Press Release Writing Tips
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 18th, 2008 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Press Release Writing Tips ©2008 Cheryl Kaye Tardif
An engaging press release with an interesting ‘hook’ or angle is an excellent way to gain exposure for your product or service and can lead to media interviews with appearances on television and radio stations, and in newspapers or magazines. The objective of a release is to capture the attention of your audience, whether this is your home town, state, province, country or international market, and educate them about your product or service.
We cannot stress enough the importance of a well written press release. We constantly come across inaccurate, poorly written or unedited press releases that simply will not be read. They become a waste of time to journalists who are already bogged down with information overload. And some releases are just not publishable.
So our advice? Write a strong, well written press release and edit before submitting it.
The following sections will help you with writing your press release:
Section 1: Press Release Format
Section 2: Newsworthiness: What May Seem Like News…
Section 3: Target the Media
Section 4: Content is Key: Start Strong and Sell the Benefits
Section 5: Language & Wording: Do Not Embellish or Exaggerate
Section 6: Quote Permissions & Attributions
Section 7: What Not to Include in Your Press Release
Section 8: Images in Your Press Release
Section 9: Edit Your Release before Submitting It
Section 10: How Often Should You Submit Your Press Release?
Section 11: Our Distribution Packages and Pricing
Section 12: Start Writing Your Release Now!
Section 1 – Press Release Format
There is a general format for writing all press releases. To format a release correctly and most effectively, you will need to include the following:
Date Instructions: “For Immediate Release”, “For Release Before (date)”, or “For Release After (date)”. Many online distribution services simply ask you to insert a date in the date line or select one from a calendar.
Contact information: Make it easy for the media to contact you about your story by including as much information as possible. It is important to include a phone number, fax number, email address and company address. Failing to leave this information suggests that your press release is either amateurish or illegitimate. Media contacts will ask: “Why don’t they want to be contacted? What do they have to hide?”
Headline: Your headline must ‘hook’ the reader into wanting to read your full release. You may have a fantastic press release. However, failing to write a strong headline will jeopardize your entire release. It will be overlooked and passed by in favor of a release with a more interesting or exciting or controversial headline. So make your headline an attention grabber.
Sell the benefits of your product or service within your headline:
Losing Weight Is Easy If You Follow These Simple Rules
Or ask a question:
Want to Lose Weight the Easy Way?
These headlines draw a reader into the story, simply because they want to know how to solve a particular problem or they want to know the answer to the question.
Summary: This is a sentence or short paragraph that follows your headline. Here is where you continue to draw the media into your story by summarizing the information in your press release with a strong statement or two to keep the reader interested. But don’t give them everything. You still want them to read the entire release.
Body: This is the main area of your press release. Keep it simple, to the point and brief, 175 – 300 words. Use bullets when appropriate and clear, crisp paragraphs for easy reading. Your press release is meant to entice the media to contact you for further information, so encourage the reader to contact you and visit your web site.
About Us/Boiler Plate: Not everyone uses a boiler plate. However, this is the perfect place to add some brief information about your company. (i.e., “XYZ Company is a leading distributor of widgets and has been in the business of building widgets since 1900.”)
End of Press Release: To end your press release, simply enter ### on a blank line at the end of the release. Any information after ### will not be published.
More Press Release Tips: Section 2-12 can be found at http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press_writing_tips.php
Note: This article was written and edited by Cheryl Kaye Tardif for 24-7PressRelease Newswire. It is submitted here with permission.
~Cheryl Kaye Tardif has worked in the past as a motivational speaker, marketing consultant, website designer and book editor. Currently, she is a freelance journalist, book reviewer, press release writer and copywriter. She is best known as the author of three bestselling novels: The River, Divine Intervention and the her most recent Whale Song (http://www.whalesongbook.com).
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