Try the One Paragraph Press Release for Power & Punch

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Often we think we are hard-pressed to get all our information into the standard form one-page press release. Press releases can be longer, of course, but the one page has become the accepted and expected model. What many people don’t realize is that a short one paragraph press release can be a powerful statement, both in its brevity and in its surprise factor. Media people reaching into their daily pile of press releases are generally surprised when they see one paragraph on the page. Are they more likely to read it? Probably. Who doesn’t have time to read one brief paragraph? We’re not talking about a page-long paragraph. This first paragraph, up to here, for example, is about the common length of a paragraph, give or take a few sentences.

The attitude that one must get one’s money’s worth often prevents people from sending out press releases that seem too short. PR people don’t want to waste nice white space on a page. If the releases are mail-outs, the price of postage factors in. A typical question: “Why send less when I can send more for the same price?” If the releases are sent through e-mail, the price of the service may discourage short releases.

Remember that media people don’t necessarily want or need to know everything about you, your product and/or your company in order to find your release newsworthy. In fact, they’d prefer you stick to the news item at hand and not try to include the entire history behind it. (The facts, M’am, strictly the facts!)

The one-paragraph press release can be used efficiently for a number of purposes. For example, when announcing a new product of a well-known company: (ABC Company releases new audio software for deaf people); when announcing a special event at a familiar resort, store, town or any known locale: (8th Annual Snow Shoe Shuffle returns to Vail Ski Resort); (ABC Company stocks Viagra pill boxes for the discreet gentleman); (Annual Christmas Tree Lighting unfolds on December 1 in Rockefeller Center.)

Use your imagination for the above examples and you can see how you can elaborate in one short paragraph, while covering the subject at hand. The next time you have news to announce, try writing your press release in one paragraph and see how much media action you get.