Step-by-Step Guide to the Press Release Boilerplate
In today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment, press releases play a vital role in spreading the word about a company’s news, events, and announcements. However, creating a press release that is both informative and engaging can be a challenge for many businesses. This is where a well-crafted boilerplate can make all the difference.
At its core, a boilerplate is a brief and standardized paragraph that appears at the end of a press release, offering a concise summary of the company’s history, products, and services. But crafting an effective boilerplate is easier said than done. Many businesses struggle with finding the right balance between brevity and detail and often end up with a generic and unremarkable summary that fails to capture readers’ attention.
To address this challenge, we have created a step-by-step guide to help businesses craft a compelling boilerplate that will leave a lasting impression on readers. Our guide takes a comprehensive approach, covering everything from identifying key messaging points and writing in a clear and concise style to formatting and editing tips. By following our guide, businesses can create a boilerplate that conveys important information, resonates with readers, and sets them apart from the competition.
At the heart of our promise is the belief that every business has a unique story to tell, and a well-crafted boilerplate can be a powerful tool in sharing that story with the world. We are committed to helping businesses overcome the challenges of creating an effective boilerplate and to providing them with the tools and guidance they need to succeed in today’s competitive market.
What is a boilerplate in a press release?
The boilerplate is a brief passage that gives background information on the business or group producing the press release. Additionally, it is a generally accepted industry standard component of every press release.
Boilerplates are typically shared after news releases and resemble a website’s “About Us” page. They typically provide general information about a company’s goods and services as well as broad strokes, including overall objectives and market presence.
The 19th century saw the invention of the phrase “boilerplate,” which described how printing machines produced steel templates during printing. Modern boilerplates fundamentally fulfill the same function as quick, effective tools that are reused frequently.
A good boilerplate serves as both a memory recall for future press release pitches and a terrific introduction to a firm for the newspapers to which a press release is presented.
The boilerplate always appears at the same place in the layout of a press release, immediately behind the announcement’s main body of text. The boilerplate is expected to be in the same location for every journalist that reads a press release.
The boilerplate has several uses in public relations. It not only clarifies who the news release’s issuer is, but it may also improve SEO. Your outreach approach may benefit when you issue news releases with catchy boilerplate.
How do you format a boilerplate in a press release?
As previously indicated, the boilerplate appears above the contact information for press inquiries in the typical press release style, but below the main body of the announcement content.
See our instructions on how to format a press release correctly.
Keep in mind that shorter is preferable while developing a boilerplate section. A boilerplate should not exceed 100 words to avoid losing the reader’s interest.
Ensure the media contact you send the press release to has all the information they require about your business or group in the boilerplate. Anything you omit puts a reporter under unnecessary pressure to find out who you are, increasing the likelihood that they will reject you.
Although there are no strict guidelines on what data should be in a boilerplate, publishers will probably anticipate the following:
What the company or organization does. Aim to include information about your target market, products, and services, as well as your vision and purpose. Explain the issues you’re resolving to place your perspective in a broader context.
Where the company or organization operates. For instance, what markets do you service, and what geographical regions? Editors will use this important information to decide whether or not to publish your press release.
Company or organization facts and figures. You can think about highlighting the company’s founding date or its expansion in size. the number of employees or annual income.
Company or organization awards and achievements. Mention any honors or distinctions your business has earned from the sector. In addition to increasing credibility, it encourages journalists to cover your announcement.
What are examples of boilerplates in press releases?
The most effective method of learning is inspiration. In light of this, we’ve put up a list of boilerplates that, in our opinion, fulfill all the requirements.
These boilerplates all clearly define who the firm is, why it matters, and how it fits within a larger audience, even though they each cover a distinct industry. Everybody offers a link to their website for quick verification. Use them as a guide to create your own.
GameOn Technology
This boilerplate showcases the company’s technology and its achievements within the sector in addition to connecting to its website.
Those Coffee People
This boilerplate is succinct and states in the first line whom the firm serves and what region of the world it is located in. It also mentions its goal of assisting a greater community.
Intelligent Relations and Net Positive Agency
Here is a boilerplate that announces the recent acquisition of Net Positive Agency by Intelligent Relation by Intelligent Relation. Since there are two firms named in the press release in question, both are mentioned in the boilerplate to give a media contact a complete picture of those engaged.
What are the key tips for writing a press release boilerplate?
You’ll probably use the boilerplate part of a press release again, so it’s best to get it perfect the first time. Despite this, you may still exercise some creative flexibility when writing your business boilerplate.
The aforementioned examples show that, while a boilerplate comprises extremely basic information, it is also specific to the sector you work in. In light of this, you can be confident you’ll be on the right road if you adhere to the important advice provided below while drafting a boilerplate.
Re-read, review, and edit
Read your boilerplate when you’ve finished writing it. Then read it once more. Perhaps even once more just to be sure. This exercise will assist you in ensuring that your boilerplate is informing and piquing the attention of the reporters who are reading it since this is what it is meant to accomplish.
Ask yourself if each sentence adds something worthwhile as you read it over.
It might be challenging to change a boilerplate on your own, so you could think about having a professional or a colleague go through your boilerplate. This is a crucial step since after a press release is disseminated or published, you cannot alter a boilerplate.
Also bear in mind that the copy will often remain the same for each press release, even if you make tiny adjustments to a boilerplate before submitting subsequent press releases.
Ditch the jargon
Watch out for the use of jargon when you change the boilerplate. For instance, highly technical jargon or buzzwords with no significance. Readers are frequently confused rather than impressed by this, and most reporters are adept at spotting “fluff.”
Keep it short (but not too short)
Over the course of their careers, reporters get hundreds of press releases, but they don’t have time to read them all. Therefore, it’s fantastic news if a contact reads your press release all the way through. Just watch how lengthy your boilerplate is.
However, you also don’t want the boilerplate to be too brief. You need to concentrate on finding the sweet spot where it gives a ton of information in a way that is both clear and succinct. As we previously stated, a decent rule of thumb is to keep it to 100 words or fewer.
Backup your points
Because journalists want to see claims made in a press release supported by verifiable evidence, facts, and statistics may go a long way. If appropriate, statistics should be incorporated in news releases to assist lend authority to boilerplate language.
For instance, if your business has lately grown, you may mention how many additional locations or offices have been established, as well as how many new people have been hired. If you have “exponential growth,” you may include revenue figures.
