How long should a press release be?
Do you ever find yourself crafting a press release and wondering if you should try to find some extra information and make it longer or cut some details out and shorten it?
You’re not alone. Unfortunately, there is no perfect answer for how long a press release should be. If you’re writing about a new film that stars up-and-coming actors, then maybe you need to incorporate a little more information about them to get the media interested.
However, if you are writing a press release for a new Mission Impossible starring Tom Cruise, you may need less explaining since this series of movies already has a lot of knowledge and hype around it.
So although there is no perfect answer for press release length, here are some general guidelines to help you navigate.
So how long should it be?
If you feel like your press release may be getting too long then a good rule of thumb is that you want your press release to fit on a standard A4 piece of paper.
According to Prezly, this means that the average press release should be around 300-400 words and generally not more than 500 words.
Even though all press releases these days are digital and not print, you still want them to be less than one page so readers can easily digest the information. This length limit will also help ensure that you stay focused on the most important details and leave out the extra fluff.
However, as a press release platform that caters primarily to the media and entertainment industry, we know that sometimes you need to include more text to be able to fully cover a complex plot and include actor bios. This is acceptable since films and series require more details.
For example, this press release, titled “Here are all of the contestants in this year’s season of Who Do You Think You Are?”, is a lot longer than the suggested length because it has it to be. They need space to mention the plot, and introduce all of the contestants that will be featured in the show. Most importantly, journalists need the info!
Nowhere is the old saying “an image says more than a thousand words” more true than in the entertainment industry. If you are worried that the copy in your press release is at the maximum length, incorporate trailers or teasers. A platform like Clipsource’s Media Center makes this really simple because you can insert your trailer or video in place of your image banner at the top of the press release.
What is too short?
Prowly and Newswire agree that press releases should have no less than 200 words
This is the minimum information needed to get your point across to journalists. If you have less than that, then you should probably go back, double-check your work and make sure you answered the 5 W questions: who, what, where, when, and why.
Not to mention, Google News may reject your press release for being shorter than 125 words, according to Wylie Communications.
Don’t forget to add these to your press release
No matter how long or short your press release ends up being, never forget these important elements:
Downloadable media - high-resolution images and videos that journalists can download and publish to give their (and your!) stories more flavour.
Contact information - telephone number and email address of people who can provide more information or answer questions.
Event information - if there is a press conference or event, make sure to provide the date, time, place and r.s.v.p. If applicable.
Boilerplate - a short, standardized paragraph at the end of a press release that provides journalists with a high-level background on your company. Information that you do not want to waste your valuable body text to convey.
Make sure you give journalists the materials they need to do their jobs and pick up your stories.
At the end of the day use your best judgement
Remember that this article is meant to act as a set of guidelines and not rules. The most important thing to consider when writing a press release is ensuring that you include all of the most important information that journalists need.
When in doubt, use your best judgment. As long as your story is newsworthy, chances are good the media will pick it up.
Learn more about writing a successful TV or film press release here.
Clipsource has been hired by some of the industry’s finest entertainment brands to enrich and streamline their PR workflow and help them distribute more materials to more stakeholders at a lower cost. Contact us today to learn more about how you can unleash the power of your programs.
