Embargoed press release: What & Why?
It is a news item released to one or two of the various media outlets beforehand but is not allowed to be published until a certain date or condition is met. Why??? I know you are wondering that why send it beforehand then and why not send it only when those conditions are met. Well, actually this is done so as to avoid any inaccuracies or mistakes done by the media part while drafting the content of the release. Also, it can give journalists the time to prepare and host an interview regarding the news in advance if in case there is such a requirement. Embargoes press release helps build up media relations as you choose a one or two of the many media publishers which is just like giving them a special and unique treatment. Before I forget to mention, intentionally or non-intentionally, embargoed press release is a way of getting twice or thrice the coverage one would have got otherwise. As already told above, the editor or journalist receiving this embargoed press release is not authorized to print or publish the news before the mentioned condition is fulfilled or otherwise the sender can surely restrict the editor or journalist found guilty from accessing any further information. This is possible as the embargoed press release is protected with a legal non-disclosure agreement. So, beware for the media people because releasing an embargoed press release before the fulfillment of the condition may get you instant publicity but it surely has long-term disadvantages hidden under the veil. An embargo is generally written to announce the release of new products and services, announce new employments or personal promotions of the company, government announcing policy initiations, medical journal announcements or to announce something ostensibly newsworthy which is so private that it can only be released 4-5 hours before the actual event. Format to be followed: Start with “TO BE RELEASED ON (DATE)” which clearly should tell the exact date when you want your news release to be published. Further ahead, the remaining format for an embargo is exactly the same as of a standard press release as in the end, embargo would still be a press release. Be precise at drafting the whole new release as you must not exceed 500 words, don’t make your sentences and paragraphs too long and complex for the reader to digest. Be careful with the language you use. Your news release must be free from grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, jargons and heavy adjectives. Make your headline an attractive one but in 6-8 words only and make sure it indicates the main point of the news and the reader should make out what the whole thing is all about from the headline itself. After the headline comes the body of the press release which as a whole must answer the questions like who, what, when, where, why and how. Give a summary of the whole press release in the first 6-7 lines itself so that even if the reader does not have much time, he can have a clear picture of the whole news information from these lines. After the body, give a brief description about the company in the boilerplate with the headline of “ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]”. Don’t forget to mention the contact information of an active person who is brief about the whole press release in the end. A little history:
The term boilerplate has been derived from manufacturing of steel in which steel rolled in large plates to be used in steam boilers was called boilerplate. The idea behind this is that something written as strong as ‘steel’ is that it can be repetitively used anywhere and everywhere can be termed as a boilerplate. In regards to information technology, the term boilerplate is used for a block of code as ‘boilerplate code’ that can be reused over and over again without making much changes. The modern use of boilerplate is the boilerplate press release has almost at its end. Let’s talk about the boilerplate press release has: The last paragraph is the boilerplate press release ends with. This block of writing can be used again and again for all of the company’s press releases or websites or job postings etc. as this is where a little history of the company is mentioned. Now, the background information about any company or its products and services or it’s headquarter office rarely change, so it is termed as a boilerplate press release end in. In short, boilerplate press release has is a sneak peak to the bio of the company which the journalists or your customers or financial investors might be interested to look into. Now the question is why would your customers or any financial investors be looking for the boilerplate of your company? Now, the boilerplate press release contains is a credible information for your present or to-be customers as they would definitely want to know you first before getting into business with you. Potential customers may also want to know about your products & services before getting into further communication or business with you. Boilerplate is written such that it is capable enough for answering such queries. Other than your clients, investors who analyze the future of your company can also get an overview of the bio of your company from the boilerplate itself. All they need to search for is the “ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]” section. Now talking about a few points your boilerplate needs to consider, I would enlist them as follows: · Headline to your boilerplate needs to be as “ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]” so that readers looking for this don’t get frustrated just looking for it here and there. · Highlight your company and its products and services in an overview of not more than 6-7 lines. Be precise. · Make sure it is wrapped up in just one paragraph and must include the website or social profile links in the closing lines. · Give a little brief history telling where the company is located geographically, where its headquarter is and when was it founded · Do mention whether your company is public or privately owned · Give a few details about your core services in not more than one line. Don’t go overboard. · Your boilerplate can also indicate what audience you target. Whether they are consumers, or retailers, or business to business etc. · Don’t forget to include some key features that make you unique from your competitors. This is called unique value preposition that can gain you distinctive publicity. But be careful because this can also turn your card upside down if you are not able to back up your statements with solid proofs anytime in the future. · Give facts and figures to make your boilerplate look more confident. You can also enlist the various awards or accolades your company has received. What is a Press Release?
Press release definition states that press release is a way of announcing a company’s developments in relation to the public so as to make them aware. Another press release definition could be that any official document that announces a range of newsworthy things is called a press release which must follow a standard press release format. These ostensibly newsworthy announcements can be made either in written form or through video communication. This communication document could be directed for a variety of news media outlets like editors or journalists of newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations or television networks.In a nutshell, press release drafted under a standard press release format serves as a ticket to publicize your company and get the media attention and coverage. Press releases can be written for a number of reasons like scheduled events, awards and accolades, sales accomplishments, for discussing company’s financial status, introduction of new products and services, introduction of new hires, personal promotions, etc.For your press release definition to stand out of the hundreds of other press releases that an editor or journalist might receive on a regular basis, you need to be aware and well verse with the standard press release format. Standard format for a press release: To catch the eye of the journalist or editor, you need to write an impressive press release that compels the editor or the journalist to pick yours. An efficient news release is commonly 4-5 paragraphs long and should follow a word limit of 400-500 words. The common structural elements of an impressive press release are heading, dateline, introduction, body, boilerplate, close and contact information. An eye-catching headline is the one which is brief but clear, short but meaningful, and 6-7 words long. Headline needs to serve as a micro mini version of the whole press release and should clearly tell the reader about what the press release actually is. Date of the press release is important to mention which may or may not include the city. Date comes between the heading and the body of the news. Just after the date starts the body of the news. Make sure that your news is all complete and you have all the evidence to prove the facts included in the press release if in future someone points a finger at your statements. Don’t make the body of the news release very long with too many paragraphs. Make it concise and the sentences need to be short and not complex. Keep the body of the news simple, without many repetitions and avoid use of many jargons and complex adjectives. Sum up the whole news in the first paragraph itself so as to save the time of the editor or journalist if in case he/she does not want to go through the whole of it. You can elaborate your news and points mentioned in the first paragraph further in the subsequent ones. Don’t forget to answer all the W’s and one H- who, when, where, why, what and how. Write a boilerplate just below the body of the release that briefly describes your company and also the products and services it offers. This section needs to start as About [Your Company Name] and further explain your company in about 5-6 lines. Also mention your website at the end of this section. Include the company’s name, contact person’s name, company address, phone number, emails address and website address in the end. Press Release Definition:
Press release is a written or video recorded official statement which gives information on a particular matter. Press release is issued to the various media outlets like newspapers and magazines for them to publish it and help gain coverage for the sender of the press release. Press release definition can be for discussing company’s financial status, introduction of new products and services, introduction of new hires, scheduled events, personal promotions, awards and accolades, sales accomplishments, and many more such reasons. Press release definition can be thought of a ticket to publicize one’s company through publications, TV or radio stations. It also helps develop public relations as the purpose of press releases is to let people and customers know about the various company developments. Making your press release unique: You are absolutely right at thinking that editors and journalists get hundreds of press releases every day and why would he ever pick yours? You need to make your press release such that it catches the eye of the editor or journalist and he/she is compelled to pick up yours and publish. Start with a brief, clear and genuine headline. It should be to the point and an ultra-mini version of the press release’s key point. Headline is the eye-catcher so don’t just ignore it but make it an attractive one. Make use of important keywords from your press release in your heading in a logical but attractive manner. Make it bold and a little bigger than the body font. Next, you need to mention the press release dateline which should include the date of the press release but can also sometimes include the city of the press release. If you news is of a global type and not local type, then don’t mention the city in the press release dateline. Just after the press release dateline, start the body of your press release. Write it as you want it to be printed as the editor or journalist might just print it the way it is without making any changes. Use a compact body with the summary of the press release mentioned in the first paragraph itself. Don’t forget to answer any of the questions- who, when, where, why, what and how? These make your press release complete and clear. Avoid using very long sentences and paragraphs, repetitive and overuse of fancy language, jargons and adjectives. Simply strive for simplicity without wasting any words. The subsequent paragraphs can elaborate what was just summed up in the first paragraph. First paragraph is important because the reader might not have the time and patience to go through the whole press release so the first paragraph needs to make him clear about the whole thing. Also, try to deal with actual facts, events, people, goals, targets, projects and plans and be prepared to back them up. Following the body is the boilerplate which is the ‘about’ section. It is a 5-7 lines description of your company and the products and services it offers for your customers to know you thoroughly. Mention the headquarters of the company, when was it founded, what is the target audience and something about the company’s products and services. After this, contact information is important to include just in case any journalist or customer or financial investors would like to contact you. What is Boilerplate?
The term ‘Boilerplate’ originated from the steel plates used to make boilers. The modern equivalent is the boilerplate press release has. Any text that can be reused without much of editing needed is a boilerplate. It clearly indicates why the about section is termed as boilerplate press release can use to describe the background and products or services of the company which can be reused whenever and wherever you want without changing. A brief overview of the company is always impressive to include in the boilerplate press release ends with. A boilerplate press release has offers a concise description of the company and its products for readers who don’t have any prior knowledge about the company. For whom? A boilerplate press release can give the company much broader exposure than a standard press release. All you need is to pay attention and write an impressive boilerplate with eye-catching contents. Boilerplate is one piece of chunk which is looked for by all the people who are intrigued by some story or even the name of your company. While writing about you, journalists or bloggers may need to refer your boilerplate so that they can borrow a line or two. Potential customers who are looking forward to do business with you. They would be more than curious to know about you through your boilerplate so as to be sure whether their relations with you would turn out to be credible enough or not. Potential investors who are interested in the company’s future would like to analyze about you in which a boilerplate can be a lot of help. Job seekers are indefinitely looking for the boilerplate to prepare a perfect answer to the standard question asked to them: what do you know about this company? Not only them, but employees themselves need to explain the business they work in to their family, friends and acquaintances where boilerplate can come in handy. How to write an impressive boilerplate? A standard Press Release Definition begins with an eye-catching heading followed by the press release dateline which you never forget to mention. After this, write a brief body clearly answering all the queries. Just after the body of your press release, comes the boilerplate. Don’t confuse and frustrate the readers by writing too much information about the company which is not even necessary to just get started. A quick explanation would solve the purpose. The more complex details can be saved for your website. Heading for a boilerplate goes like this- “About [Your Company Name]” which readers can easily make out. A good boilerplate need not be more than one paragraph long with about 6-7 simple and clear lines. Close your boilerplate with the address to the website of your company and/or social media profiles. Be specific about the company’s headquarters as journalists might need this to determine whether it is local or not. Mention the year in which your company was founded to indicate its longevity. Potential investors might want to know whether you are public or privately held. Explain about your primary product or service. Make it clear what audience your company targets. To build credibility and respect, include all the awards and accolades received by your company but be sure about them and also be prepared to back them up when questioned. You may also mention the other countries your company operates. WHAT?
Embargoed press release is released in some cases when the news media are not authorized to print the news unless a certain date or condition is met even when it is already sent to the news media people. It is a request make by the source that the embargoed press release be published only after their condition is met. Embargoed press release is protected under a legally bounding non-disclosure agreement under which the source can restrict access to further information by the journalist or editor if the embargo is broken. This short-term benefit can turn into a long-term disadvantage. This can be a serious disadvantage for the journalist and his publication as they will need to pay for a serious trust breach committed by them. WHY? Writing embargoed press release can build up media relations as you are making them feel special by letting them know first. This can be an opportunity for exclusive news content with two or three times the coverage. The journalist may request for an exclusive interview to support your story having received the news release in advance. Also, an embargo gives eliminates inaccuracies as the media outlet would have enough time to write the content and get checked. It also lets you synchronize your news release as everyone reporting your story at once is suspicious. WHEN? There could be numerous reasons to write an embargoed press release, but some of them could be- product announcements, announcements by medical journals, policy initiations announced by the government, changes in staff, new hires, news of the president addressing the nation which is disclosed only a few hours ago and many more such reasons. HOW? The format for the embargo remains same as a standard press release because even though it is embargoed, it still is a press release. Mention “TO BE RELEASED ON (DATE)” at the top. The press release dateline is an important part of the release and should be included before starting the body. The press release definition needs to be limited to 500 words and should be free of errors, jargons, too many adjectives. The headline of your press release short be concise and not too long. It should clearly tell the reader what he is about to read further. After the eye-catching headline, a brief, clear and crisp body of the release is always impressive. Furthermore, icing on the cake would be to give a brief idea about what the whole news is all about in the first few lines as the journalist might not have that much time to spend on your whole press release. Answer all the W’s – what, when, why, where, who and how in the first paragraph itself. Organize the information logically by writing the most important facts in the beginning and ending with the least important ones. Make sure that you don’t make any grammatical and spelling mistakes as it is very likely that your press release might be published the way you wrote it. After the body, include the boilerplate for the readers who are new to your company. It should give a brief introduction to the background of your company as well as the products and services offered by you. Don’t forget to write your contact information if in case the journalist or the editor or your customers might feel the need to contact you. News Embargo:
An embargoed press release in journalism and public relations is a request made by the source that the information or news provided in the embargoed press release be published only after certain date or conditions have been met. Embargoed press release is of great significance and is sent along with a legally bounding non-disclosure agreement so that the news agency don’t publish it before time. If the embargo is broken before the mentioned date or conditions met, the source retaliates by restricting access to further information by that journalist or his publication. This is a long-term disadvantage for them relative to other cooperative outlets. Breaking the embargo is a serious breach of trust and as a result the source can bar the offending media outlet from receiving advance information for a long time. When to write an embargoed press release? Embargoed press release are often used by companies making an announcement for a new product, by medical journals, and by government officials making announcement for policy initiatives. A good example to explain this would be a copy of the Presidential address, which is sent to the news media hours before the president addresses the nation. Such details are given to the media knowledge in advance in order to hold them secret and as a result reports can be made to coincide with the announcement date and yet still meet press time. The actual theory behind writing embargoed press release is to reduce inaccuracy in reporting breaking news by cutting corners for journalists in hopes of scooping the competition. Points to remember: Let us discuss some key points to be kept in mind while writing a news embargo. Even if you are sending the press release beforehand, you need to write it very efficiently in order for it to grab the reader’s eye. News embargo is basically a press release only so it needs to follow the same structural format as any other press release would do. Your release ideally needs to be 4-5 paragraphs long with a world limit of 500 words. Make it brief, concise and clear. Beginning with the tagline mentioning that it is an embargo, instead of writing FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE you need to write TO BE RELEASED ON (DATE). You next step is to write an eye-catching headline which needs to be short yet a nutshell of the whole press release. The reader needs to get a clear idea of what the news release is all about from the headline itself. Next, move on to the body. Give a clear picture of the news in the first few lines of the paragraph which you are going to elaborate in the subsequent paragraphs as the editor or journalist reading it may not have the time to go through it all. So, the first paragraph itself would help them get a clarity about the whole news release. Answer all the 5 W’s and an H being who, when, where, what, why and how. Just after the body, include a boilerplate which is the ‘about’ of your company about 5-6 lines long. Last but not the least, give complete contact information including the company’s name, contact person’s name, company address, phone number, emails address and website address. Your news embargo is ready to be sent directly to the journalists or editors via email or fax. Boilerplate:
Boilerplate literally means any text that is or can be reused in new contexts or applications without being greatly changed from the original. In journalism and public relations, some companies used to send out boilerplate press release so that they had to be printed as it is. But the modern equivalent of the boilerplate press release is a paragraph within the press release to describe the company or its products offered for the reader who do not have a prior knowledge about your company. This term originated from newspaper printers, where printing presses use metal plates to transfer a copy to the paper because boiler plate originally referred to the sheet steel used to make boilers. Boilerplate press release block is reusable anytime the publisher needs to provide information about the organization without making any changes. Now the question is who all see your boilerplate? Journalists or bloggers may borrow a line or two or maybe the whole thing while writing about you. The customers would like to have this information who want to know whether your company is credible for them and whether your products or services would benefit them or not. This boilerplate press release would be a help to the potential investors who need to analyze your company’s future. Job seekers would be looking for this to know the answer for their standard interview question: what do you know about this company? Well, it would be a great help for employees to explain to their near and dear ones about the company they work in. How to start? While writing boilerplate press release, don’t forget to follow brevity. Including a lot of information might confuse the reader and may turn frustrated finding a brief and quick explanation as to what your company does. Save the complete details for the website for which you can provide a link in your boilerplate. Now, the typical headline for the boilerplate in bold text looks like “About [Your Company Name]”. This is what readers and journalists will look for to know about your company and also the products and services offered by you. You should be able to give an overview of your company in about 5-6 lines and don’t make another paragraph. Write your boilerplate in just one paragraph with a closing sentence including your website and/or social media profiles. Content: The content of your boilerplate press release needs to highlight your company. You can do this by analyzing the information regarding where is your company’s headquarter, when it was founded, is your company private or public, what is the core product you offer, who is the audience you target, has your company or business received any awards or accolades, does your company also operate in other countries, and many such questions answered clearly in your boilerplate. If there is something unique about your company that distinguishes it from your competitors, do feature it in the boilerplate as your unique value proposition. Be prepared to support these assertions with evidence if ever a competitor of yours were to challenge your claim. Also list URL to your website, social media profiles of your company like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, or all of them so that readers can follow these links to get more information. The best boilerplates are build up including all of the above mentioned points. EFFECTIVE PRESS RELEASE:
For announcing new scheduled events, new hires, promotions granted, release of new products and services, and many other such ostensibly newsworthy reasons, every company preferably issues a written or video press release. Now if every company is doing the same thing simultaneously and with so much competition in today’s market, any editor or journalist could be flooded with hundreds or thousands of press releases which he/she does not even care about. They obviously do not have the time and patience to go through each one of them. So for your press release to really stand out of those many others, it needs to be written very efficiently so as to grab the eye of the recipient. Even if it reaches to the editor of the daily newspaper, all your press release will get is just 4-5 lines in the business section. For your press release to get the publicity you want, you got to choose the best press release distribution service. VARIOUS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES: Press releases can be distributed in many different ways like via email, a media list or an online best press release distribution service. The metrics of online best press release distribution service is that they distribute your release to a wide variety of websites and you can check out the number of views, the number of interactions like clicks, downloads etc. This way you get to measure the amount of publicity of your press release. Selection of best press release distribution service depends solely on the quality of the news and also on its objective. WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE: Distribution of a press release is just like a double edged sword. On one hand, you want your press release to reach out to a large number of people and on the contrary, the quality of your press release needs to impress the audience for its success. Before picking the best press release distribution service, first of all you need to be aware of the coverage of the service providers in respect to the business you are talking about in your release. The coverage should be both in terms of media and online channels. Some of the most important things you need to know about the distribution service providers are that which all websites they will display the news release on, how do they measure online distribution and what reporting will you receive about it, what all media can they reach by drilling out their ways to reach out to the media which has a great social influence, and also how they measure the media activity and what reporting you will get about it. Some other factors to be taken into consideration are web site traffic, social media and editing. On comparing the web site traffic received by each distribution service provider you can analyze which vendor would provide more visibility for your news. Also look into the presence of the distribution vendor in social media. The amount of editing varies for every service provider. Some may not edit at all and some may edit it all. So look into it and make your choice accordingly. Also take into consideration the Google PageRank which should not be less than 5. This would surely help you into selecting the best press release distribution service. |