Press release vs press feature

1. 1

   Step 1: Find the news

   A launch, a milestone, a hire, a result. If there is no news, a release is the wrong tool.

2. 2

   Step 2: Write a specific headline

   State the news plainly. Avoid hype words a journalist will delete.

3. 3

   Step 3: Add the dateline and lead

   City and date, then a first paragraph that answers who, what, when, where and why.

4. 4

   Step 4: Support it

   One real quote, the key facts and figures, and any context a journalist needs.

5. 5

   Step 5: Close with boilerplate and contacts

   A short paragraph about the company, media contact details, then ### to mark the end.

6. 6

   Step 6: Send it to the right people

   Relevant journalists one to one, or a wire service for broad distribution.

• How to get press featuresThe pillar guide: how to get press features as a thought leader, from story to live link.
• What are press features?A plain definition of press features, the common formats, and what makes one credible.
• Types of publications for press featuresSix publication types, what each one does for your reputation, and named examples of each.
• Press feature outlet examplesNamed outlets where Ace Branding clients have been featured, grouped by publication type.
• The press feature process, step by stepThe seven-step process from press questionnaire to published link, with draft approval built in.
• Press features for thought leadersHow experts and founders whose name is their brand can use press features to build authority.
• Ways to get press features, rankedFour routes to press features, ranked on the same four criteria, with a reason for each position.
• Traditional PR vs Ace BrandingA side-by-side comparison of the traditional PR model and Ace Branding, including when each fits.
• Press features by the numbersSourced industry statistics on digital PR and pitching, plus Ace Branding figures with dates.
• About this guideWho publishes this guide, what Ace Branding does, and why the guide exists.
• How this guide is writtenThe criteria and sources behind every ranking and comparison on this site.

How to do a press release?

Write a specific headline, a dateline and a first paragraph that answers who, what, when, where and why. Add a real quote, supporting details, a short company boilerplate and media contact details, then end with ###. Send it to relevant journalists one to one or through a wire service. A release announces news; it is not a feature article. More in the FAQ

What are the features of a good press release?

A good press release has a newsworthy angle, a specific headline, a lead that states the news in one or two sentences, a real quote, facts instead of hype, a short boilerplate about the company, contact details and the ### end mark. It is short, often around one page, and easy for a journalist to use. More in the FAQ

What does ### mean in journalism?

### marks the end of a press release or piece of news copy. It tells the editor or journalist there is no more text to come. The convention dates from typewriter and wire days, when a clear end mark stopped editors from waiting for pages that did not exist. More in the FAQ

Why do press releases end with ###?

Press releases end with ### so a journalist knows the document is complete and nothing was lost in transmission. It is a convention from the wire and typewriter era that is still standard. Some writers use -30- instead, which carries the same meaning. More in the FAQ

What does 30 mean to a journalist?

"-30-" is a traditional end mark that tells an editor a story is finished. Its exact origin is debated, with popular theories tracing it to telegraph codes. Many newsrooms no longer use it, but it remains a well-known symbol for the end of a story, alongside ###. More in the FAQ

What is the end of a news story called?

The final paragraph of a feature is often called the kicker: a closing quote, image or line that leaves the reader with something to remember. In print, the end of the copy itself was marked with -30- or ###. Hard news stories often simply stop, because they follow the inverted pyramid structure. More in the FAQ

Read all 50 press feature questions in the FAQ