, when, where, and why questions. Remember, your goal is to get the journalist's attention with your story and to have them contact you for an interview where they can get more details and you can get more coverage.

• Include your targeted keyword - Google loves press releases. An optimized press release can grab a page one ranking for the targeted keyword. In fact, I’ve distributed press releases that have stayed on the first page for the targeted keyword for more than a year! When optimizing, keyword placement is always important. That’s why you should try to get your keyword up top in your press release lead.

What's the Right Press Release Length?

Usually, when we talk about creating the perfect press release, we focus on crafting catchy headlines and avoiding silly grammar errors. But these aren't the only elements required for a successful press release. And you might even argue that they aren't the most important. So, what is?

Length. Press release length is extremely important, but it's one of those things that never gets talked about and that always gets overlooked. However, with some reports showing the average reporter or editor spends just 5 seconds reading a news release before deciding whether or not to toss it in the garbage, it's clear that length matters.

On average, a good press release can be written with anywhere from 300-500 words. Once you eclipse the 500 word mark, there's a good chance you're just wasting space on words that will never get read. Your best bet is to try to get your press release to fit on a single page. This lets the reporter or editor quickly scan through it in their allotted 5 seconds.