Successful press releases feature a newsworthy angle and the proper format, says Newswire, a  press release distribution services company.

To achieve the latter, the company suggests organizations use the inverted pyramid to properly structure their information to address the most important information and keep the content within a specified word range. The inverted pyramid, states Northwestern University, “turns storytelling on its head. Picture an upside-down triangle: the broad base represents the most newsworthy information, and the narrow tip the least newsworthy—that’s the inverted pyramid. It puts the most important or juiciest information at the top of the story; the rest of the information is given in order of descending importance.”

A press release, says Newswire, should be between 300 and 400 words.

“Since press releases cover important information, exceeding 300 to 400 words is easy. But, having a framework like the inverted pyramid in place while writing helps professionals make edits to keep the focus on the main message,” adds Jennifer Hammers, Newswire’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

According to the company, the proper press release format features:

1. Compelling headline – Be direct, clear, and compelling to capture the readers’ attention.
2. Press release summary – Include supporting information that creates context for the campaign’s topic.
3. First paragraph – Follow the inverted pyramid.
4. Second paragraph – The quote should support the topic of the press release and should come from company executives and/or topic matter experts.
5. Last paragraph – Share additional information reinforcing the main topic and encouraging people to take a defined action.

PHOTO: Newswire