How to Write Successful Press Releases

Press releases are a fantastic tool to promote your product or services and to generate website traffic. They do not cost anything to write and the publicity that they can generate for your business is well worth the investment.

Many people wonder when you’re supposed to issue a press release. The answer is – whenever you can generate something newsworthy – write a press release.

Newsworthy means the content provides something that is of interest and a benefit to others. For example, the release of a new product or service isn’t newsworthy however, how that new product or service improves the lives of others may be. However in order to write a press release that attracts the attention of the media you also need to take a few steps.

Step One – Your press release is for the media. When you write a press release, write it for the media, rather than your prospects and customers. Give journalists and editors the five w’s: Who, What, Where, When, and Why.

* Who is the story about
* What is the actual news?
* The people, products, items, dates and other things related with the news – where and when.
* Why is this news?

Step Two – Your headline and first paragraph. Your headline and your first paragraph are often all that a reader will see so make those paragraphs count! Make your headline brief, clear and to the point – highlighting the point of the press release. Your first sentence grabs your reader and says concisely what is happening and the subsequent two or three sentences support your lead sentence.

Step Three – Editing. Finish writing your release without editing and then go back over it and edit for spelling and grammar. Also, pay close attention to:

* Your verbs – Use an active voice, strong verbs, and avoid jargon, adverbs, and descriptive words.

* Your Sentence structure – Write for the press. Use short sentences which are succinct and to the point. Avoid jargon.

Step Four – Stick with the protocol. Press releases have a formal structure which includes:

* Starting with the date and city in which the press release originates. For example, April 20th, 2009 Denver, Colorado

* Include information about your company, including website link and contact information at the end of the release.

* Identify the end of the release with this symbol, ###. It let’s journalists know they have the complete information.

* Include a call to action in your release. What do you want readers to do with the information? Are you hosting an event and you want them to attend? Do you want them to buy a product? Visit your website?

Step Five – Submission and follow-up. Make sure you send your release to the correct person. If you’re submitting to a web based press release directory then you’re set. If you’re submitting to your local paper, research who to send the release to and how they prefer to receive press releases.

It’s a good idea to follow up with a journalist to make sure they’ve received your release and to see if they have any questions. It’s important to develop relationships with the press and a professionally handled follow-up is a good way to accomplish that.

Press releases are a great way to gain media attention for your business. They key, beyond following the basic format, is to make sure your release offers a powerful benefit. Look at it from the journalists point of view, they’re always looking for new and beneficial information to share with their audience. If your press release demonstrates this benefit in an active and compelling way, they’ll be knocking down your door to interview you and share your business with the world.