One of the most difficult parts of writing a press release is determining how long is too long and how short is too short. While there are no all-encompassing rules that must be followed, there are guidelines that are accepted industry wide. In reality, it all boils down to the information that your particular press release contains.

Generally speaking, a press release should be kept to one page or roughly 400-500 words. Writing an effective press release in only one page can certainly be a challenge. However, knowing what to include and what to leave out will steer you in the right direction.

What Should Be Included?

• Complete contact information
• The facts of your news – who, what, when, where, why and how
• Quotes are optional but can add support to the facts you have presented
• Let readers know how they benefit from your information

What Should Be Avoided?

• Fluff – any and all self promotion which in turn makes your press release sound like an advertisement
• Inflammatory comments, quotes or threats
• Avoid industry jargon that everyday people will not understand

Whether one paragraph or an entire page, the goal should be to write effectively; Make the information interesting, factual, and newsworthy. Keep it short, succinct, and simple. Don’t repeat yourself, use as few words as possible to clearly get your point across, and get to that point quickly. Focus on the forest, not the trees. Ideally, your finished press release should be fewer than 400 words. If it gets any longer than that, you likely do not have a clear enough focus.

Many clients feel intimidated when they must write a press release. So they come to us and ask for a ‘professional’ press release. While writing skill and experience help in the process, neither is totally essential for writing a press release. People think it’s necessary to be “creative,” have a great vocabulary” and clever ideas. Not always. There are necessary steps to take to write an effective press release and not all of them are creative. Some are mechanical and boring but make the difference between a dynamite release and a mediocre one. Some of the steps you may never connect to press release writing are pretty straightforward. Follow these steps and you can come up with a professional-looking and sounding release.

The steps, in order of importance are:

• Research—The Internet makes research easier today but don’t forget your local library, encyclopedias, current publications and practical knowledge. Common sense helps.
• Seek Expert Opinions—Contact people in the field through email, telephone, fax and media outlets.
• Become Knowledgeable about your Product or Service—Put all the above together; compare and contrast; use examples.
• Write Clearly and Plainly—Spell check; Use proper grammar; Use simple language.
• Edit—Go over the release, word by word.
• Re-edit—Read the release aloud for your own ears. Get rid of any awkward words that don’t flow readily off the tongue. Shorten sentences that leave you breathless.
• Re-write Copy edit—Read aloud to one or two people (preferably not your family) and give copies for one or two people to read and critique.
• Use suggestions that make sense to you.
• Final Draft! Put all above together and read it one more time.