Tips for Writing a Press Release – By Consultwebs.com

Press Releases for Print Purposes

1. Before writing your press release, be sure to do your homework. Read other press releases in your industry to find out what information they include.
2. Be sure to label the document as a “press release” and provide a brief introductory sentence to give a glimpse of what is to follow.
3. Avoid using a lot of adjectives, fluffing and opinions (i.e. “…we’re the cheapest…”)
4. Avoid the use of technical terms unless they are followed with by definitions for clarification purposes.
5. Pinpoint the objective of the release and write it from the reader’s perspective.
6. Be sure to always answer, within the release, who, what, where, when, why and how.
7. Always include your contact information, such as: contact person, company, phone number, fax number, email address, web addresses, and mailing address.
8. Keep the release short, informative and concise. Ideally, the release should never go above 500 words.
9. To avoid having your release tossed into the trash, be certain that you check, and then double check, the grammatical aspects of the release.
10. Be timely in sending out the release. If you find that your release wasn’t timely, redo and label, “re-release.” Try to send it out well in advance, normally between 2-3 weeks ahead of time.
11. Your release should stand out from all the others.
12. Target the release to your specific industry. It is a waste to send to every newspaper or magazine if the person who would want to read the release isn’t looking in that media.
13. Call and find out who the appropriate editor or writer is and address the release to that specific person. Never email or fax a release unless you are specifically asked to do so.
14. Be sure your release is easy to read, written on white paper with black ink and is double-spaced. These may seem like unimportant items, but remember that you want the editor and the readers to actually read the release.
15. Lastly, once the release is complete, ask your self the following questions:
    1. Is it easy to read?
    2. Did I answer the 5 W’s/ 1 H?
    3. Did you include your contact information?
    4. Have you double-checked for grammatical errors?
    5. Did you include a dateline and are you sending it out on time?

Web Press Releases (Examples are hyperlinked)

1. Place the press release on your Web site.
2. Submit the site to Web news outlets in your market area.  Many Web sites seek news-worthy information and will welcome the release.  If you aren’t familiar with outlets in your area, perform a Google or other search engine search or view city directories.  Send the press release to applicable Web sites and Web newsletters such as Triangle Business News.  Suppliers, clients and others with whom you have relationships are often very happy to post your press release.  If applicable, submit the press release to search engines.
3. Consider posting your release onto Web bulletin boards that obtain significant traffic. A Google search will help you find discussion / bulletin boards in your area.

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