How to write a press release to announce your run for office

So you decided to run for office? That is news worthy!!

But sometimes, you need to give reporters a little nudge—especially if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on an ad campaign. A great way to do this is by writing a press release that announces your candidacy. These freebies help spread the word about your campaign, and you control the message. They can also be used as valuable content when you write blog posts or other communications down the road.

We will go over some of the basics of how to write a press release, and some other additional resource for you to get your press release picked up in local newspapers, stations, and other resources.

Get attention with a strong headline, and structure of the press release

A strong headline will get your press release read. As it’s the first thing people see, a good headline will grab their attention and make them want to keep reading. Keep it short and punchy.

Once you nail the headline here is the general structure of a press release:

1. Title and italicized subheading (Who are you, and what are you running for)
2. Location where the news is based, i.e., your district or city you’re running in.
3. Two to three paragraphs of details
4. Bulleted facts
5. Bio & campaign description at the bottom
6. Contact information
7. A “###” at the end

Here is a great resource by Prowly on the details of each part of the press release, and some free templates. It is geared toward business/service, but is still a great source for information and templates that our team has used in the past.

Write it in ‘News Style’.

You’ll want to write your press release in third person, and in ‘news style’. Which is often described as an upside down pyramid. The top of this upside pyramid is the most exciting information you are telling about first in your release. It doesn’t have to be chronological either. Here is a great article on how to write in ‘News Style”

Include specific details, what you’re running for or statements of support.

You’ll want some generalized bullet points on your platform, accomplishments, or even endorsements.

• Include specific details, what you’re running for, and why you are running.
• Include all relevant accomplishments that make you a great leader.
• Include statements of support from community leaders, friends and family who believe in what your campaign stands for.
• Use quotes from yourself and other supporters to show that this is an important cause that others agree with.

Press release = free publicity.

A press release can be sent directly to the media outlets (newspapers, magazines, TV stations) in your area or it can also be sent to other people or organizations that may be interested in the news. For example, if you were running for mayor of your city and announcing it on “Meet the Mayor” TV show, you would send out a written announcement of this upcoming appearance with a copy of their program schedule/schedule book so they know when they’re going on air so they can promote it on their show website too!

Make sure you create a list of all possible outlets first before writing anything down because there are many different kinds of publications who would love nothing more than having an exclusive story from someone running for office!

We hope that this article has given you some ideas for how to write a press release. If you have any tips of your own, please share them in the comments below! Once you get that press release written head over to vottiv.com to start your 14-day free trial on our platform and really hit the campaign trail running.