Press release writing 101
What you'll learn
- How to write a press release about your business that WILL get you media coverage
- How to tailor your press release for different publications
- The correct etiquette when it comes to emailing your publications (this is important!)
- how to get your key business messages across without being too sales-y
Requirements
- Ideally have a business story that you want to pitch to the media (if you're not sure, I can help with that)
Description
Would you love to get your business featured in the press, TV or online media without paying a fortune in advertising? The answer is surely, yes!
Well, that’s exactly what PR is, earned, credible coverage. However, are you unsure whether journalists would be interested in your business, or are you in the dark as to what area of your business is newsworthy? Then you’re not alone.
Many small businesses and start-ups feel that the media would have no interest in what they’ve got to say. However, your business can get media coverage, but it all boils down to what stories you have to tell and how to write a press release or pitch that will get the journalists attention.
Is this Press Release writing 101 for you?
Hopefully you have uncovered the great story in your business that will get you invaluable media coverage, for free! If you haven’t, or want to give your story the litmus test, I have a Storyfinding 101 which may be just what you need. You can check that out in my instructor profile.
Otherwise let’s assume you’ve got a story about your business that you’d like to get in the press. Well, a great way of achieving this is by writing a press release containing all the key messages you’d like to get across, whilst still being newsworthy enough for the journalist. So dive into the course content, take lots of notes. Oh, and just to make life easier, I’ve got a press release template at the end which you’re free to use for your story.
This detailed course, taken from my bigger PR 101, clearly shows you how to write a press release, line by line, so there's no room for error.
To make it even easier, I’ve laid out real, relatable examples of press releases I have drafted for clients.
Perfect for small businesses and start-ups, this in-depth 101 course tells you what other PR agencies won’t - how to secure free, credible and invaluable media coverage for your brand.
There's no classroom theory here, it's all real world expertise that you can use to find multiple stories in your business, that will gain £££s of free publicity.
Why I created this course
I created this DIY PR online course to help businesses like yours reap the benefits of PR, without having to spend a fortune on an agency. As a small business owner (with a background in journalism and 10+ years in PR) myself, I understand that being lean is key, but at the same time, you need to invest to grow and market your brand. So this course is the perfect solution - rather than investing money and outsourcing your PR, you're investing in yourself by doing your own.
Who this course is for:
- Small business owners and entrepreneurs
- PR students
Instructor
Halima Khatun is a former broadcast journalist turned PR consultant, with over a decade of industry experience. Having worked for the biggest PR agency group in Europe and the UK’s leading corporates, Halima is well placed to teach all aspects of PR and storytelling. She also has a wealth of transferable skills, having worked in the public, private and charity PR sector.
Having sold out training courses in London, Halima started creating online courses to help small businesses and start-ups learn to do their own PR in their own time and on a budget. Ignored by the bigger PR agencies, start ups and small business don't get the publicity they need and deserve, so Halima has made it her mission is to empower them to be able to do their own PR, boost their credibility and build their brand.
Halima’s courses are also ideal for those looking for a career in PR, as they will give budding PR practitioners a practical understanding with real, relatable examples, that they wouldn’t get in a classroom.
As a passionate DIY PR advocate, Halima has been featured in the Huffington Post, Business Advice and StartupNation, as well as the London media.