Use Quotes for a Standout Press Release

Quotes can bring the human angle to a story – so they need to add interest and value. But writing an engaging quote for your press release can be difficult. Adding a quote that does not enhance your press release does nothing to enrich it.

If your business is sending out a press release to announce a relaunch, for example, a classic mistake would be a quote like: “We’re delighted to announce our relaunch.”

It looks good but doesn’t say anything that is engaging or adds anything new to the story. It may be better to say why you are relaunching, and how it will be of benefit to your readers. People want it to feel personal rather than just another corporate soundbite.

Don’t use your quote to say something that you could simply say in your content (what, who, where, and when). Use it to bring a personal, emotional angle to your story to really interest readers in what you have to say.

• Share Why You are Doing it

 Explaining the why of your story in a quote can be useful as long as you keep it succinct. It will make your story look more personal and engaging.

Some examples below:

"We hope that making the loans interest-free for a month will provide that extra bit of breathing space. Quick actions like these are needed to safeguard jobs and develop new business opportunities."

Just Loans Group

"We could see a big ambition to grow the business, but a need for capital to facilitate it. By working with James from ABN Amro we’ve been able to make the MBO possible and together with the follow on growth finance through NPIF, there’s a positive outlook for the year ahead and it’s been a great start to the year for the company."

Business Enterprise Fund

• Share Why now

Sometimes the reason why is not easily explainable in a short quote. A more interesting angle can be to explain why now.

Share stories that are connected to the news and to the market. If your business has done something that is related to a trending topic share it in a press release.

 See the examples below:

"Storytelling renaissance is happening right now, particularly with stories embracing women empowerment. We’re talking non-digital, immediate, face-to-face, adult and edgy. It’s no wonder these performances will tickle your funny bone, send shivers up your spine, and then warm your heart up all over again"

Instant Teamwork

"After observing the evolution of the healthcare sector, we decided that now was the right time to develop a new range of services in order to respond better to the industry needs."

Business Enterprise Fund

Different Types of Quotes

• Problem-based quote

 Everyone likes problems to be solved.

The ‘problem-based’ quote works well to connect your business with journalists and other businesses. If you can talk about the sector or market you are operating in, it will help the reader visualise the big picture. If a journalist can visualise your story, they are more likely to write about it. Including statistics can be very helpful in this kind of quote.

See examples below:

"We reached out to 300 of our tenant users in the UK and discovered that 98% are worried about the rising cost of living. This completely justifies paying someone's rent in December, when outgoings are probably higher than any other month."

Vaboo

"We expect Christmas to be one of the busiest times of the year because of the mad rush and hectic nature of the season. During December, picking a restaurant can be tricky when organising a pre-Christmas dinner with friends, and the KtchUp app simplifies this process "

Ktchup

• The emotional quote

People respond strongly to genuine emotions being expressed.

Bring a human angle to your story. Include powerful words, feelings or share a personal experience. It will make an impression and people will relate an empathise with you.

Here are two examples:

"We are delighted to have won the regional finals & be highly commended in the nationals at the Wedding Industry Awards. It is a fantastic achievement to be not simply awarded but equally voted for by our happy customers. We have been successful in our category Finishing Touches for three years running now and to win at the national finals in London has left us over the moon."

Venue Lighting

"Handwriting gives physical form to our thoughts and emotions, it is profound how important being able to write well is to our learning journey and future trajectory in life, as strong literacy skills open the doors to a productive economic future."

Start-Bee

• Assessment-based quote

Another way to write a quote that stands out from the crowd is to base it on an assessment, ideally an assessment that you have carried out. If you cannot do this, then use a generic assessment instead.

Using an assessment based-quote will legitimise what you are saying, and will better reinforce that this is a factually based quote. A well-written press release should help the journalist visualise a story.

Here are some good examples:

"Whether you’re the dad of a six-year-old who has just started to use the family tablet or a 14-year-old with their own connected smartphone and console, this is an issue that affects us all. But while the Internet can seem scary for children, our guide recognises that it can also be a huge force for good. Children love to go online. That’s why it is about digital resilience, not unenforceable rules or draconian censorship."

DaddiLife

"Examining UK productivity growth on a rolling 10-year basis suggests that the recent UK performance has been among the weakest since official records began and may not be comparable with any period since the early-1820s"

Forum of Private Business

• The figure of speech

Journalists and bloggers often shorten quotes to make them catchier, so a metaphor or analogy can help readers understand your point quickly.

Using a figure of speech in a quote can be an effective means of attracting attention from journalists as it is both relatable and will make it easier to visualise.

Look at the example below.

"You don’t wait till they’ve banned all cars from the roads before you let your children walk across. You teach them the skills they need to be safe, even though crossing the road is inherently risky. We hope the eBook helps to do the same for Internet use."

DaddiLife

• The inspirational quote

Including an inspiring quote in your press release is an excellent way humanise your story. Use words that will have an impact on your reader, talk about your achievements, your struggles, or even talk about universal themes. You want your quote to connect with the reader, and inspire them to check out your product or service.

See examples below:

"It’s important to do what makes you happy. Spend money on yourself and the things that you enjoy, whether that is spending time reaching an exercise goal, booking a holiday to look forward to, or even simply eating 5 pieces of fruit each day. These goals can all up our sense of happiness and well-being and contribute to beating the January blues"

Distinctly.co

"I’m humbled to be awarded the plaque commemorating the fundraising raffle that I ran over Christmas. I was determined to turn what was a horrible experience into something positive and I’m really pleased that we have been able to raise so much money that will be used to benefit the rough sleepers of the region"

Simon on the Streets

• The humorous quote

Don’t hesitate to be a little bit punchy when writing a quote. Journalists prefer people that have an opinion to share as opposed to a risk-free statement of no interest. Sometimes introducing humour can make the difference. If you have a funny video, related to your quote, you can also include that, as videos have been shown to increase engagement.

An example would be:

We are setting the challenge for those who have already broken their "twice a week" gym session resolutions to focus on good fresh Suffolk grown produce as a good and equally healthy alternative"

Taste Collective Limited.

A good quote can make all the difference in a press release, so make it count! If your quote adds nothing to your press release, or can be removed without having any effect on the PR, then it is not the right quote.

Make it memorable and relatable, so always use good quotes for a standout press release. Remember that your quote should always add value to your content.

Play about with quotes until you get one that makes your press release sing!

If you need help with your press releases contact Journolink today.