• An official statement prepared by an organization;
• Sent to the media with the goal of convincing journalists to publish a story based on the information in the release;
• A message meant to be shared widely with stakeholders and the public;

And why has this particular PR tool withstood the test of time? Because despite its basic nature, press releases continue to give PR practitioners the opportunity to:

• Tell the story their way;
• Present the facts;
• Distribute news quickly and cost-effectively;
• Secure media coverage and publicity;
• Expose the brand and message to a wider audience;

All using one piece of content.

So how does it all work?

Press Release Lifecycle

For a press release to do its job, it will typically go through the following stages:

Write

Fairly self-explanatory, writing the press release is step #1. Download our Anatomy of a Press Release Guide and Template^[3] to learn exactly how to write an amazing press release, including;

• Detailed breakdown of press release components
• Basic press release layout
• Tips and tricks on writing an effective press release
• A press release template worksheet – Simply plug your information into this pre-formatted, customizable template and voila! Instant press release.

Distribution

Once the press release is written, it needs to be distributed. This can be done in multiple ways.