Now that you have read my previous blog on how to write an effective press release, here’s looking at ‘boilerplate’ another important component of a press release document.
In the world of marketing and public relations, boilerplate refers to the paragraph that appears at the end of a press release which concisely describes your company and what it does. In simple terms, it is nothing but your About Us page, summarised in a 3-5 sentences paragraph. For those crafting the PR content, this is a less stressful exercise as the same description can be used repeatedly in all of the press releases without making any change, provided you get the wordings right the first time.
Creating a boilerplate paragraph may sound quite simple, but the fact is not everyone gets it right. Here are three simple yet important guidelines to keep in mind in order to create an effective boilerplate section for your next press release.
Keep it short
When it comes to boilerplate, brevity is the key! In a one-page press release (that’s ideal), you don’t have space or the need to preach about your company. The rule of the thumb is to say it in fewer words as possible, which means 3- 5 sentences or 80- 100 words at most.
Keep the facts straight
It is good to keep in mind that your readers include potential buyers, investors and journalists who evaluate and understand your company through the boilerplate. That makes it important to include key business facts in your boilerplate section, which could be the awards and accolades received, company headquarters, key products and services, your unique value proposition, global footprint or the number of customers you serve, plus a link to the company website.
Keep it simple
You may be tempted to include some corporate jargons in your boilerplate, hoping that it would give that extra punch to your content. But in reality, it’s just the opposite. Remember that you are talking to a group with limited attention span and who could be totally unfamiliar with your industry language. The right thing to do is to keep it simple while not forgetting the fact that this content will be reused in all the upcoming press releases and other marketing communications of the company. That also brings us to the point of using appropriate search optimized keywords, as almost all press releases end up online today.
