Tips for Writing a Press Release for the Event—What to Do to Make the Media Write About Your Event

The first press release in history was released a little over a century ago in the USA. Although today’s Facebook and Twitter feeds often replace us with news publications, the press still significantly impacts society. And press releases for events remain the best way to convey messages to the media and gain access to a large audience.

What is a Press Release for the Event?

The press release for the event is intended to briefly and clearly explain to journalists why they need to attend the event. The answer to the question: “Why should I come here?” The release also contains information about the event, time, venue, travel scheme, and contacts of a PR expert or other responsible person.

The three pillars on which any press release rests are novelty, relevance, and informativity. To publish a press release on our website, you need to complete the form by clicking on the link:

Main Components of the Event Press Release

When you write an event press release, you’ll add more info here and there or make an accent on some parts. Yet, we recommend you follow a standard template format of an event press release template:

1. Title is the first thing any person will see in your press release. It must be eye-catchy in order to attract more attention and clearly explain what will be spoken about. It should include an informative reason, as well as the name of the event that will be discussed in the text.
2. Lead is the information basis of the text. You should explain in a few sentences the main idea of an event in this section. Reveals the material in one or two sentences, briefly answering the question: “What is this press release about?”
3. The body of text or the bulk of the press release reveals all the details of the information guide. There may already be figures, facts, statistics, and other intriguing details. Remember that the most important information should be communicated in the first paragraph.
4. Quote. A comment or expert opinion is a decoration of your text and a great tool to make the material brighter and more lively. And when necessary, the quote makes it possible to highlight the newsmaker, pay attention to the key figure associated with the event.
5. Info Help. Brief and clear information describing the event. You can include the history and main achievements of the brand, as well as elements of identity, for example, the logo.
6. Visual images and links. Add media associated with the event. It can be a photo report or its poster, infographics, banners, promo photos, and more.
7. Media contact / Press contact person. You must complete the contacts of the event representative or organizer from whom you can obtain additional information or materials for publication. Here you can add links to the company’s Internet resources: website, landing, and social networks.

Event Press Release Example

Keep in mind that when it comes to an event press release you have to create an informative document. Media representatives must learn quickly a few things: what happened, why it happened, where it happened and what are the results of the event. Or the time when an event will happen.

And try to write all parts of an event announcement press release (from title to contacts) in a simple manner.

What are Press Releases Used for?

Here are 4 main tasks that press releases do well:

Talk about the news to a wide audience and increase brand awareness. The story told by the media arouses interest and trust among a wide audience. Press publications help to attract more attention, cause a public outcry and increase brand recognition.

Build a sustainable and successful relationship with the media. Journalists are looking for news and “tasty” stories. Therefore, sending out press releases is a mutually beneficial matter. By helping the press find decent information, you will be able to build successful cooperation with media partners.

Control the image and perception of your brand product. A press release is not only a story about your brand; it is also an opportunity to shape its image and control the audience’s perception of your brand. Sending out a press release is a way to protect the product, event, or position from any misinterpretation.

Bring customers, and increase sales. A new clothing line, a one-of-a-kind airline promotion, or the launch of an educational project all require advertising and branding to attract customers.

Press releases help to cope with these tasks. Note that texts with direct advertising are often not considered by the editorial departments of publications but are sent to the advertising and marketing department.

Event Press Release Writing Rules

There are simple rules for writing a press release, under which the likelihood that your letter will not go immediately to Spam increases greatly.

The first paragraph is short in volume and has the most filled-in content. It answers questions and provides key information:

• what is the name of the event, in what format it takes place, and what it will consist of;
• date, address, and time of the event;
• names or facts guaranteed to attract attention.

You have a few seconds for the editor to look at the first lines of your release and decide whether to read it further. Do not talk about uniqueness, unprecedented, and cult, give the facts. Believe me: it is just as important for your recipients to post interesting, relevant, and useful announcements as you can see them published. But do not hide the essence under the heap of distracting information and irrelevant details, because the editor has a huge flow. Help him in the first paragraph to understand that your event is worthy of his attention.

In the second paragraph, you already reveal the content of the event in more detail, tell how many people you expect and who these people are, and what is the uniqueness of the event. What program will be, and what details are the most interesting?

You can devote one paragraph to the opinion leader’s feedback about the organizers or the event. Of course, this review cannot be forged, nor should you quote those who are not recognizable figures. It is better to make the press release shorter than to fill it with water or false information.

The last paragraph of the press release is the address of the event website, the contact details of the person involved in PR and interaction with the media in the project, the phone, e-mail, and links to social networks of the event.

As a result, you should get a text that occupies no more than one page, in which the information is not repeated, logically, and consistently structured, there is not a single error, and the specifics are not missed or distorted.

The main nuances are:

• a press release must be written in text format. You do not need to make it in pdf, which someone will not open, someone will not load, and someone from it will not copy anything. Make the path from reading to publishing as short and convenient as possible for the addressee;
• it is better not to call the letter “forehead” — “Press release of the conference on writing press releases.” Every editor of these almost identical letters has hundreds every day. Write not a clerical, but a living, human headline that would attract your attention;
• when you send a letter to the editor, then after the greeting, you copy the first paragraph into the body of the letter, which contains a concentrate of information about your event, then write that you can familiarize yourself with the details by clicking on the link (and give a link to the GoogleDocs where you prudently copied text) or in the attached file (attached Word document). All your contacts must be in the signature;
• in addition to the text of the press release, the attachment should contain 2-4 photos from past or similar events held by you, or pictures from the Internet that seem most suitable for you, or a poster of events. Sometimes, if there are no pictures, editors can attach something to your announcement that does not reflect your expectations at all.

Preparation and Distribution

Before sending a press release for publication, follow these steps:

1. Avoid difficult-to-read sentences with partial and involved turns, vitriolic phrases, special vocabulary, abbreviations, except for commonly known ones. Write in an understandable and lively language.
2. Avoid evaluation judgments.
3. Try not to use linking words, which are perceived as a clerk: “as a result,” “thus,” “subsequently.”
4. Check spelling and punctuation.
5. Try to fit the press release on one, maximum of two pages.
6. Make a brief announcement of the press release and place it in the body of the letter, this will increase the chances of reading it by a journalist. Being in the dark, it is often just time to open a file with a press release, so it is important to catch the essence instantly, from the body of the letter itself.
7. Formulate the subject of the letter briefly.

I hope, you’ve found the answer to “how to write a press release for an event”. Press releases today are quite relevant. However, not only a professional can write a good press release. This is subject to any person who has sufficient literacy and also understands the structure and nuances of this genre.

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Read More:

• Download Event Press Release Example
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• Donation Press Release Template

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