How to Email a Press Release | Publicize
One of the questions we get asked the most in public relations is how to email a press release. This seems to stump a lot of people. But the good news is that it’s easier than you probably think.
I’m guessing you’re reading this as you’ve written one and are now eager to send out a press release email to journalists in order to win media coverage. Well, when it comes to submitting a press release, you’ve got two options.
But just before I get onto that, make sure you’ve applied all the tips of the trade with our press release toolkit. After all, writing a professional quality press release will massively increase your chances of winning earned media.[1][2]
Option 1 – send it to press release distribution services
In the biz we refer to press release distribution platforms as “wire services”. These services allow you to submit your press release to them. Journalists can then browse the press releases that have been submitted, and either syndicated them on their publications or write them up into articles.
Some services also offer automatic syndication across a number of platforms, news sites, RSS feeds and Google News indexation.
Generally speaking, the better the service, the more you have to pay. While there are a number of free services, your exposure will be minimal with these platforms. Check our guide to press release submission services for more information. This includes a list of what we consider to be the best paid and free-to-use to services. [4]
Option 2 – email your press release to journalists directly
Your other option is to email a press release to journalists directly. This is often the preferred option for startups or other small businesses and organisations on a tight budget.
Find the most relevant journalists to email your press release to
The first thing you need to do is identify which journalists you want to email your press release to. So make a list of the publications and blogs that report on your industry. Many publications will provide a generic “contact us” style email address. However, it’s usually best to spend a bit of time sleuthing to identify specific journalists[5] then find their email addresses. This way you can send it directly to the most relevant person, which should increase your chances of success.
Do a bit of searching on each site, to find articles related to what your press release is about. Once you find these articles, note down the name of each journalist. Sometimes the website will list the journalist’s email address in the byline within the article. If it’s not there, check the contact us section, as smaller publications often list out the email addresses of all of their journalists there.
If you still can’t find the email addresses for some of the journalists you’ve identified, don’t panic! Violanorbet.com should be able to fill in the blanks for you. Just enter the journalist’s name and website URL, and the tool will then provide you with the correct email format.[6]
Press Release Email Example
Now you’re clutching your list of journalists’ email addresses, it’s time to send your press release to them.
The most effective way to do this is to write a brief “covering letter” press release email. You can then copy-and-paste the press release to the bottom of the email. This is preferable to adding it as an attachment or link, as people can be wary when it comes to opening files from an unknown email.
Below is an example of how to send a press release via email, along with an explanation of why we wrote it like we did.
– Is it for “immediate release”, where any journalist can immediately publish it?
– Is it an “exclusive” where you’re just offering it to one journalist at a time?