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Write Like a Pro – Formatting Tips

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About this lesson

The formatting of a press release needs to convey professionalism and follow industry standards in order for it not to be dismissed outright.

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Write Like a Pro – Formatting Tips.docx
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Quick reference

Write Like a Pro – Formatting Tips

The formatting of a press release needs to convey professionalism in order for it not to be dismissed outright.

When to use

The suggestions below are useful to appropriately format a press release.

Instructions

  1. The Logo/Letterhead: placed at top of your press release, it conveys the source of the message with immediacy, add credibility, and give a professional look to your company.
  2. The Contact Information: normally placed on the top left hand-side of the press release, it completes it and should be accurate. The person who will be handling further queries should be someone knowledgeable, reliable and available.
  3. Time of Release: either “For immediate release” or “Hold until…” should be indicated above the headline of the press release.
  4. Dateline: after the headline and the subhead, open the press release with your location followed by the date.
  5. Clues for readers: if a press release is over one page in length, type #more# at the bottom of the first page to indicate that the text continues on the next page. At the end of the press release, type Ends or ### to signal to the reader that the text finishes there.
  6. Style: Never write your opinions in a press release. Only write in the third person to keep your press release professional and objective.
  7. Formatting: Your press release should be written in a typical writing font, double spaced, and include page numbers. 
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  • 00:05 Now, though formatting is thought of as quite the robotic element,
  • 00:09 it's certainly part of writing like a pro,
  • 00:12 because that's what is going to give the release that professional appearance.
  • 00:17 A couple of tips to work through now, the logo and the letterhead.
  • 00:22 We're gonna incorporate the logo or
  • 00:24 the letterhead as best we can at the top of the press release.
  • 00:28 And this will convey the source of the message with immediacy and
  • 00:32 it will add credibility.
  • 00:34 And also give us that professional look that the company aims for.
  • 00:39 Contact information is really what's required for the press release to be
  • 00:43 complete, because this would be the next step that people will take.
  • 00:48 The next step would be to pick up the phone and reach out to a knowledgable
  • 00:52 person in the company, or to visit the website and perhaps place an order.
  • 00:57 So this information is normally placed on the top left-hand
  • 01:00 side of the press release it's gonna be clearly visible to all.
  • 01:04 Now if you look at the time and
  • 01:06 the dateline, that's gonna be above the headline of the press release.
  • 01:11 And we need to indicate to journalists and editors when should this be released.
  • 01:16 If it should be released immediately,
  • 01:18 you can just state boldly that this is for immediate release.
  • 01:22 If you need it to be released on a specific date,
  • 01:25 then you can rather just say hold until, and then specify the exact date.
  • 01:31 After the headline and the subhead, open the press release with your location.
  • 01:36 And it should be followed by a date.
  • 01:39 So the dateline then is gonna help readers to understand where and
  • 01:43 when the news will be relevant.
  • 01:46 We also need to leave some clues for the readers with formatting.
  • 01:50 So if a press release is over one page,
  • 01:52 then typically you will type a hash and then, more followed by another hash.
  • 01:58 And this is preceded and followed by a hash at the bottom of the first
  • 02:03 page to indicate that the text will continue on the next page.
  • 02:07 So at the end, then, of the press release we're going to type end, or
  • 02:12 we can do three hashes to signal the reader that the text will finish here.
  • 02:18 So never write your opinions in the press release, remember that.
  • 02:22 Only write in the third person,
  • 02:24 because this will keep the release rather professional and objective.
  • 02:28 Your press release should be written in a typical writing format, and
  • 02:33 we're going to double space it as well.
  • 02:35 Also remember to include page numbers at all times.

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