When you want to publicize your overall business, a special event with your company, or just keep your business name in the news, a good, effective press release is one method to get such coverage. Press releases can be effectively used on the internet and in print. Press releases have specific guidelines and must fulfill certain purposes in order to accomplish what you want it to do. Our guide for writing an effective press release provides an outline and general rule set that you can use to write a great press release for your business.
- Make It Newsworthy: The word “press” should be a tip off that the information you are about to release should be newsworthy. A press release should not be written to sell product or services but rather to inform the public about the purpose of your company and what accomplishments it is achieving. Do not write your press release as though you were creating a business advertisement. You need to take an unbiased look about what events happening in and to your business are really news. Sure, you can be excited about a lot of things that are happening to you and your company but it doesn’t mean that others will be excited – or even interested – in what story you want to tell.
- Come Out Strong: When creating the first paragraph and title of your press release, you need to come out strong with your message. You want and need to hook people with the first couple of sentences to draw them in. Sum up your story in the first paragraph of your press release. Reader’s attention spans are not long and you need to pull them in right away.
- Find An Angle: Keep your ears open for any news items that may relate to your business products or services. You can then work to tie in your company’s press release with a current event. A good news hook can help you get much more exposure about your company.
- Make It A Story But a True One: Many times press releases will get picked up by different outlets and help spread your exposure. A well written press release will tell a good story that can be reprinted and re-run in other places. It may even prompt journalists and other writers to create an even larger feature story about your business. Make sure you include only true facts and not exaggerations. If your story sounds too good to be true to the press, you will end up hurting the credibility of your company. Also, if you include any information about a company other than your own, be sure to first get permission before you send out the release.
- Show Your Solutions: To get the attention of real people, use real stories that show how your business solves problems and provides solutions. Give real examples of what benefits your company can provide readers. Share your success with readers and explain how you have achieved the growth and success you are writing about.
- Keep It Simple, Writer: Avoid using too much colorful language and adjectives. Tell your story using as few words as you can. Stay straight to the point and on target throughout the whole press release. Write the content in its entirely then proof to see where you can cut out unnecessary words. Be sure to use proper grammar, punctuation and avoid the exclamation point.
- Stay in the Present: Use an active voice. Instead of saying “ABC Company entered into a merger with DEF, Inc”, you should say “ABC Company merged with DEF, Inc.” The more active and concise your phrases, the more likely your releases will be published.
- Use Plain English: In today’s technology age, it can be almost too simple to throw out jargon or slang words in your copy. You should be careful to use plain language so the internet search engines can pick up the right keywords. This is especially important if your business tends to use industry words that the general reading population may not understand. Also, make sure you do not include any links or html code in the press release, even if it is not being distributed to regular news outlets.
Additional Resources
We’ve provided a list of so-called “wire services” that can distribute your press release to various media outlets:
- http://www.prweb.com
- http://www.prleap.com
- http://i-newswire.com
- http://www.webwire.com
- http://www.pressbox.co.uk
- http://www.24-7pressrelease.com
- http://www.clickpress.com
- http://www.przoom.com
- http://www.pr.com
- http://www.marketwire.com
- http://www.prnewswire.com
- http://www.businesswire.com
Remember, above all, when it comes to writing a press release, stick with “just the facts.”
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