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Tips on Writing a Press Release
Tips on Writing a Press Release
Our many years of local event organisation came in handy recently when we were asked to help out with some extra marketing for a new client. One thing about organising markets, festivals and Christmas lights switch-ons, is that you get to pitch in with all sorts of tasks, including writing and sending press releases. We have therefore created these tips on writing a press release.
What to Include
Before you even get started, you need to get the format right and include a logo, company information and media contact information. If you are going to be creating future press releases then you may want to keep this document as a template.
You can now think about the creative and eye-catching elements of the press release. Make sure that your headline is attention-grabbing. Remember that you need to stand out from the crowd.
Include a quote or two. It makes it easier for the journalist to create the story if you already have provided them with a sound bite.
Be concise with your main points, including detailed information, statistics, facts and a timeline of events.
Remember to keep it to one side of A4, about 300 – 400 words.
Images
Include one image just below the headline of your press release. Make sure it is high-resolution (300 dpi). Landscape is best. You can include more on the press release if you have space (2 – 3 is average). If you want to include a video then you can embed with the code from You Tube/Vimeo.
Press Release Templates
If you are stuck then never fear, there are plenty of press release templates out there. Be sure to pick the one that matches your reason for sending it (event, product launch, financial results etc). Jotform have 12 templates here.
Accompanying Email
Remember that you will have to send the press release to your media contacts. The accompanying email is therefore equally important. Make sure that the subject line reflects the contents of the press release. Introduce yourself and why you are contacting them. Then move onto some key points and how they can access the press release (via link/attachment. Include your contact information and anything else needed for follow-ups.
Red Desk is here to support your next marketing project. We offer a complete Digital Marketing service for small businesses and organisations helping them to promote themselves online. If you are interested, please get in touch: mel@reddesk.co.uk.
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How to create clickable links in Instagram
How to create clickable links in Instagram
As of April 2024, there are over 2 billion active users on Instagram. In fact, according to Similarweb’s global ranking of websites, Instagram is the fifth most visited website globally. Therefore, it makes sense to market your business or product on Instagram. Many social media platforms allow clickable links within posts which allow users to visit the website directly. Unfortunately, this is not the case for Instagram. So how do you create clickable links on Instagram?
Profile
You can add a link to your website, blog and more in your profile. Click edit profile, add external link and enter the URL and title. It makes sense to post the link for the place where most of your information can be found. For example, for Red Desk Virtual’s Instagram account, we have a link to our blog. This is because most of our social media posts are related to articles on our blog. Therefore, instead of providing a link in your posts (which aren’t clickable), you could say something like “link in the bio”.
Although you can provide several links in your profile, only the first one is visible. If you have multiple hyperlinks you want to list, why not create a Linktree?
Stories
You can use a Link Sticker to add a clickable link to your story. Follow these instructions (this works on Instagram app on your mobile device and not desktop):
- Click your profile pic and you can add to story
- Take a photo or upload one already on your device
- Tap the sticker icon and select the Link Sticker
- Type in your link – you can change how it appears ie instead of showing the link to the website you can say “Buy your tickets now” so do play about with this option
- You can then move the link (this will appear right in the middle image otherwise)
- The story will be on Instagram for 24 hours
- If your Facebook account is linked then it will be shared on there too
Highlights
Once you have created your Instagram story with the clickable link, you can add it to highlights. Once again this can be added to and edited on your phone.
Red Desk offers a complete Social Media Management service. We work with our clients to create a tailor-made Social Media Plan that best reflects their business. We can create a one-off campaign to promote an event / new service or work on a monthly campaign package creating a strategy and content to target your desired audience. If you want additional support for your small business, please get in touch: mel@reddesk.co.uk.
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