Creating a press release - writing and submission
tips.
It's been a long while since I found it necessary to
write a press release; but through another project
I've been working on over the last month, I revisited
this often ignored web marketing strategy.
While I'll never make headhunted by CNN or the New
York Times for a journalist or news editor position; I
was very happy with the attention the press release
received, so I thought I'd pass on some tips to our
visitors and subscribers.
What is a press release?
In terms of marketing, it's basically just a story
that may interest the general public or a market
segment relating to your business or organization.
It's a cross between an article and an ad - very
similar to the 'adarticle' strategies that I've
written about before. A press release tends to be more
objective than promotional copy and is often in
interview format. The usual marketing hype is
definitely a no-go zone.
A press release is submitted to media distribution
outlets in the hope that they will run with the story
or request an interview. Press releases are the lazy
way that news services gather stories :).
What are the benefits?
Rapid coverage:
As news is all about currency; the chances are that
your press release will be published very quickly if
it appeals. After submission, expect some initial
results within 24 hours.
Ongoing promotion:
Most services archive releases; so it's an ongoing
form of promotion. Search engines may pick up on the
release when it is published on other sites. This
creates another avenue for people to find you and to
possibly improve your search engine rankings through
link popularity factors.
Journalists love search engines; so even as your
release becomes dated, you may be still contacted by
them in relation to other stories they are working on.
Credibility:
If a respected media outlet or industry authority
picks up your news item and publishes it, the readers
of that service will immediately feel that your
company is credible - an element vital in turning
leads into clients.
Extra content for your site:
Any release that you create can also be included in a
separate section on your site. It creates a good
impression on your visitors and clients, provides
ready information for journalists who may stumble upon
your site and acts as excellent search engine fodder.
Where do I submit press releases?
There are many services that will accept press
releases, but most of them will charge a fee to
distribute your news item to journalists and news
editors. A few of the better known services are PRWeb
Direct, PRNewsWire and MarketWire.
One good free service that I know of and have used on
several occasions since 2001 is PRWeb.com. For real
impact, I recommend the premium version of their
service, PRWeb Direct, provides excellent coverage at
a very low price. Features include:
*
Distribution on the same day
*
PR Web and eMediawire Distribution
*
Attach graphics and multimedia
*
RSS/XML/OPLM/NewsML inclusion
*
Yahoo search marketing inclusion
*
Google news inclusion
*
Yahoo news inclusion
*
MSN news inclusion
*
Quick statistics
*
Up to 10 industry targets
*
Free editorial review
PRWeb Direct also offers valuable tips on their site
to help you with press release development and
submission. The company is one of the oldest online
press release distribution agencies around, with
100,000 contacts, industry analysts and freelance
journalists in their databases. It's a great service
well worth checking out.
The other way to find places that will accept your
news item is to search via your favorite search engine
like so:
"submit press release", "industry segment"
.. substituting "industry segment" with your target
market. You'll be surprised by the number of places
that will accept newsworthy items - after all, it's
free content for them!
What's considered newsworthy?
Well, it's definitely not just telling everyone how
great you and your products are.
Items that would be considered newsworthy include:
*
Your business sponsoring a charity event.
*
Implementing/developing a new product that
addresses a specific need.
*
Merging or partnering with another well known
business.
*
Gaining a contract with a large company.
*
Results of research you've carried out.
*
Awards and industry/community recognition
Tone and content
The pitch of a news release is vastly different to
traditional promotional copy. Terms such as "visit us
today", "buy me now" or "discount prices" will see
your press release headed straight for the recycle
bin, as will WORDS IN CAPITALS and the unnecessary use
of exclamation marks.
The best way to learn the tone you should aim for
release is to watch your local news or read a paper
where a company is being mentioned in a positive way -
steer clear of Enron stories :).
After reading/watching/listening to this kind of
coverage for a while, you'll notice similarities.
Especially effective items you should include in a
press release:
*
Quotes from a company representative - interview
style is very effective.
*
Statistics - people love stats!
*
Information relating to how, what, when, where
and why.
Press release structure
The structure of a press release is quite
straightforward:
Release instructions
Include in a few words directives as to when the
information can be released e.g. "For immediate
release" or "for release on October 30, 2003"
Headline
Short, attention grabbing line. Do not use exclamation
marks, marketing hype or references to selling.
Summary
An extension of the headline and consolidation of the
body. Just a couple of sentences outlining the major
points.
Body
Always start the first sentence in the following
format:
City, State (or country), Month, Day, Year -
..then launch into the story itself. Ensure that the
date you use is current when submitting. Media outlets
won't want what would appear to be old news. Keep your
sentences short and use paragraphs every 5-6 lines if
possible. The body should not exceed 500 words.
Further information
Where readers of the press release can gain further
details e.g. your web site.
About
Include a sentence about your company.
Contact information
This is usually for the use of the company whom you
are submitting to. Include:
Contact Person
Company Name
Phone
Fax
URL
email address
Remember to skip a line between sections and save in a
generic format, such as a plain text file.
A well crafted press release may take you a full day
to create; but given the immediate and ongoing
benefits to be had, it's definitely a worthwhile
investment of your marketing time.
Michael Bloch
Taming the Beast
http://www.tamingthebeast.net
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