A press release boilerplate is often viewed as just another box to tick—the last piece of the puzzle that few might pay attention to. After all, it’s placed at the end.
However, dismissing the boilerplate as merely an afterthought could be a missed opportunity. Why? You’ll find out in this article. Let’s start at the top.
What is a boilerplate?
A boilerplate in a well-written press release is much like the author bio in a novel or the “about us” section on a website. It’s a standardized piece of content in a public release that offers a quick snapshot of who you are as a company.
Just to give you an idea, the screenshot above shows a boilerplate in a press release.
This section is your chance to communicate your business mission statement, values, and offerings. It not only rounds out your release with relevant details about your company but also reinforces your brand identity and expertise. It makes a compelling case for why your news matters.
All this doesn’t mean, of course, that all you need is a good boilerplate to get people to read your PR content and make news articles or segments about it. You still need your main content to be exceptional. That’s why leveraging professional PR services is a good idea if you have no experience writing PR content such as press releases. Public relations professionals will know exactly how to structure your PR pieces to pique the attention of your target audience, including busy journalists, and secure media coverage for your brand.
Key components of a press release boilerplate
Now what makes a traditional press release boilerplate a good one? Here are the six key elements you should include:
Basic company description
The basic company description in your boilerplate provides a snapshot of who you are and what you stand for.
It’s not just the what and the where but also the why—why your company exists, what drives its operations, and what it aims to achieve. This includes your founding year, headquarters location, core values, and vision statement.
Awards and recognitions
These are your recent accolades, for instance, awards given by reputable organizations and entities. It can also include the business’ own accomplishments, like the one below, even if they weren’t officially recognized by award-giving bodies:
The goal of this key boilerplate component is to portray the company in a positive light and boost its credibility.
Products and services
This section serves as a more specific showcase of your company’s offerings.
It may not just be a brief summary of the company’s products and services. It may also highlight the brand’s most popular offerings, if any.
Website
This is the URL of the company website. It directs readers to a page that aligns with the press release’s focus, whether that’s a product launch, a recent blog update, or the homepage.
Businesses like you should make sure their site loads quickly, though. Almost half of Internet users want page loading time to be two seconds or less.
But how do you ensure short loading times? Research fast web hosting options and pick the best that fits your specific business needs. Also, optimize your images. For this, you can use tools such as JPEG Optimizer and Tiny PNG.
Clientele
This refers to the company’s customers. Mentioning your clientele in the boilerplate serves as a powerful testament to the company’s reliability, trustworthiness, and industry expertise.
However, businesses need to be mindful of confidentiality agreements and ensure they have permission to disclose client names if necessary.
Calls to action (CTAs)
This section guides readers through the next steps to engage with the company. It could be to visit the company website, contact their team, or explore their products and services in more detail.
How to create an engaging press release boilerplate
Now that you know the key elements of a good boilerplate, here are five simple steps to create one for your effective press release:
Know what your business is
You’ll need to understand what your company does, its mission and vision, and why it matters.
Focus on your core offerings as well. What are the products or services that align with the purpose of your press release? When determining these, don’t zero in on your product features. Pay attention to the benefits that your offerings bring to customers instead.
At this stage, determine, too, some of your known clientele.
Define your unique business angle
This entails identifying your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)—what makes your company distinct from others in your industry. Is it innovative technology, exceptional customer service, or a commitment to sustainability? What are your awards and accomplishments?
However, in defining what makes you stand out, you must avoid clichés. Don’t claim to be the “number 1” or the “most affordable” without substantial evidence to support these claims. Instead, focus on specific attributes or notable achievements that your competitors can’t beat or claim.
Specify a call to action
A clear and compelling call to action (CTA) in your press release boilerplate ensures that readers know exactly what steps to take next to engage with your company.
If your press release is about a product launch, you’ll probably want them to “Learn more” or “Explore” the new product. If you’re offering a new service, you can encourage readers to “Book an appointment” or “Visit Us” to experience the service firsthand.
Take note, too, of the benefits that the target audience will gain by taking the desired action.
Determine contact details
It’s crucial to specify the contact information you’ll include in your boilerplate to facilitate further communication between your company and your customer base or journalists.
Think of multiple ways for your target audience to contact your company, such as your phone number and email address. You may also think about what social media account links to include.
Then incorporate all these contact details into a single business card with QR code so that you won’t have to spend time writing every single contact detail on your boilerplate later on. All you’d need to do is incorporate the code. Once your boilerplate is done, your readers will only have to scan the code to view all your contact information and save it with just a few clicks.
We’ll talk about where to incorporate your QR code in the next section.
Write and structure your boilerplate
Now it’s time to put everything together. Don’t just throw all the components above into a section without structure. Instead, organize the information strategically to maximize impact and ensure clarity.
Here are some tips:
- Begin your boilerplate with a clear and descriptive heading, such as “About [Your Company Name]” or “Company Overview.” This helps readers quickly identify the purpose of the boilerplate section and sets the tone for the information that follows.
- Organize the different components we discussed under that heading. Start with your unique business angle to get readers’ attention, then mention everything else about your business.
- When writing about what your core business does, particularly your offerings, focus on the benefits, not on the features. For example, rather than saying,”We manufacture solar panels,” you could emphasize how your products can positively impact the lives of people. So, your sentence could be something like this: “Our state-of-the-art solar panels deliver unmatched efficiency and reliability, empowering businesses and homeowners to drastically cut energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint.”
- Include a strong closing statement that reinforces your company’s value proposition. This leaves a lasting impression on potential customers and reinforces the importance of your company in their minds.
- Incorporate your desired call to action (including the audience benefits for taking the desired action) and your business QR code at the end.
When writing your boilerplate, make sure you use easy-to-read and simple language. Avoid jargon and complex sentences.
Review and refine
Before finalizing your press release boilerplate, take a moment to ensure it’s polished and reflects the quality your organization strives for. Begin by thoroughly reviewing the boilerplate for consistency in tone, style, and formatting, making sure it presents a unified voice. Next, streamline the content by removing any unnecessary or redundant information. Clarify any ambiguous terms or vague statements to enhance clarity and comprehension.
To test for readability, read the text aloud or have someone else review it—this can help identify any areas that need smoothing out. After implementing these adjustments, carefully proofread the boilerplate one final time to catch any lingering errors or typos.
Conclusion
A boilerplate is designed to provide a standard, recognizable summary of the company. In most cases, it remains the same across various press releases of the organization.
Crafting an effective company boilerplate requires an understanding of the organization’s values and strategy. You also need to include key components like a call to action and the business’ unique value proposition and contact details.
Hopefully, this article has taught you what you need to know. Now go craft a compelling boilerplate that’ll add value to your press release. Good luck!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Why are boilerplate sections essential in press releases?
Boilerplate sections are essential because they provide information about your company that adds credibility and context to your news announcement. They’re a quick reference for readers who want to learn more about your company’s background, offerings, and achievements.
Where should I add boilerplate in my press release?
Boilerplate sections are typically placed at the end of a press release, after the main body of the content. This placement allows readers to get a comprehensive overview of your company info without distracting from the main news announcement.
