If you read enough press releases, you’ll quickly see that quotes tend to make an appearance. A press release announcing a new line of products is likely to have a quote from the CEO or the head of development. An announcement of a multi-company partnership is the perfect place for press release quotes from a member of each organization.
Press releases come with a ton of benefits for the entities involved, but have to be applied with care. Adding press release quotes can be extremely impactful and drive engagement, or it could come off as clumsy and unprofessional. As such, it’s important to explore them in detail.
Importance of Using Quotes in a Press Release
Press release quotes are not just added to the documents for the sake of it. While they are not necessarily a part of the standard press release template in the way the 5 Ws are, they nevertheless serve the following purposes:
- Giving Context: In highly technical press releases, readers might find themselves lost regarding the importance of certain developments. A press release might mention the speed of a device, hash rates, etc., and not know what these mean. But if the press release quotes mention that this makes it one of the fastest miners in the market, they can better understand. When trying to give more context, a quote can work wonders.
- Reading Enjoyment: Let’s face it, press releases are not always the most enjoyable things to read and can feel quite boring. But we as humans like knowing what other people have to say. A reader’s eye might automatically travel to the quotes on a press release, which keeps them engaged. Also, press releases can be used to break up otherwise monotonous text and bring some excitement.
- Higher Chance of Coverage: In a competitive field like crypto, you want your press release to get picked up and reported on by media outlets. To increase your chances of this, press release quotes are your best friend. Journalists are always trying to find the content that keeps readers engaged, and quotes do just this. This is doubly true if the quotes are an interesting insight into the product, a hot take on the industry, or a bold claim that can spark discussion. By delivering this to them from the jump, your business benefits.
How to Format Press Release Quotes
Knowing how to format your press release quotes is exactly how you get the maximum benefits from them. Poorly formatted press releases do not help you and can even turn readers away. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
1. Use quotation marks. Ex: “…“
Quotes are a distinct part of the press release, and so, they should be fairly easy to find. The universal symbol of quotes is, you guessed it, quotation marks. Whenever we look through a piece of text to find quotes, we look for these marks. So, including them makes your press release easier to read and more palatable for publication on high-ranking websites.
2. Include the speaker’s full name, title and organization
No one wants to read a quote they cannot attribute to anyone. If a quote talks about the benefits of a new product, the consumers will naturally wonder who said this and why they should care about their opinion. So, make sure all quotes are attributed to a name, as well as a title. No one cares what a random man named Tim thinks about the state of crypto. But Tim, the CEO of a company in the space, is an expert on the subject, and this should be stated, e.g., “…” says Tim Smith, CEO of BTCWire.
3. Break up long quotes into smaller, more digestible quotes with narrative included
As much as people like reading press release quotes, they don’t enjoy looking at walls of text, and many will even ignore them. So, your best bet is to break too-long quotes into smaller pieces, e.g., “…” said Tim Smith. “…”. You can also choose to shorten quotes using the ‘[…]’ symbol, cutting out the less-relevant parts. This makes the quotes more enjoyable to read and more effective.
4. Use block quotes for quotes longer than 3 lines
As we’ve said, you have to be very careful about long quotes to maintain press release readability. Another thing you can do is use block quotes. These essentially isolate the quote from the rest of the article and highlight it. Not only does this make the press release quote easier to find, but easier to read. As a rule, if the quote is longer than three lines, apply block quotes.
Where to Add Quotes in the Press Release
You might be wondering where to add quotes within a press release. Traditionally, press releases follow the reverse pyramid system, where the most important information is closer to the top of the page. So, where does this leave press release quotes? There is an argument for where it should be placed.
Beginning
Some would argue that a quote should be placed near the beginning of the article. This makes sense if the quote is one that can introduce the release itself. If the release is announcing a new trading pair and the quote notes that this is the first time the token is hitting the market, it can be placed right before the starting paragraph. Before you do this, ask yourself if this quote compels the reader to continue with the article. If the answer is yes, then beginning placement is appropriate.
Middle
This is the most common placement for quotes as it avoids interfering with other parts of the press release. When placed in the middle, the press release quotes come after the 5 Ws, which are a core part. They also segue easily into the conclusion, creating narrative harmony.
Conclusion
If the press release has a lot of core information to communicate, then saving the quote till the end can avoid taking away from any of these. If your press release is announcing a long list of new features in a crypto wallet, you’ll want to flesh each of them out before giving commentary on them. This is also recommended if the quotes are generic or add little to the information being conveyed.
Press Release Quote Tips
When putting out press release quotes, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Get Quotes from the Right People
Irrelevant reviews are worse than no reviews, and so, you’ll need to be very careful with whose quotes you include.
Ensure the people are relevant to the article
Before anyone’s quote is included, ask yourself how they are relevant to the article, if at all. As a guide, here are some of the types of quotes/people you’ll want to include:
- For higher-level announcements, you want a quote from someone more authoritative, like a CEO or Executive. You want to communicate legitimacy when making such a statement, so you need someone from the top.
- For partnership announcements, get quotes from all parties involved. You want to communicate cohesion and cooperation, so you want to have representatives from every single party. Leaving anyone out can cast doubt, so make sure they are included and that the quotes are of similar length.
- For product launches, get quotes from the head of product or even a loyal brand patron. These people know/use the product more than anyone, so their opinions are valuable.
For event press releases, get quotes from an upcoming attendee, sponsor, or host. This signals authenticity and can get readers excited.
- Trickling in a quote from a customer or event attendee gives more of a human connection and a relatable feel. Press releases are, by default, very corporate, and these types of quotes go a long way to humanize them.
- In the event of a crisis, someone from leadership, like the CEO, should include a quote. When in crisis, a business needs to look as stable as possible, and your CEO, who is your ultimate spokesperson, needs to deliver this.
Be as Brief as possible
As we’ve said, press release quotes don’t have to take up half the page. Say what needs to be said in a healthy number of words to hold readers’ attention. Cut down and edit statements if need be.
Talk About Impact
Quotes that communicate the impact of the development are the most important as they contextualize the announcement.
Include Forward-Looking Insights
Leave readers excited about what is to come, including more press releases with insights from the business.