Recently I was writing a press release using a template. If you’ve ever been included in an analyst report or an industry ranking, you likely know the drill: There’s a press release template and you have to use it.

These templates are like Mad Libs, except instead of adverb, noun, adjective, they want company name,  tagline, name of product or service.

As a writer, I find many of these templates infuriating. They’re buzzword masterpieces, saying everything you shouldn’t say if you want to write an interesting press release. But I get it. It needs to fit every company it might apply to, while preventing any of them from implying the news means anything more than what it means.

The funny part was the stock quote in this one template. It sounded exactly like many quotes I see in press releases all the time (before we edit them).

It went something like this (I’ve changed the wording to protect the innocent):

“We’re incredibly proud to be recognized as a top company in the [Insert category] industry. Our market-leading solutions, including our recent release of [Insert product name], offer a more robust way to address customer pain points.”

What’s missing from this quote

Obviously when you have to use a template, you don’t have much choice. The stock quote is the stock quote. But if you don’t have to follow a template, don’t.

Google the words “press release template” and you’ll find gazillions. Those cookie cutters might be helpful, but use them and your news will never stand out.

When you can draft a quote — or a release — from scratch, you can make it your own, unlike anything a template could ever achieve.

Let’s walk through that stock quote from start to finish to point out all the ways it falls short — and how your own releases can rise above one size fits all.

  • No one cares that you’re proud. Or excited or thrilled. Of course you’re excited about a new hire. Of course you’re proud to work with a new partner. Instead, use the space to say something more noteworthy and more valuable to your audience.
  • Jargon is vague. The issue with jargon like “market-leading,” “robust,” “pain points,” and others isn’t just that their meaning has worn down with use and we’re all numb to them. The issue is that they’re not specific enough. What are the pain points, for example? What challenges is this product solving for customers?
  • It works for any company. Here is the biggest problem. If you could swap out your name with a competitor’s, that means the language is too vague, the voice is too generic, and your press release has little hope of garnering attention. Your press release should be unique to the announcement and unique to your company.

A simple exercise to improve any press release

Look at your last few press releases. If you simply swapped out your company for another and your product name for another, would the quote still make sense? If it does, it’s time to revise.

When you’re crafting your next product launch or announcing a new hire or publicizing your latest round of funding, every part of that release should be specific to your story.

Buzzwords and jargon can be useful in a first draft to get a general notion of what you want to say. As you revise, dig deeper and find a fresh way to express each tired word or phrase.

Get specific. Instead of saying you have a market-leading solution, illustrate what differentiates it from all the others. Instead of saying it addresses customer pain points, describe the specific challenges it solves.

Your story shouldn’t sound like anyone else’s. What does the voice of your company sound like? Why does this news matter to your customers, to the industry, to your investors, to your business, to the media?

All these points extend beyond just press releases. Providing value to your audience, using specific, concrete details, and developing a distinctive voice are all hallmarks of the best content marketing.

If you want to stand out and earn attention, your content must be singular enough that anyone would know it was yours even if your name wasn’t on it.