What is a Press Release Boilerplate and How do you Write One?
When writing a press release, odds are you think of the headline and the body of the content first. While extremely important to the overall success of a press release, there are other aspects, such as the press release boilerplate that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Though short in length, a press release boilerplate gives brands the opportunity to share important details about their brand with journalists and consumers alike.
In this blog post, we share:
- The basics of a press release boilerplate
- How to write a press release boilerplate
- A boilerplate template you can customize for your brand
What is a Press Release Boilerplate?
A press release boilerplate provides readers with a brief description of who you are as a business, what you do, and your mission. Think of it as a condensed “About Us” section.
It’s typically displayed in a standardized and concise format at the end of a press release and is used to give journalists a high-level overview of your company.
How to Write a Press Release Boilerplate
Here are six ways you can add your brand’s unique spin to your boilerplate as well as an easy-to-use template.
To begin, ask yourself the following questions:
- Who are you?
Creating effective boilerplate copy starts with sharing who you are and what you do. Briefly explain what your company does and the products/services you provide. - How are you different?
Explain why your solutions are better than those of your competitors. What makes your products/services stand out to give you a competitive edge? - What’s your mission?
This is your chance to share what makes up the foundation of your business. What do you believe in? What’s your brand’s overarching motivation? Share this information in your boilerplate. - Have you won any recent awards/recognitions?
Since the boilerplate is attached to every press release, it’s a great idea to include any recent awards or recognitions your brand’s received. This shows and doesn’t tell your target audience and the media that your company is credible and a leader in your respective industry.
Now that you have those questions answered, it’s time to move on to the technical aspects: - Say more with less
Keep your boilerplate to around 100 words. - Stay focused
Be sure to include your primary SEO keywords in your boilerplate to better your chances of search engines finding your press releases.
Remember, your boilerplate isn’t set in stone. Be sure to revisit the content once per quarter and make any necessary changes to refresh the information and keep it up-to-date.
Press Release Boilerplate Template
Below is a press release boilerplate template you can use to get started. Simply fill in the blanks with your company’s information and add anything you deem necessary.
NAME OF COMPANY is a
TYPE OF BUSINESS that was founded in
YEAR. We offer/sell/service
TYPE OF CLIENTS who need
FILL IN THE BLANK. We specialize in
FILL IN THE BLANK (this is a good place to share your unique differentiator from your competition). Our business mission is to
FILL IN THE BLANK. NAME OF COMPANY was recently awarded
AWARD NAME for
REASON in
YEAR. Please contact us at URL to learn more about all we can offer.
What to Include When Writing a Press Release
Now, it’s important to note your boilerplate is only one piece of the press release writing puzzle.
There are other essential components your press release should contain in order to maximize its effectiveness including:
- Headline
- Subheadline
- Date and location
- Body
- Multimedia
- Closing
Headline
Your headline is the hook that reels your audience in. It should be straightforward and engaging and tease the main message of the press release. If your headlines are falling flat, check out our Press Release Headline Tips blog for more information.
Summary
Think of your press release summary as the overview of your content. This portion of your press release gives readers important details that support the headline, pique interest even more, and/or confirms the topic of the press release. You don't want to give it all away in the summary, but you do want to reel them in more to read the press release in its entirety.
Date and Location
This portion of a press release creates a level of immediacy. This information is placed at the beginning of the press release right before the first line of body text. It's typically separated by an em dash with spaces.
When writing your dateline, always capitalize the city's name, abbreviate the state, and provide the date in its entirety.
Here's an example:
RALEIGH, N.C., January 11, 2023 — First line of body text.
Body
Paragraph 1: This is where you put the inverted pyramid to work to highlight the most important information -- who, what, when, where, why, and how. Addressing each of these prompts is a tried and true way to make sure you've included the facts journalists need to know.
Paragraph 2: Include supporting information to give readers context and understand why this press release is important. This paragraph can include facts, figures, and statistics, for example.
Paragraph 3: Include at least one quote from either a c-suite executive or a subject matter expert in your company. Your quotes are an extra chance for you to build your story. Not to mention, quotes are typically the most common piece of a press release that's shared with the public. Make sure you put time and attention into creating quotes that are shareable and valuable.
TIP: The ideal length of a press release is between 300 and 400 words. You can learn more, here.
Multimedia
Increase the chances of your press release being picked up by a news station or publication, by including multimedia that’s relevant to the topic. When including photos and/or videos in your press release, make sure they're high quality and support the message of your story.
Closing
This isn't necessarily a section, but it's a must when tying up the loose ends of your press release. The closing of your press release is marked by the use of three, pound symbols.
These symbols include em dashes on either side.
Example: — ### —
These symbols prevent additional information from being published as part of the press release.
Connect with your Audience
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When distributing a press release with us, you'll never have to sacrifice text, images, or media in your story.
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