UK Press Release Writing Guide

A press release refers to a formal textual message deployed to pass news or any crucial message to the media. It is intended to keep journalists, managing editors, and news publications aware of your story in a manner, which is easily understandable, succinct, and well organized. The role of press releases in the context of public relations (PR) is that they provide an easy mechanism through which companies, organizations, or even the individual can make known various developments to the broader population. A press release means that your message is relayed to the right people in the right form whether it is a new product launch, a corporate partnership, an event announcement among others. It can result in media coverage, exposure and visibility after being picked up by journalists.

In writing a press release you ought to think like a journalist. Ask yourself what will make this matter newsworthy to the media? Reporters do not care about promotional fluff, they are interested in stories of interest to the people. Your press release must be shared on high timely, relevant and influential information. It could be a product launch, hiring a new employee, creating a partnership, or an event, but your angle will have to be tied to the real news with the value to be obtained by the reader. That is why the inverted pyramid structure plays such an important role: Start with the most important information, who, what, when, where, and why, and add details gradually. This will enable reporters to determine the value of the story very fast, and will make your release to be easily skimmed and republished.

Time is gold in the media world. Reporters receive hundreds of emails each day, so a press release that is wordy or uses jargon will more than likely be deleted. That is why it is necessary that they should be clear and concise. The press releases must be concise and ideal with not more than 300 to 500 words, simple language without the use of technical terms and buzzwords. The aim is to convey what you are saying, as succinctly as you can, and not to shortchange the content. A good press release writing entails shortening the fluff and getting to the point. In case a 12-year-old could receive comprehension to your press release, then you are doing it correctly: being legible is the key that will make your story reach a larger audience.

An effective press release follows a given pattern that makes it quite comprehensive; all pertinent information is included and the information flow is done logically. The following is one of the tried and tested UK press release format :

Formulating a headline of a press release probably remains the most important. Your headline should be clear, interesting and brief as it should summarise the major point of the release in one sentence.

Use active voice

Avoid puns or overly clever wording unless you’re in entertainment or lifestyle sectors

Example: “London Tech Start-Up Secures £1.2M Funding to Revolutionise Online Payments”

This is an optional, but helpful line in which the journalist can have more context. It is like a subtitle that does not restate the headline.

Begin the initial paragraph with the city (in capital) and the date. For example:

This format will assist journalists to immediately grasp the geography, timeliness of their announcement.

The first paragraph of your paper must address the 5 Ws:

Who is the news about?

What happened?

When did it happen?

Where did it happen?

Why is it important?

It begins here with how to design a press release: give the basic news in the first sentence.

Include additional depth by using the following 2-3 paragraphs and:

Background details

Data or statistics

Direct quotes from a spokesperson

Context on why the news matters

Quotes should be added to the list of media release best practices; the number of quotes should be one and two well chosen quotes. This makes it feel authentic and gives journalists content in which to reuse.

This is a brief paragraph at the bottom giving details of your company or organisation. Make it objective and the same in the releases.

Example: About XYZ Ltd: Founded in 2015, XYZ is a London-based fintech company specialising in digital wallets and payment solutions.

Never forget to have press contacts:

Ensure to make it convenient to the journalists to contact you in case they are interested in following up or making requests on interviews.

In the United Kingdom, the media require that the press releases should meet a set of editorial criteria. The British journalists seek an answer in the form of clear, factual and concise information and never like to recruit or over-sell. The language must be formal yet not so complicated to the extent of using jargon. There are minor differences between UK press release format and a press release in other countries, with the use of British English spelling (e.g. “organise” rather than “organize”), and some less circumlocutory wording. The British media also likes using a professional balanced tone that does not stress much on the sales content but on newsworthiness. Being aware of these expectations is essential to drawing the attention of the UK journalists to your press release and receiving it in local and national publications.

Start your headline with action words such as announces, expands or launches. All of these verbs immediately inform a reader of what is occurring and cause the headline to feel alive, present, and interesting to read.

A headline under the right question is: Why should anyone take notice? The addition of an outcome or positive impact is necessary to give emphasis on what the story means to the organization, such as growth, innovation, touch on the community, or the achievement of a financial goal.

Specificity and credibility are added to your press release with numbers. This makes things more tangible and measurable, presenting the story in such phrases as “raises 50 thousands of pounds” or “invites 2,000 people” which would make it more attractive to readers and journalists.

The UK press believes in professionalism and impartiality. One must not yell in headlines through use of caps or exclamation marks. They have the potential to make your release appear amateurish or spammy and less likely to have serious media pickup.

When you have a ready press release, distribution will follow. These tips on press release submission will aid in achieving visibility:

Compile a list of media outlets, social media influencers and journalists in your industry. Get correct contacts using tools such as the Prowly, Cision or press databases.

For UK-focused releases, consider:

Press Association (PA Media)

Responsesource

Businesswire UK

PR Newswire UK

Using these platforms, you will be able to gain the attention of a vast majority in the UK media setting.

Once the release is sent; briefly and politely email to follow up once. Never resend the release several times–this is a sure path to blacklist.

The following are the five best practices of media release in order to make your press release work best in the UK:

Proofread Thoroughly – -Spelling mistakes kill the credibility right away. Apply such tools as Grammarly.

Stick to One Topic Per Release – It is advisable not to crowd together multiple items in a press release.

Avoid Too Much Branding – Do not constrain yourself on the use of company names / links excessively. Be objective. Never use too much of the name of your company and excessive links.

Use UK English – Terms like “organise” (home of the UK editelle, “programme”, “centre”) follow the UK production standards.

Time It Right – Setup releases ahead of time and during the workday. Best suited are Tuesday mornings.

A press release template incorporates a more distinct layout which can be recycled and used again in the future. The template will help you go through all the steps required in the writing process of the press release but in a consistent manner. A template of a press release in the UK contains:

Headline: The key takeaway of your announcement

Subheading: Additional context or elaboration on the headline

Dateline: The location and date of release

Introduction: A brief of the key comments in the Statement

Body: Detailed explanation, quotes, and background information

Boilerplate: Information about the company or organization issuing the release

Contact Information: Media relations – Name, email and phone number.

It is a template that will assist in ensuring that nothing is left out of the press release thus leaving an easier and simplified format that the journalists will cover your story.

The art of learning to write press release UK style is inevitable, it is not about keeping in trends but knowing what the journalists require and providing it in a straightforward, clear, and purposeful manner. Use the correct UK press release template, prioritize with actual news, and pitch each release to the newspaper that you are appealing to. Do not forget that interviews, online publications, backlinks, and brand authority can be prompted after creating a good press release. To make a splash with your news release whether you are new to PR releases or a PR pro, the following press release writing guide and media release best practices can help put your announcement in a good position to succeed.