A press release’s boilerplate is a brief but comprehensive overview of a company’s identity, values, and accomplishments. It’s the elevator pitch that leaves a lasting impression on journalists, investors, and stakeholders alike. In my experience, investing time and effort into crafting a compelling boilerplate for your press release is key to building a larger client base and boosting profits.
A meticulously written boilerplate not only captures the essence of a brand but also acts as a guide, leading journalists and readers toward a deeper understanding of the company’s principles and offerings. Want to know more about how to drive results with a well-written boilerplate? Keep reading.
What is a boilerplate in a press release?
A boilerplate is an “About” section that gives an overview of your company; a brief paragraph at the end of a press release that highlights your company and its core business information.
A boilerplate is an “About” section that gives an overview of your company. It is a brief paragraph at the end of a press release that highlights your company and its core business information. It’s a standardized copy, so you often see the same paragraph concluding every press release unless the company undergoes some considerable change that warrants a new boilerplate. With a lot of companies reaching significant milestones, your company’s boilerplate might just be what you need to stand out from others. Therefore, you have to think creatively about how to describe your company best, as it emphasizes your organization’s credibility and may persuade an audience to follow a call to action (CTA).
Why Is A Boilerplate Important?
Here are some of the benefits of a boilerplate for your press release:
#1. Provides reusability
Having a reusable boilerplate can benefit both the writers and the company because they can make easy changes to the boilerplate as needed. Using the same template can help establish consistency throughout press releases.
#2. Communicates the company’s vision
Potential customers and investors may react positively when they see your company’s vision, which demonstrates its culture and commitment to greatness. This may improve your industry standing and demonstrate how the company contributes to society and the market.
#3. Saves you time and money
Since you can use the same boilerplate over and over, you won’t need to pay for the writing service continuously. This can save you money and help you focus on other promotional activities.
#4. Builds brand recognition
If your company must grow and develop within its industry, it’s important your build your brand recognition with the customer base. As your brand gains more popularity, you may achieve greater outreach and connect with a wider audience.
#5. Highlights achievements
You can highlight your company’s achievements on the boilerplate. This will prove your credibility in the industry and attract potential investors looking for long-term collaborations.
#6. Attracts new customers
Of course, highlighting your achievements on your boilerplate will inadvertently attract new customers to your company, having been able to access your company and what it provides. Prospects can use this information to determine if they want to engage with the company’s website or platforms, which might improve revenue gains.
During a product launch event, a journalist approached me for more details about our company after reading the boilerplate in our press release. This single interaction went a long way in driving further engagement with our brand.
Key Components Of a Boilerplate
Depending on your objectives, your press release boilerplate will typically include:
#1. Company Information
– Company name, logo, and tagline for brand recognition.
– Brief overview of your company’s history, mission, and core values.
#2. Contact Information
– Contact person’s name, title, and direct contact details (phone, email).
– Links to your company’s website and social media profiles for easy access.
#3. Notable Achievements or Milestones
– Highlights of your significant achievements, awards, or industry recognitions. You can add titles like ‘most’, ‘largest’, ‘leading’, etc. for credibility.
– Key metrics or milestones showcasing your company’s growth and impact.
#4. Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
– Clear statement of your company’s unique value proposition.
– Emphasis on what sets the company apart from competitors.
#5. Call-to-Action (CTA)
– Encouragement for journalists or readers to take action, such as scheduling an interview or exploring the company’s offerings further.
What kind of press release boilerplate copy do journalists love?
Before we go into writing a proper press release boilerplate, you need to first understand what your audience is looking for:
Your boilerplate copy should be easy to read: As with the other sections in your press release, your readers should be able to understand your copy. You can achieve this by using bullet points.
Keep it short: Your press release is meant to target journalists looking for some key points; you shouldn’t bore them with too many details. At the very least, aim for about 100 words. The boilerplate is more like the executive summary of your company; avoid jargon that someone outside of your industry may not understand.
How To Write A Press Release Boilerplate
#1. Find your angle
Decide what is most important for your business and build your boilerplate copy around that. Highlight specific information that best aligns with the image you want to portray. For example, you could emphasize the company’s longevity to illustrate consistency and reliability. You might also focus on recent accomplishments and awards to show that the company is an industry leader.
#2. Craft a strong business paragraph
Write a short paragraph that communicates what your brand is and what it provides to customers. The purpose of the boilerplate is to make readers interested in the business, so you must provide the most important information for them to know. Ensure the items you include align with your company’s overall goals.
#3. Include A Call-to-Action
If your story is compelling and well-written, readers (including journalists) will likely want to know more about your company. Increase engagement by implementing a call to action (CTA). You can invite them to visit your website or landing page to learn more about your company or follow your social media pages. Your media CTA should include a link to multimedia assets for their stories and a media contact person.
#4. Offer business-to-consumer communication
Improve your audience’s ability to interact with your boilerplate by including your company’s contact information. You can include details like a phone number, email address, or a link to the company’s website. You might even include a physical address for the reader to mail a letter or document. This way, prospects can contact you if they need additional information about the company.
#5. Update Regularly
Keep the boilerplate current with the latest company updates and achievements. Make sure to review and revise periodically to maintain accuracy and relevance. I once overlooked updating a client’s boilerplate with their latest award win, only to realize the missed opportunity after distributing the press release.
Checklist for an effective boilerplate
The next time you write or edit your company boilerplate for a press release, ensure it ticks all these boxes:
- Length: Is your boilerplate concise, not more than two paragraphs or 100 words?
- Information depth: Does it cover the critical information about your company in a positive light?
- Bragging points: Does it highlight achievements or stand-out honors?
- Clarity: Can it be understood by your target audience, or is it full of jargon?
- SEO factors: Does it contain the relevant keywords associated with your brand?
- Specificity: Does it address what you do without being vague?
- Call to Action/ Contact: When finished, is there any direction for a reader?
Should you Incorporate SEO and keywords in your company boilerplates?
Press releases are frequently sent out via a press release distribution service, allowing them to reach a big audience with minimum effort.
These newswire providers disseminate press releases to journalists, influencers, and conventional and digital media outlets. Because these firms frequently distribute press releases to online outlets, they can serve as low-level media placements for your brand. As a result, include SEO in your release can help to increase your brand’s visibility.
To take advantage of SEO, insert any keywords you want to associate with your boilerplate news release.
Make sure your boilerplate includes keywords relevant to the values your company offers. As your press release gets shared in more and more outlets, including relevant keywords can help with brand awareness by pushing you higher in the search engines.
Press Release Boilerplate Examples
Now, let’s explore some exemplary boilerplate examples from renowned companies.
#1. Apple Inc.
Apple’s boilerplate succinctly captures its innovation-driven ethos and global impact. It emphasizes commitment to innovation, quality, and customer experience, while also highlighting iconic products and milestones, reinforcing brand credibility.
Here’s Apple’s recent boilerplate:
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X, and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
#2. Uber
Uber aims to encourage more people to book rides or order food with the app. Their boilerplate, therefore, shows that they focus on “building products to get people closer to where they want to be.
Here’s Uber’s boilerplate:
About Uber
Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to ride at the touch of a button? More than 34 billion trips later, we’re building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.
Press Release Boilerplate Template
Here’s a free template to help you create an effective press release boilerplate. It follows the industry standard formatting; hence, you’ll only need to customize it with your information.
What Is The Difference Between A Boilerplate And a Template?
A boilerplate is a standardized text used repeatedly, like a company’s description in a press release. A template is a pre-designed format that allows for customization, like a document layout for press releases.
How Long Should A PR Boilerplate Be?
A PR boilerplate should typically be brief, comprising one to two short paragraphs totaling around 100 words to ensure readability and effectiveness.
Why Do They Call It Boilerplate?
The term “boilerplate” originated from the steel industry, where standardized metal plates were used in making boilers. In journalism, it refers to standardized text at the end of a press release, akin to a metal plate used repeatedly.
Do All Press Releases Have A Boilerplate?
Yes, nearly all press releases include a boilerplate, which provides a concise overview of the company, its key information, and its offerings.
What Not To Include In A Press Release?
Avoid jargon, excessive detail, biased language, irrelevant information, and spelling/grammar errors in press releases. Keep them brief, factual, and newsworthy.
Bottom Line
A press release boilerplate aims to concisely provide journalists with the most important and compelling information about your company. Readers should be able to understand what your company does in one brief paragraph, as well as a call to action and a link to your website or landing page, and who to contact for more information about your brand and goals.
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