Knowing how to write a press release for a website can add the exposure and self-promotion for the success of your business. There may be different reasons for writing the press release, for instance, if the business won an award, introduction of new products or services or a sponsored charity event. Your aim with the press release is to effectively connect with the media.

Having the skills of knowing how to write a press release for a website has advantages for your business. If the editors of the website that your writing was submitted to, approve of it, then it may be published. When it is published, it means plenty of free advertising and publicity for your business. Your search engine rankings will improve because of the added links to your website. Press releases also make your business more noticeable to potential customers, keeping it fresh in their minds.

A press release structured for online distribution should always have a main header stating the release instructions. For example: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

After the main header, the headline needs to be formulated. Avoid writing it in all CAPS, as this is not acceptable with many online news services. Leave a few lines open between the header and the headline. The headline should be carefully considered, as this will be the first thing that the potential customer will read. It should catch the attention of the reader and provide a little information. Not too much information that will give away what the press release’s details feature, just enough to entice the customer to read further.

A dateline must be added to the press release. It is usually written along with the city and state/country. It can be placed between the header and headline or directly before the main body of the writing begins.

For the body of the press release, start with an interesting statement, or a shocking fact to further captivate your reader. The first paragraph can be relatively short, and generally answers the questions of who, what, when, where and why. Who is the news about, when or where did it happen, what is the new product etc. The first paragraph is determined as the ‘lead’ because, from here, the person will decide to read on or not. The second paragraph will provide more details and subsequent paragraphs will continue to discuss the company’s news. Shorter paragraphs are generally better read.

Include a boilerplate, that will remain the same on every press release, stating briefly who you are and what you do. Provide contact information with each detail on a separate line.

Knowing how to write a press release for a website is one thing, the other is knowing how to effectively optimize it for search engines. It should be written in a ‘language’ that is easily understood by humans, as well as the ‘machines’ or software that categorize the release. For the ‘machines’, specific keywords should be carefully selected and placed throughout the press release. Make sure your keywords are in all the headings and in the body with a density of around 5%. Your keywords can also contain text links.

Once the press release is completed, it must be promoted. They can be sent by e-mail to website editors or submitted online to press release services, such as BusinessWire or PRWeb. You can also place it on your website. Links leading to the press release should be placed on pages that are already indexed as this will enable the search engines to find it.

Knowing how to write a press release for a website is really quite easy and your business may soar with the extra publicity!

Rod C. Beckwith, co-creator of the Press Equalizer software, has made hundreds of media contacts and distributed thousands of press releases online. If you need high quality press release software then check out his software package.

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Tags: PR, press, release, website

Knowing how to write a press release gives you a boost ahead of other entrepreneurs. A successful press release generates enough interest in the media, whether offline or online, to write about your company. That means increased visibility with potential customers. While publicity may not lead directly to increased sales it does lead to the increased probability of sales. Here are 3 tips on how to write a press release.

1. Keep your approach newsworthy. How many times have you seen a headline that says “Big Company Announces the Release of New Product”? Probably many times, however that headline doesn’t snag the attention of anyone. It’s boring. The purpose of the headline is to entice the news media to actually read the release. If you can tie your release to current events so much the better, the odds will increase it will get read.

Stress the benefits of your product or company, rather than the attributes. If your new system runs 50% faster than competing systems a reader may not be interested, but if you tell them they can accomplish twice as much in half the time that may perk up their ears.

Look at the release from the point of view of the media and their readers, not from your point of view as to how publicity can benefit your company.

2. Pack all the important information in the first paragraph of the release. That may sound counter intuitive, but sometimes only the first paragraph is read before the decision is made whether there is media interest. Answer the questions of who, what, why, where and when. Expand on the answers more fully later on in the release.

3. Keep the release to one page which is about 350 words. The release isn’t supposed to tell the entire story for your company but to get the media to be interested enough to call and write a story. And don’t send the release as an attachment. These days most attachments are deleted unread, even if labeled “press release.” Don’t link to the release as a pdf file. Reporters have short attention spans. If they have to take the extra step of following a link, they may just go on to the next release in the pile.

Follow these three tips when learning how to write a press release and your releases will be more effective in generating media coverage for you, your company, and products.

Get Your FREE report How to Unleash the Write Press Releases Tips, tricks, and techniques to get your company the publicity it needs for success. Dee Power is the co-author of several nonfiction books including “The Publishing Primer: A Blueprint for an Author’s Success,” “58 Ways to Find Money for Your Business, “Inside Secrets to Venture Capital” and “Attracting Capital From Angels.” More Internet marketing tips.

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Tags: public, relation, press, release, strategy

If you want to drive targeted traffic to your website you can create a press release that can send massive traffic. Before your Press Release (PR) can be circulated to your target market, it needs to pass the approval of editors, which means that your press release should be structured so it appears to be newsworthy, rather than a blatant advertisement. he key then is to find a way to promote your product or service and its benefits rather than blatantly sell as you would in a sales letter on your website.

Traditionally, a well-structured PR should not consist of more than a single page as the aim is focus the readers attention in a short read rather than a long description. It will be a good idea to go online and find examples that you can copy to ensure the very best result. Ensure that you address the fundamental aspect of what people are looking for (how it benefits them) will outperform any other kind, so keep it trimmed, comprehensive and highly targeted so that it communicates directly with your customer base.

Here is the basic anatomy of a successful press release:

The introductory part typically includes the words: “For immediate release” and should include a specific date as to when publication is expected. You could use the “For Release Before…” date or “For Release After…” date. Most people use the “For immediate release” option. Headline:

This will be the most important part, so plan to spend a great deal of time on it. You want to grab the reader instantly with it, so they’ll be interested in reading the rest of the release. Try to focus on incorporating power, action driven words within your headline, such as:

· Announcing!

· Secret

· Free

· Discover

· Strategies

· Success

· Shocking

By using emotionally driven words you will engage the reader much more encouraging them to read your press release and check out your website. Emotional words are words that sell so remember that people buy with their emotions first so engaging their wants rather than their needs is an effective strategy in writing a press release as well as delivering the facts of the product or service. Summary: The summary simply offers a snippet of what your PR is all about. It’s like taking your entire press release and describing it in four sentences or less. It should work in a similar way that your title does, in terms of catching their attention and luring them in, so keep it direct and strong. One way to ensure the strength is to read it out aloud and see if you have written to the point summerising succinctly.

Content/Body: The body content of your serves as the information lifeline that provides all of the information needed for your reader to clearly understand your message. Make sure that you cover all the relevant points that need to be covered in the article. The thing to remember is that your press release should be designed in a similar format as a journalistic style news story, so that the most important element is featured first. The reason for this is that you’ve pulled in your readers with the headline, and now you need to keep them there, so they’ll read through the rest of it or read the most important facts before moving on. Imagine that each paragraph leads them onto the next so that you take them on a focused journey into your product or service. The last couple of paragraphs within the body should tie everything together. It reminds your readers about the point of the press release itself, bringing your message to a logical conclusion. At the end of your press release, you want to signify that’s there no more. It would look like this:
###

Resources:

Creation Services: pressequalizer.com pressedge.com/

Writers: custompressrelease.com prnine.com Press-Release-Writing.com contentdone.com contentcustoms.com Distribution Channels: PRWeb.com

URLWire.com PRNewsWire.com Free-Press-Release.com

David Marshall is an Internet Marketer who has been online creating businesses since 2001. David owns and manages 117 different businesses in a number of niches specialising in the internet marketing and Forex niche markets.

David also teaches others to create a business online specialising in providing practical and up to date techniques that ensure the success of his students.

Please visit his latest site that will help anyone create guaranteed website traffic using the latest techniques check this Site.

Get your free internet marketing CD from this Site.

David is based in Hertfordshire, England where he lives with his partner and 5 children

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Tags: press, release, traffic, power, website

One big mistake you can make in Internet Marketing is to try to engage in too many activities concurrently. This can strain your resources and/or make you lose focus very quickly.

You will get more value for your marketing when you master activities one at a time. Also, while there is no written rule as to which techniques you should learn first, you don’t want to get into certain techniques until you have some skin in the game.

You can get some skin on the game of driving traffic to your website by using Press Releases; they are easy to write and master.

Whenever you have a new product, service, event, or occasion to promote, you want to put out a Press Release. Web traffic Press Releases are much like normal Press Releases except you want to optimize them for search engines by spicing them with keywords relevant to your product or service. Equally important, you should have links in your Press Release that take people back to your website. In your Press Release, don’t go on about who you are or how great your company is. Nobody cares. You want to identify a big problem that many of your potential visitors have, and then pitch your new product or service as the solution to this problem. PRWeb is one of the best Press Release services.

Press Releases are very good tactical tools for blasting your news all over the web and getting you ranked in search engine results. However, a Press Release does not establish you as an expert in your niche, which can win you regular and dedicated visitors. This is where Article Marketing comes in. Furthermore, a Press Release does not necessarily put you right in front of people who are already looking for you. One of the most effective tools for that is Pay-per-click (PPC) Advertising.

Capitalizing on his copywriting skills, Gbenga Alaran founded the web strategy and marketing firm Aran Meta Investments (AMI) to help new and established small business owners strategically develop their web presence. Visit the AMI blog to get more intelligence for driving traffic to your website.

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Tags: pr, online, traffic, press, release

Press releases (you can also call them news releases) are a great tool for getting media coverage–my favorite kind of free publicity–and they should be part of every PR strategy. The majority of press releases go straight into the recycle bin–or simply get lost in the deluge of press materials. And some of the reason is that an amazing number of news releases break some of the basic rules.

So be a successful media contact and get the free publicity. Set your news releases apart from the crowd–do it right! That, along with proper follow up, will boost your odds significantly.

The crucial part is not so much in the structure of the release, but in the ingredients. Just as when you bake a cake, it needs flour, eggs, flavoring agents, and sweetener–but you can assemble them in thousands of different permutations within that basic “cake structure”

So here’s what you should have in your computer cupboard when sending a press release to try to get mentioned in newspaper and magazine articles, or to get free airtime on the radio:

- A news hook–something to pin the story on that makes people want to read past the first couple of lines. You are competing with a huge number of inputs so yours has to be memorable. Otherwise–you get skipped over and someone else gets the free publicity.

- An understanding of who’s reading the news release and what they’re looking for, i.e., one size definitely does *not* fit all. This is why I always ask my press release clients who will be reading it. Some audiences want something sexy or overdramatic, others want just the facts, others want a local or niche angle.

- The right list to send it to, preferably with individual editors’/reporters’ names, recently verified, who write the kinds of newspaper and magazine articles you’re aiming at in your free publicity campaign.

- Full contact info! The best release in the world is useless if the reporter doesn’t have the tools to follow up. Likewise, complete info about the product or event (including ordering information, if appropriate)

- A format that’s accessible to the news media. This means good writing. Ideally, you’ll see your exact words in print, in newspaper and magazine articles. It also means using only one side of the page, making it easy to read, and making sure it’s addressed to the right department (at the right fax number or e-mail address).

Other things are nice to have, but not essential: some sort of third-party validation, for example, or quotes from the principal person involved, or a summary.

Eventually, it becomes second nature. I can knock off an easy release (say, for a community happening) in about 20 minutes, and the papers will pick it up. For a project with a national audience and significantly more research involved, it still usually only takes me one to two hours.

Marketing consultant/copywriter Shel Horowitz is founder of the international Business Ethics Pledge campaign and author of seven books including the Apex Award winner Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First.

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Press releases have been in existence for over 100 years now and it’s amazing to think about the revolutionary changes in communication that have taken place over that time. In the Western economies the use of telephones is ubiquitous, while faxes and emails play a daily role in the life of the average business.

Some press releases are still printed off, placed in envelopes and then put into mail boxes to be hand delivered by the postman – but not many that’s for sure. Most are either faxed or emailed through. Increasingly, publicists are also placing news releases onto specialist websites that then distribute them via their own channels including even the microblogging platform Twitter.

There are still many full-time employed journalists writing for regional and national newspapers as well as trade and niche journals, but their numbers are dwindling year-on-year. The era of “dead trees” journalism will never end – there will always be printed publications; but at the moment it is certainly taking a battering from the new media on the World Wide Web.

Blogging, also called citizen journalism, has become a phenomenal success and is widely undertaken by thousands if not millions of writers. Clearly, it would be a huge boon for your business or website if you can effectively reach this mass of online writers as they don’t just reflect public opinion, but help shape it to.

There are a number of free press release sites in existence and to get the best out of submitting an item to these services it is best to take note of some guidelines.

The first part of any press release is, of course, the title. Here you need to make sure it is factual and to the point and preferably add your keyword(s) if you can. For those not familiar with keywords, these are what you expect people to use in search engines. For instance, if you have a shoe shop website you’ll be aware that “shoe shop uk” and “shoe shop com” are common terms used by the public to find information.

The actual style of the title must be dull and factual – “Google prefers this boring headline on Tuesday November 29, 2009″. Don’t create abstract headlines because you think it will stand out from the crowd. It won’t. People are looking for facts. Try these formats:

[Product] will be launched by [company name] on [date]

On [date] [company name] will launch the new [product] to [short description of product in a few words]

The headline is the most important part of an online press release because that is often all the reader will see as they scan down a page. If you can suck a reader into your item just through the headline alone then you have jumped the first hurdle.

The second most important part of an online press release is the summary. Usually no more than 300 characters this should repeat the information as laid out in the title but padded out with more detail.

After the title the summary is the next item that the reader will see and often as part of a long list of other press release titles and summaries all vying for attention. The main body of text itself shouldn’t be no more than three or four paragraphs simply because 79 percent of internet users scan rather than read the content on a page. So the less text the better. Keep all information to the minimum.

Finally, always add contact information which mainly means a contact name, email, website and phone number but also a postal address too. People tend to fell more comfortable with an actual postal address instead of just email details.

So hopefully this will give you a starting point to think about how to layout a press release for the free press release distribution sites on the World Wide Web.

You may not necessary write the perfect press release the first time at trying if you are new to the publicity game, but once you’ve written a few you’ll find that the correct formula is straight forward and you’ll be sending them here, there and everywhere for every event and news story.

Mark Woodham is an editor at free press release distribution site Press Release 001

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Tags: press, release, relation, online

An Online Press Release Can Generate Traffic to Your Website

Lately, there seems to be a huge amount of confusion about press releases within the business community. Unfortunately, not too many businesses are taking advantage of the power of the internet when it comes to public relations. Today, it is much easier and more cost effective to spread the word around about the release of a new product, service or a startup business than ever before. The Internet has introduced the power of global media within reach of even the most frugal entrepreneur operating on a limited budget. One of the easiest ways to take full advantage of free public relations is with a well developed, intelligent and focused press release distributed over the web. Let’s take a look at a few of benefits of distributing a press release online for your company:

1) Receive FREE Publicity! Easy.

2) It creates Interest. When written the right way, press releases are considered to be more unbiased and authoritative by the majority of readers. This lends credibility to your message and leads to more conversions for your business. It is crucial that your press releases have a newsworthy event or announcement so that they are not perceived as a sales pitch. This can lead to distrust in your readers psyche.

3) People are more likely to read an interesting article then long sales copy.

4) Its FREE. There are many websites that allow you to post your press release absolutely free. One free site that I have used is called PrLog.com The main reason why I like PrLog is because it is free and it also allows you to include a bio about yourself and even your company including a link to your website. Keep in mind that many press release websites have editorial guidelines that will not allow a press release reads like a sales copy or even spam.

5) Google. Press release websites like PrLog.com will get your press organically indexed by the Google and Yahoo search engines very fast. As a result, more people will read your press release and click through to your website.

Hubert C. Marshall is a SEO expert who helps businesses make money online by using Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing. Find out how to make more money online using his Florida SEO company, Beachstar, Inc.

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Tags: PR, business, press, release

Public Relations or PR is often an overlooked part of the marketing mix. Many organisations feel it is too expensive, and doesn’t really deliver results. In most cases the opposite is true and cost effective, well managed PR campaigns can generate awareness and in many instances deliver business leads. So here are just a few tips to ensure you make the most out of your PR approach.

Tip 1

DIY or Consultant- whether or not you use a PR consultant or agency is up to you. However unless you have the contacts, time and imagination to generate PR for your company, then work with a PR professional. They have the contacts with the journalists, understand how the PR process works and can have a real impact on the success of your PR campaigns.

Tip 2

Choosing a consultant- see at least three PR consultants and ensure you give them a brief for the type of PR services you require. The brief should include your PR objectives for the next year, your target audience, key messages and any measurable objectives. Once you have met with them to see how they would address your objective, you will be in a better position to decide who can deliver the services you need. Also take up references from their current customers, call them to find out how well they have performed.

Tip 3

Press releases – they are the most traditional way of letting journalists know about any news that you may have. They can work, but should not be the only part of an effective approach to PR. Journalists and editors get hundreds of press releases a day and you have to be pretty imaginative to get your press release noticed. Sending out endless press releases does not equate to an effective approach to PR. Think before you send out your next press release, is it really newsworthy?

Tip 4

Relationships – ensure that either you or your consultant has good relationships with relevant journalists. These types of contacts are invaluable as the journalists and editors are more likely to take a call from someone they know. Keeping in regular contact with them ensures that you or your consultant know about the articles they are currently working on and you can introduce them to your key spokesperson who is able to give them quotes when they need them.

Tip 5

The Story – whatever your PR approach make sure you have good stories to tell that create publicity and are interesting. Try and create an angle, something that makes your organisation stand out.

Tip 6

Target – targeting the right media is vitally important, pick a range of publications and online media which are relevant to your organisation and target them. It is much easier to build a rapport with journalists and get included in articles in 10 key publications than a 100 that you send press releases to. This also means that the readers will become familiar with your organisation if they are regular readers.

Tip 7

Key Spokesperson(s) – no matter how large or small your organisation is, you must have one or two key spokespersons for the company who have been trained to talk to the media, it also gives journalists a better chance of remembering who to ask for if they want a quote from you. This ensures that you communicate the information you want, and stops wrong or inconsistent information being issued. This is vitally important if you ever have to handle any bad publicity and you need to ensure that all comments come from a verified source.

Tip 8

Forward features – all publications publish a list of the features and articles they are intending to run in the future. It is important that you know what they are, and which journalists are writing them so that either you or you PR consultant can keep in touch to see if you can contribute with quotes and relevant stories.

Tip 9

E-media – remember it’s not just the printed page where you can gain coverage, there are a range of e-publications that are either a web version of the printed version or are specifically web based. Many of them send out regular newsletters to subscribers on a daily or weekly basis, with a click through to main news stories on their web site. They turn around information very quickly and it pays to have good contacts within these types of e-publications.

Tip 10

Measurement – Measure your PR effectiveness, it’s important you do it for direct mail, so why not for PR. There are various measurement schemes you can use and they are especially useful for ensuring that a PR agency is delivering the objectives you have set them and you are getting a good ROI. One measurement scheme you could use is simple and provides a benchmark for the coverage you are getting month on month. It is a point based system and works like this;

* 1 point-headline contains your company name
* 1 point- a key message was communicated in the article
* 1 point- an image or picture was used
* 1 point- there was a quote from a key spokesperson
* 1 point- prominent position in the publication
* 5 points-A whole 5 points is awarded if the whole article was about your company

For more articles like this, visit this website and take a look at our marketing articles page

Joanne Morley – Brighter Marketing click here for information.

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Tags: public relations, techniques, news, article, release

The Modern Press Release Goes Beyond Geographical Boundaries

Press releases were originally for the sole purpose of relaying updates and other pertinent information to the media about a company or organization. They served as some sort of personal correspondence between the media and a company. In the perfect world, the press release is designed to be publicized through the media so that people would learn about your product or service if the media chose to run your story.

But in the not-so-perfect world, the traditional press release has a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the paper shredder in various news organizations. It all depends on the editor’s judgement and his or her idea of newsworthy information. So in the past, releasing these materials to the press was always likely to result in no take-up of the message that you were trying to convey.

These days, however, the press release takes on another purpose and is redefined by the increased accessibility of online media. In recent years, the press release has gone online – just like other marketing tools – and is now made open for mass readership. They are no longer limited to the people in the media. Anyone who is interested in a company or industry can access your press release directly through distribution sites and news release sites.

But what has defined the newfound role of the press release is the fact that it rides on the pervasiveness of the Internet, the medium through which it is distributed. Over the past decade, cyberspace has continued to accommodate more users. People are starting to appreciate the convenience of getting everything that they need with just a click of the mouse. You don’t go to the newspaper to find out what is new about a company but to blogs and other resources. Under Web 2.0, everyone can have their say about a product or service, not just journalists. Going online is your first port of call nowadays and you start by searching for what you are looking for. And how convenient if the first thing you read is a nicely constructed press release leading back to the organizations website!

This is a practice that is common to many internet users. The medium is an information resource so a person in Hongkong looking for information on X Company may end up looking at the same page as somebody else located in Paris. Unlike its traditional counterpart, the online press release is capable of disseminating information beyond the boundaries of the company’s geographical location.

Online press releases have greatly benefited from the wider reach of the Internet. They are not anymore limited to providing information for people within the organization’s locality. They are now designed to cater to mass audiences located in any part of the world. So long as these people share the same interest, the online press release is accessible regardless of where they are in the world. This makes it easier for various companies to offer their products and services to a wider clientele as well. You don’t need to be based in the United States to tap into that market. All you need to do is start on your press release marketing campaign.

Submit your unique press release on sites such as Fast Press Releaser or Press Release Home. An informative and unique press release placed on a reputable site will enhance your reputation in your area of expertise.

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Tags: pr, online, press, release, service, publicity

If you have a great product and you want to get the word out fast to get traffic to your website then you need to write press releases.

So what is a press release you ask? It’s condensed article that is written in the style of a journalist not and sales letter or an advertisement.

The purpose of writing press releases is to inform the public of a new product or service that is going public. Make your press release newsworthy and exciting so editors will publish it. The idea is to get people excited about your new product and want to learn more.

I’m sure you would probably want to know how to write a press release sense you never wrote one before. So here are ten tips of the critical things you need before you submit press releases to the public.

1. Have a powerful and eye shocking headline.

Your headline should get the attention of the media and the journalist. Make then want to read more and not toss it aside.

2. Is it worth writing about?

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes for one moment. Decide what is newsworthy about your business. Will this interest anybody who sees it. Does it answer all the “5 Ws” that your potential customers are going to be looking for.

3. Focus on your target Audience.

You want your press release to go to the people who are interested in what your provide. It’s not good enough to just tell people in general if they have no reason to use your product.

4. Give only the facts.

Avoid hype and jargon in your press release. You are not selling here, you job is to inform the public only. Saying things like “The best you will see” or “Greatest in the world” will make you lose credibility. Also avoid using words like “you, he, she” in your release. Don’t say “You can learn more” say “One can learn more”.

5. Don’t write your life story.

Press releases are for informing the public of your new product. Don’t bore the media with who you are and where you came from ect.

6. Keep it short and sweet.

Keep you release at around 500 words or less. Avoid to many adjectives, redundant language, and flowery expressions. Make it to the point.

7. Give examples.

Use real life examples of how your business solves a problem or answer a question. Explain what benefits your business or product offers to the public. You will seem more credible.

8. Find an angle.

Try to make your release related to a newsworthy development or event. If you can link your release with a current event or a social issue you are bound to get your release published.

9. Provide contact information.

Provide more than one way to be contacted. Give your name and address, website url, email, and phone number so the media can get a hold of you in case they want to interview you.

10. Decide how and where to send your press release.

Is your business local or world wide? Can your business deal with the traffic that you will gain. Generate a list of the media in your area to determine which one is best for you.

In summary.

Well there you have it. Use these tips to generate a huge amount of traffic to your business or website. The best thing about using press releases is that they are low cost, some free, and they ad credibility to your business. So start writing now and good luck.

Ellis Jackson jr is a website owner who has been helping others to get started in the niche website business. If you would like to learn more then please go to this site – If you would like more tips then pleasure check our page here at: Tips and Tricks

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Tags: write, media, press, release, job

Getting Started with Your Press Release through Online Templates

Because of the increased accessibility of the Internet, press releases have now taken on a new purpose beyond being informational materials for the media. News release sites and submission portals have made press releases directly available to millions of Internet users and potential consumers. This additional purpose has also created a tougher challenge of crafting the each piece in such a way that it is suitable for both the media and the company’s targeted market.

So how do you go about writing a press release?

You have a wealth of information available for you on the Internet. You only need to search for it properly. Sample press releases along with tips on how to write your own material are available on many websites. Just try searching using the strings, ‘sample press release’ and your search engine will come up with thousands, even millions, of possibilities where you can get ideas.

A typical news release site will provide you with a template from which you can pattern your material. All you have to do is fill in the blanks with your content and you’re good to go. To supplement this information, the site will also provide you with guidelines on how to craft effective releases.

It’s also a good idea to go through submission sites. The press release follows a certain format and a specific pattern of presenting information. You will want to read through published releases and get a few tips from them. You will also want to tag and categorize your release so that it can be easily found by those searching on those terms.

Alternatively, you can also find books that offer the same information. If you intend to pursue such marketing as a major component in your promotional strategy, it pays to read up more about the subject so you know how you’re supposed to go about doing this.

Don’t forget in writing your press release that it should be both interesting and impartial. This is not just an ad for your organization. It needs to contain useful content as well.

Press Release Pad and Press Release Studio offer helpful tips and information on how to create your releases so that they attract the interest of your targeted audience. These sites do not accept duplicate content.

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Tags: media relations, press, release, publicity, interveiws

The press is a great resource for any company. Media exposure can greatly enhance any branding effort. Today’s technology allows for a confusing array of possibilities relating to your company’s press kit. Many business owners make common mistakes when assembling these kits. The following are some easy tips towards creating the press kit best suited to your company’s needs while avoiding common missteps.

The first components are obviously the basics. Essentials include company overview, description and history. All contact information is required. Testimonials for your product are very helpful as are independent and objective reviews from trusted sources. Any previous press coverage should also be included. This could include reference within trade or industry publications. Business card printing might be necessary in that the cards included must be of the highest quality. If yours are not it is time for a new batch.

Your press kit should reflect the industry in which you reside. For example, if your product is sold to young snow boarders, then you’d have a fun and edgy theme. Conversely, if you resided in a more conservative field like selling software to attorneys then you would desire a more professional and staid motif. You should keep this theme consistent and not vary it between recipients. This rule parallels the same concept relating to consistency within brochure printing and catalog printing.

Today, technology makes it possible to submit your kit electronically using no paper at all. The ability for media devices today to hold reams of data encourage some marketers to cram as much as will fit into the presentation. This often proves to be a fatal mistake. Information overload can turn off the reader. Keep your information concise. This can prove beneficial if it prompts a follow up phone call from the recipient for further information. Much better to have that opportunity for a personal pitch which wouldn’t exist had you conveyed the additional information within your media kit.

Keep the content in your kit current. If you are including old news that reflects poorly upon your organization. Review the materials in your kit on a continuous basis. Update it with the newest references and testimonials received by your product or service. Make sure your content conforms to the current reality taking into consideration any applicable recent events.

The fourth estate is a powerful weapon within your branding arsenal. Experienced marketers know that relationships developed with the press are worth their weight in gold. A good press kit is the way to initially get your foot in the door. The first ones sent out are the most critical. Create yours with care and thought.

Janice Jenkins is a writer for a marketing company in Chicago, IL. Mostly into marketing research, Janice started writing articles early 2007 to impart her knowledge to individuals new to the marketing industry.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Brochure Printing, Catalog Printing, Business Card Printing

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Tags: pr, press, release, prepare, news

The media are always looking for stories of interest to fill their newspapers, magazines, TV and radio shows. If you can offer them something that is newsworthy, topical, interesting or entertaining then you have a good chance of your story being used. Sending relevant media releases often ensures you stay “top of mind” with your database of media contacts and is great public relations for you or your business when your story is run.

Here are some good reasons to send a media release any time you have something interesting to say.

1. Continuous brand building. Anytime you get a media “hit” and your name is mentioned it will add to the public’s awareness of your brand and what you have to offer.

2. Credibility of your message. An editorial story is a lot more likely to be read and recognised than an advertisement. Seeing a story on the TV news or reading about it in the paper gives your product or message a lot more credibility.

3. Cheap. Certainly cheaper than advertising and free if you write and issue your media release yourself. You could end of with thousands of dollars worth of free editorial coverage.

4. Clients and customers kept informed. You need to find ways to continually keep in front of customers and clients. Perhaps they will see your story in the newspaper. But why not call and alert them to your story or send a clipping of your article to keep in touch. Better still include comments or quotes from your clients in the media release.

5. Clarity. Writing a media release will help you get clear on what your message is by being succinct and concise with the words you choose. Clients will gain more understanding of your products or services also.

6. Communicating who you are, what you do and how you make a difference is what public relations is all about. Getting into the habit of communicating your successes and achievements by sending media releases will aid in raising your profile.

7. Celebrity status. Gaining publicity in the media will help you become known as the expert in your area and will enhance your image and reputation.

Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace – your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business educator and speaker on personal branding through image and media. To learn more about how you can achieve recognition, enhance your image and shine, sign up for free monthly tips, visit this site

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Tags: pr, release, format, strategies, news

This week I received a press release to inform me that the company sending the release had changed email service providers. Are you kidding me? Is this really news?

Did you hear that? It was the sound of that release hitting my circular file. No doubt it will suffer a similar fate at many, if not all of its other intended destinations.

It is frustrating to think that there are actually companies shelling out their hard-earned money to pay for such drivel. Press release writing can be a bit daunting at first, but it is certainly a skill that can be mastered. Armed with the proper tools and a bit of patience, you can be crafting your own killer press releases in relatively short order.

To simplify the process, let’s consider this: news is a four-letter word.

N – Neutral Voice. We all have expectations that the news that we read, listen to, and watch will be objective. That said, there is no room for sales jargon, hype, or in-your-face pitching. Sending out a release that is anything less than an objective, well-written, third-person piece is simply a waste – a waste of time, money and opportunity.

E – Entertainment/Education. A solid press release will be framed within the concept of entertainment or education. If you are promoting a product, you need to tell the market why they need it. Was there a recent medical study that provides you with a tie-in? The same holds true with a service. When you are deciding upon the topic of your release, be sure to give it the “so what?” test. If you can’t answer that question, you need to dig deeper, or find another angle to approach from.

W – Well-Written. Never underestimate the power of the spell checker, folks. Before you send your press release out in the world, be sure you have checked it over thoroughly, both for spelling and for grammar. Then, give it to a friend or colleague (preferably one with a strong grasp of the language), and ask them to do the same. Make sure that you have followed the proper release format. Have you crafted a strong, attention-grabbing headline? If not, head back to the drawing board. Be sure that you have included all of the necessary contact information to allow interested media outlets to have instant access to you, your business, and your website, if applicable.

S – “Sexy Factor.” Don’t raise your eyebrows – this is used an attention-grabber. It worked, didn’t it?

The “sexy factor” may not be a technical term, but there is no denying its power. It governs not only your headline, but the entire release. In order to harness this power, you need to think like a journalist.

This is an area that you may need to practice; the good news (for lack of a better word) is that there are examples everywhere. Surf on over to your favorite news outlet website, and scan the headlines. The good ones will make you want to click on them. The truly great ones will make you click on them, even if you aren’t especially interested in the subject matter. In the eternal words of Paris Hilton, “now that’s hot.”

The important message that you should take away is this – don’t be fooled into thinking that you can’t create a press release for your business. Who knows your subject matter better than you do? If you are willing to spend the time studying the good, the bad, and even the ugly examples around you – your patience will be rewarded. But, more importantly, your release will garner the attention that it deserves.

Traci Hayner Vanover, aka The Promo Diva®, is the owner of The Creative Concept, a freelance firm specializing in the unique writing, publicity, and marketing needs of small businesses. She is also the publisher of Create the Dream! Magazine, a bi-monthly digital magazine for small businesses. To request a free sample issue and two other promotional gifts, visit her website

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Tags: pr, news, distribution, release, media

Let me explain what a press release is then we can talk about the benefits. A press release in essence is a written statement; it can also be a recording. Basically it is a communication released to the media in order to announce something. It is almost like an article but it takes on a slightly different format. Here are the basic features of a press release.

Headline; this is very important a good headline will encourage readers to read further

Dateline; this is where the date is and it also may contain information such as where the press release originated.

Introduction; pretty self explanatory, here you introduce your topic

Body; here you will go into detail regarding what you said in the introduction

About; this talks about the writer and the company or individual that is making the press release more commonly known in the press circles as the boilerplate section.

Close; this just brings the it to a close stating the end.

What are the benefits? If you are launching a new product or service you can get this information into the hands of the media and as a result get lots of traffic. They are picked up by the search engines very quickly, Google news for example picks up a lot of press releases, and this can result in lots of traffic.

They are respected in general by the search engines and from that stand point you can get a good link pointing back to your site with your desired keyword, which helps with your search engine ranking.

I have actually submitted articles to press release networks and have had no problem. I re-write it a little bit. The biggest benefit thus far is the powerful links it gives me. You should not rule out doing press release it can be beneficial. If you are an affiliate and are passionate about making a living online and want to work with others to succeed then select one of the links below.

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Tags: marketing, advertising, agency, release, distribution

Doing press releases is one very effective way of bringing information to the people. It has gone through a lot of transformations throughout the history of media, from print to broadcast to what we eventually know it to be on the realm of the Internet. In this modern age, press writing has become a more efficient means of disseminating information as it will only take one click of a button for a press writer to reach millions of readers in no time at all. This is really good news for the world of press writing, because this way they now have more time to come up with news and send it to people. But before you type out that must-know-about piece of news, you need to know about the eight skill building ways to press release writing:

1. Carefully format your targeted press release. You need to make sure that the contact information can be found on the top pf the page, and the words “For Immediate Release” right under the contacts.

2. Dates are crucial. To ensure that your release is distributed right on schedule, date it properly.

3. Likewise, your headline is important because it will serve as an attention grabber. Mimic the work of newspaper editors – use the latest in current events and make it part of your announcement.

4. Include your essentials: who, what, when, where, why and how. This will put down all the necessary information that people will want to read in your press release.

5. Be professional without being too technical. Nobody likes a boring read, but everyone appreciates work that is well informed yet addressed in an understandable and easy to absorb manner.

6. Remember: K.I.S.S. Or rather, Keep It Simple, Silly! Stick to the basics and don’t strain your brain thinking of highfalutin words to add to your press release to make it seem impressive. It will do just the opposite.

7. Never underestimate the power of good words. Make simple sentences but enhance their value by using as many powerful words as you can.

8. End using a call to action. Your press release material will need to have a function and direction to a certain website where more pertinent related information can be found.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article writing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide’

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Writing

Do you want to learn how to build a big online subscriber list fast? Click here: Secrets of List Building

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 9034 articles in print and 14 published ebooks.

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Tags: marketing, release, press, relations, activities

Did you know that publicity is supposedly seven times more effective than advertising? And it is free – that is if you do it yourself. If you know the elements of writing a good media release to capture the attention of journalists, you can cash in on no cost editorial coverage. Here’s a few tips to help you write a media release.

The Beginning

The first and most important thing is to have something interesting to say. Consider your USP – just like in sales. It’s your unique selling proposition. After all publicity is “selling”. You are selling a story idea to the media. I like to call it the unique shining point. It really needs to stand out, shine, be compelling – not an advertisement, not a boring product plug.

Another element that will really hook the journalist in is to consider the ESP the emotional selling point. Often it is the human element in the story that will capture the reader’s attention therefore the attention of the media. Think about what your story is. What is your background? Have you overcome any obstacles to get where you are today? Any achievements or milestones? Where is the human interest?

What’s more compelling? An announcement about a wedding limousine service, or the 30th anniversary both in marriage and business of the couple who run the service? This is a story I helped someone uncover in a seminar I conducted. The couple later went on to get a full page color photo and editorial story in a wedding supplement in their local paper – for free, just by working out the human element of interest to readers.

WIFM

What’s in it for me? Or what is in it for them. How does your product or service help others? You media release needs to state that key element. How will the reader benefit?

It’s uninteresting to just say, “Jones & Smith Accountants today announced the launch of their revolutionary new accountancy software package… Better to state – small businesses now have a better way to measure, monitor and manage the costs involved in running their business, thanks to Jones & Smith’s new online measurement & analysis accounting system.

The Heading

Write a catchy headline with a short, punchy phrase. Observe how headings are written in newspapers and magazines. You need to grab the reader’s attention. Of course that is if you are planning to post your media release snail mail with your product sample or full media kit. But most releases these days are emailed. However, the same principles apply. Use a compelling subject heading or the journalist will simply hit delete. Make it provocative.

The Content

Have a bright opening; start with your strongest point first. Instead of the conventional “today announced that” lead, you should make your release stand out from the crowd with a strong, compelling lead paragraph. As editors and journalists get so many releases every day, you only have seconds to grab their attention. The first paragraph is where your important information goes but it needs to be written in an exciting, creative, interesting way.

Consider the 5 W’s – Who, What, When, Where, Why; This is an easy formula to remember when writing your release but it is still not enough without some “zing” or compelling elements to “hook” the reader in.

Again – how does it help? Remember the benefit to the reader and perhaps include some “how to” tips on whatever your product or service is.

Use memorable quotes; either of you or someone well-known who can endorse your product. Quotes are often used by the media as they make the story more “real” or personal. A good quote can include why you’ve started this business or developed your product or how it helps your target audience.

The Format

Title it “Media Release” and always include the date. Include your contact details of telephone, mobile, email and website address. Use letterhead and keep the content to one page – any more and you will lose the journalists’ attention. When using email, cut and paste into the body of the email – don’t send an attachment.

The Contact

Send your release to the appropriate person – be sure to do your research. Check that the “food editor” is still just that and not now the “finance editor”. Find out the name of the person and their direct email.

Always follow up with a phone call or email and keep your media liaison consistent. If you provide good information you are not a nuisance, you are providing a service. Journalists and editors need our information to fill their newspapers, magazines and radio shows.

Supply a creative photo or suggest a photo opportunity that will add to the impact of having your information publicized.

Gaining publicity in the media will help you become known as an expert in your business field; it will enhance your image and reputation and help you to grow your business.

Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace – your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business educator and speaker on personal branding through image and media. To learn more about how you can achieve recognition, enhance your image and shine, sign up for free monthly tips at this site

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Tags: media relations, write, release, media, report

Getting your news out there in the public domain takes time and effort. You need to create or mould your news story but you also need to ensure that your news is targeted at the right press and media. For smaller organisations that may not have access to a PR department, consultant or agency then the task can seem daunting.

If you want to build a list yourself then where do you start? Thankfully there are many resources you can tap into and, with the rise of the internet, there are even more opportunities to build a list relatively cheaply to get your PR off to a flying start. Firstly, think about your audience – that is the key.

Focus on the people, organisations etc you want to target with your PR efforts – who do you want to get your news to? What publications do they read, where do they get their news and information, what programmes do they watch and listen to? If you don’t know, then simply ask your customers or prospects. There will also, of course, be publications and programmes that you may not be aware of.

The resources below should help you on your way to building your list – identifying the right publications and programmes and getting up-to-date contact details:

* The Newspaper Society has a searchable online database of Britain’s regional and local newspapers
* The Guardian Media Directory – a useful desk reference guide for contacts in, and related to, the press and media
* http://www.mediauk.com/ is a useful alphabetical search tool for newspapers, magazines, television and radio if you have a good idea of what you are looking for
* For links to sites of national and regional UK newspapers publishing online, plus news portals, magazines and TV / Radio news sites: http://www.wrx.zen.co.uk/alltnews.htm
* The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook or the Writer’s Handbook are also useful reference tools. You can usually find one or other of these in the reference section of reasonably-sized book shop or in the library. They include press and media listings bit also a range of other information and articles
* You can buy Willings Press Guide for advertising and editorial contacts – use a search engine to find their listing online. Three guides are available: United Kingdom; Western Europe (excluding the United Kingdom); and World (excluding the United Kingdom and Western Europe).
* There are also a number of tools and services that are much more expensive but useful if you are taking your PR to the next level or have a big budget. Use a search engine and types in ‘media disk’ to look at some of the other tools available.

The work is not finished once you have got your list. More research is needed – you need to get a named contact and to check that they are in fact the person you should send your news or ideas to. In addition, it’s useful to check how they like to be contacted and what deadlines they work to. All this is useful information to help you in being targeted with your approaches – getting your news to the right people.

Using PR to build your profile and protect your reputation can help you influence the audiences that are important to you – I invite you to access more free articles, tips and information on this, and other subjects related to public relations, by visiting this site

Debbie Leven – Profile Matters Ltd PR Consultants UK

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Tags: pr, news, media, press, release

I think it’s a real shame how so many business owners agonize over the proper format of a press release. What’s important about a document that is supposed to be both informative and persuasive is the content, not the layout.

Should it have some semblance of order? Absolutely. But that should not be the author’s first priority, particularly when the great majority of them end up in one of two places: The recycling bin or an editor’s deleted items folder.

It’s not that assigning editors don’t want news or that press releases aren’t effective. They can be very effective when done right. But most are formatted in such a way that’s counterintuitive to the sender’s end goal. I can’t tell you how many press releases I’ve come across that had more information about the company’s founder or sponsors, than the event or service they were trying to promote.

That leads me to my list. Here are five things I hate about press releases.

1. They are too long.

2. They bury the lead, or put the most crucial information in the middle of the document.

3. They provide too many details.

4. They don’t provide context or tell me why the event/subject is significant.

5. They can be too formal.

If you’re guilty of even “one” of the above, you could be your own worst enemy. So before you send out your next press release, keep those five items in mind, and ask yourself what changes you can make to avoid the dreaded recycle bin and deleted items folder, at all costs.

Angela Connor has 15 years of experience in print, broadcast and online media. She has has been the driving force behind local television news coverage in major markets, including Cleveland, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Miami/Fort Lauderdale. She is currently the Managing Editor for User-Generated Content at CBC New Media/WRAL.com. Angela enjoys providing business owners with information that will help them gain a better understanding of the needs of local media, and increase their chances of getting coverage.

You can visit her blog here

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Tag: PR, press, release, relation

A press release is an announcement, such as a business name change, upcoming event, a special sale, etc., or it can be an account of a news story that is sent to newspapers, newsletter and website publishers, and even local television stations.

What are the benefits of press releases?

1. Free publicity. If you send a copy of your press release to your local newspaper, and they decide it’s newsworthy, they may print it in their paper. Or if you get really lucky, they might even contact you to do a more in-depth story. To get your home-based business picked up, target the smaller newspapers because they are more likely to run it. Best of all, this is free advertising!

2. Improve your search engine rankings. The more incoming links you have pointing to your website, the better your rankings will be. If you plan to submit your press release online, always include your website address (with the http://) for the search engines to pick up on, and as a way for readers to visit your website for more information.

3. Spread the news. If you have something special happening with your business, such as a charity event, a new business name, etc. A press release is a great and easy way to share the news with your current and potential clients or customers. Instead of contacting people individually or doing a mass postal mailing, which can be expensive, add the press release to your website, include it in your email newsletter, post it on your blog, insert a copy in outgoing orders, and even tack them on bulletin boards around your community.

4. Keep your business fresh in the minds of your customers. Use press releases to remind your customers or clients that you are still in business, whether you are announcing a special event, a new employee, or even a sale, you can send out a press release to get exposure. This gentle reminder may come to them at the perfect time, and they may very well take advantage.

To achieve the best results from your press release, use the correct format to write it. If you don’t know how, you can easily find the information you are looking for online or you can hire someone to write it for you. It’s imperative that you understand the quality of the press release will reflect on your business, so ensure that it is well written.

It’s also important that you keep track of the press releases you send out because doing so will help you comprehend the kind of response you are getting to them. You can do this by setting up a special link or email address that only people who read your press release will know, or offer a discount to the visitors who mention your press release or enter, a special coupon code can also be setup to track who is ordering as a result of your press release.

If you are not currently using press releases as a part of your advertising campaign, it’s time to start. It doesn’t matter if your business is small and home-based, you can reap the same benefits as the large businesses.

This article is brought to you by Writing From Home: Helping work at home moms improve their business through the power of words. Increase your website traffic and search engine rankings through keyword articles, website content, product descriptions, and freebies! For more information visit this site As seen in, the Wahm Team E-zine

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Tags: definition, press, release, public, marketing

Many people find the thought of preparing a media release a daunting project. They are intimidated by journalists or have no idea where to start. Many others approach media-release writing with a great deal of admirable courage and gusto, but little forethought or skill.

By following a simple formula, and sticking to a handful of rules, you can write a clear and effective media release that has the best opportunity possible of being picked up and published, and ensures the long-term integrity and media interest of the organisation you represent.

1. A MEDIA RELEASE IS NOT AN ARTICLE

One of the first mistakes when preparing a media release is to write as though it will be printed as an actual article. Almost nobody will print your media release as it stands, unless they are a seriously understaffed small publication, like a local newspaper, or else, frankly, extremely unprofessional.

When you are writing a media release you need to bear in mind that you must cater for two very different, often complementary but sometimes competing, needs. On one side, you have a great product or you’ve done a great deed, and you want to get the news out. On the other, the journalist wants a fresh, new story to tell, one that will have a broad appeal to their audience.

Essentially what this means is that you should not write a media release for the public, you should write it for one person: the journalist on whose desk it will land.

Your aim with a media release is to try to step into the shoes of the journalist; figure out what they want, then give it to them. This, in turn, will maximise your chances of that journalist using your media release as the basis for their story, and of them giving it the spin that you want to see.

If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry: I used to be a journalist and read scores of media releases before lunch every day, so I’ll lend you my shoes for the duration of this article.

2. GIVE THE JOURNALIST A STORY TO TELL

A journalist’s job is to tell stories, and it’s not always easy to come up with fresh, interesting stories every week or every day. So if something’s going on at your organisation that is potentially “newsworthy”, you have a valuable commodity to offer.

Remember: this is not about writing the release in such a way that you believe the story should be written; instead, it is about having something newsworthy to say in the first place. So your cat won first place in a show? Big deal: a lot of cats win prizes. Your cat won for the 10th year in a row? That’s a little more interesting, and some of the pet magazines might be interested. Your cat won first place in a dog show? Now that’s newsworthy, and you might even get a feel-good piece on one of the morning news channels.

Make sure you give the journalist the facts about your story that will make it worth telling. The golden rule? A piece of information is likely to be newsworthy if it is either:

a) New: nobody has ever heard of or done it before
b) A fresh, new angle on an old story

3. PITCH TO THE RIGHT PUBLICATIONS

Think about our cat show example above. If your cat won first place in a show, it might rate a mention in the newsletter of your breeders’ club. If your cat won for the 10th year in a row, one of the nation’s pet magazines might be interested in doing a little story about your talented cat. If your cat took out top honours in a dog show, then not only the newsletters and industry magazines may be interested – you might get a piece in some of the national newspapers and television news shows.

Choosing the publications to which you send your press release is very important. Think about the type of story you have to tell, then strategically select the publications that best suit your story. You may be wanting the front page of the Herald, but let’s face it, even a prize-winning cat in a dog show is not likely to be front page news. So don’t send the release to the news editor, look for the “lifestyle” sections, and pitch your release to a journalist or editor of that section. Being smart (and realistic) about where your story could be published will greatly increase the likelihood of you receiving that all-important ‘phone call or email from a journalist.

There are many media tomes available to help you target your publications wisely. In Australia, the Australian Writers’ Marketplace is a great tool for writers and public relations professionals alike, listing every publication in Australia and New Zealand. It shouldn’t have to be said, but it is also very important that you carefully read the publications to which you send your press release, so that you are aware of their styles and the types of stories they usually publish.

4. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT

This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many people think they can “fudge” their way through a press release, providing poorly-informed information or exaggerating the facts in an attempt to catch the journalist’s eye.

Any half-decent journalist will always check their facts. They know that you have a personal or business agenda for wanting your story published, so they’re going to do their best to make sure what they print is the truth, rather than just your version of the truth. If you have lied, exaggerated or failed to check your own facts, this will reflect very poorly on you and your organisation. Not only is this release likely to be tossed in the bin, it is extremely unlikely that the journalist will ever trust a press release sent by you again – or bother to read it.

On the other hand, clear facts that can be supported will lend integrity to your press release – and therefore to you and your organisation so future releases are likely to be viewed more favourably.

5. PROVIDE BACKGROUND INFORMATION

It’s best to keep a press release short – go over a page, and you’ll diminish the likelihood that a journalist will read on. This shouldn’t be difficult, since the media release is merely intended to provide all the key information that will pique a journalist’s interest.

However, sometimes it may be of value to provide background information to help the journalist support their story. This will save them a lot of research time, and may tip the scales in your favour when they are weighing up whether or not to write the story. In the case of the “cat & dog” scenario given earlier, this might be access to judging criteria in dog shows, for example.

Background information can be provided as appendices to the release itself, or published on your website and clearly marked on the release so that the journalist can easily find it.

6. STICK TO THE FORMULA

Once you have a good story to tell, got your facts straight, gathered your background information and identified the publications most likely to respond positively, writing a media release is a fairly straightforward exercise. That’s because you can pretty well follow a standard formula each time.

Carrying forward with our silly cat-dog story, we’ll outline a five-point formula and illustrate it with the cat-dog details, building a press release as we go. Let’s assume the release is being sent by the fictitious National Canine Institute, which has a simple agenda of gaining media exposure.

Put all the details in the first sentence or two

That is, what is happening / happened, when and where, who is involved, and why it is interesting or important. This is quite different to the start of an actual article, because it is heavy in information that general readers might not want to know. But remember: your audience in this case is just one person, the journalist, and you need to give them all the information they need to decide whether your story is worth telling.

A blue-point Burmese cat shocked crowds and enraged dog-owners by not only entering – but winning – Best of Show in the nation’s most prestigious dog show: the National Canine Institute (NCI) Awards, held in the Canberra Chamber of Commerce on Friday (March 12).

• What is happening: a cat won a dog show

• When and where: on Friday March 12, at the Canberra Chamber of Commerce

• Who is involved: the cat, the crowds, other pet owners, the Institute

• Why is it interesting: it shocked crowds and scandalised pet owners

Expand on the above introduction

Provide a little more information and, if appropriate, add details as to how the event happened or will happen.

Having entered Betty the Burmese via a legal loophole in the NCI’s charter, the cat’s owners, Margaret and Richard Dalrymple, say they are unperturbed by the scandal surrounding the award, stating simply that Betty was held up to the same scrutiny as all the dogs, and was clearly found to be superior. Their opinion is shared by the judges.

Follow up with a “quotable quote”

Ensure that any quotes in your media release are attributed to a person (ie. identify the person giving the quote), and if that person has a job title etc, include that. Only include quotes that add to either the information or value of your media release, and only quote people who are relevant to the story.

“Betty’s entry in this competition was a legal matter over which we had no say,” explained NCI President and chief judge, Peter Davies, “so we simply applied the same rigorous standards of judgement across the board. Betty was a clear winner.”

Continue with any other important facts or issues

You may also wish to back these up with another “quotable quote” if it is appropriate.

However, many of the show’s dog owners are not so philosophical, stating that it is scandalous for a cat to win a dog show, and that the entry should never have been allowed in the first place. A group appeal has been launched.

“This farce reinforces the ridiculous limits to which the legal system can be stretched,” insists Eloise Nichols, owner of two-time champion chocolate Labrador, Royal Jim. In a statement immediately following the award announcement, she said, “Dogs and cats have completely different physiological make-up and this is as insane as comparing a daisy to a rose. The Labrador, Poodle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeders’ associations have each launched separate appeals to the decision, and we expect other groups to join in this action shortly.”

Davies dismisses the breeders’ objections as sour grapes. “Betty won fair and square. The fact is, she was simply the better animal,” he says. Institute leaders are also thrilled with the interest the controversy has brought to their organisation. “We are having more pet owners – of dogs and cats alike – expressing interest in joining our organisation and participating in events, than ever before. This is great news for future competitions.”

Reinforce the facts

Make sure that all important times, dates, places and contact names and details are clear.

The matter will appear before the Canberra District Court on April 21. The National Canine Institute will begin preliminary rounds of its annual awards in July, with dates and locations to be published on the official website, www.nci-awards.net [not a real address]. Interviews can be arranged with Institute President Peter Davies, Betty’s owners Margaret and Richard Dalrymple.

Media contact: Joanne Prosczech, NCI

7. BE READY AND AVAILABLE

Finally, ensure you are available to take journalists’ calls. Be prepared for them to call at all kinds of odd hours, even late at night and early in the morning. If you have promised interviews with anyone else, ensure that they are thoroughly briefed on what is appropriate and inappropriate for them to say in an interview. Before you name them as potential interviewees, make sure that they also are available to take calls at odd times. You should vet calls from journalists then act as a “go-between”, setting up interview times with your interviewees and any journalists.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Author Naomi Hulbert is founder and managing director of Urashima Writing Services, an Australian company that provides writing, editing, translation and training services to clients in the corporate sector. Naomi is an experienced journalist, author, radio broadcaster, ghost writer, corporate writer and educational writer, and teaches at the majority of Urashima’s writing workshops. Visit this site

Copyright 2006 – Naomi Hulbert. Reprint rights: you may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name and credit, and follow all of the EzineArticle terms of service for publishers.

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Tags: media, relations, communications, release, news

Thousands of documents are published each day on news release sites, including Google News, Yahoo News and MSN. If you take a close look at them you’ll notice they are not properly categorized and sometimes you get rather irrelevant stories for a particular topic. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. As the search results, the news results are fully automated. There’s no human editor to create what you would call “a logical structure” in each main category. If you look for LEDs you might get news or stories about Led Zeppelin. Not such a relevant result for the optoelectronic industry! Therefore you’ll need to write your press release in the best way possible to achieve visibility and reach the needed public.

Writing a Press Release for the Web

It may come as a surprise, but the most experienced copywriters don’t know how to write a press release for the web. It takes a public relations expert to do the job right. Most press releases online look like being written lyrically. Instead of sending a message loud and clear, their writers were busy creating pieces of prose. If you choose such a writer you waste your money. Period.

Here are some errors you should avoid:

* Too long sentences (Writers love long sentences. They feel like these prove writing skills and make the story more…”professional”).
* Too short sentences. This happens when people try to respect the “keep it simple” principle, but deliver a formless message instead.
* Use of repetitions and abstract terms. Your message should be plain and clear. Concretized.

And this is how you should “build” your press release:

* Attract your reader with an incisive title – this is the most important sentence in a press release.
* First paragraph explains why the press release is newsworthy.
* Second (and where necessary third, fourth) paragraph is the content of the press release.
* Last paragraph concludes the story.

Press Release Optimization

* Why? As clarified earlier above: to enable newsworthy information about your company and your products achieve visibility and reach the wanted audience.
* How? By optimizing the micro content (title) and the macro content (press release body). Optimizing web pages is not the same.

Now let’s focus on the “how”. What you need to do is decide on a keyword phrase that is relevant for your area of expertise or your product. This should not be the most relevant keyword phrase to you, but to your readers. And this is a difficult choice. You could check the keyword phrase at overture.com and see how many searches it produced for a particular month. Then go for the more suitable keyword phrase – in this case you’d want to target what people look for (but don’t deviate from the main idea of your press release).

For example, if you run a small, rather nameless, company and you’ve developed a new SEO software (with some proven results), don’t use the just the name of the software in the title of your release. Write, for example “SEO Software XYZ Released – With New Website Promotion Tools” (That is if your software includes new website promotion tools. If not, just write the most important benefit, to grab readers’ attention.)

Don’t use a title like “Company Releases Amazing XYZ for Top Rankings”. This title says nothing newsworthy about your product. The “amazing” and “top rankings” touches will bring you traffic and customers only if you are lucky and some of them start reading a story with such a title. Readers are tired of clichés and pompous words.

Repeat the main keyword phrase – “SEO software” in this case – three-four times within your press release.

One Last Optimization Must: The Printed Media

Outstanding press releases do get enough public attention, not only from random readers, but from journalist as well. They might consider your story newsworthy enough for the print media. It is a good practice to include photos and other enclosures (where necessary) to help the journalists work on it faster and have it printed. And it is in your best interest to use all possible communication channels to deliver your message. So when you write a press release for the online media, have three aspects in mind: readers, search engines and print. Journalists will edit your press release for printed publications, but if you already provide all the information and enclosures they might need, you’ve done your job right.

Mihaela Lica is a freelance PR consultant working for German companies such My-tronic GmbH and Diskret Detektei, Mueller Facility Management. She is the founder of Pamil Visions and eWritings- the place where beginners and professionals can find useful tutorials on online public relations, SEO, web development, web writing and much more.

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Tags: relation, release, principle, press

A major goal for many webmasters is to build many back links for SEO purposes to get their web sites ranked higher in search engines. As a result, many webmasters spend countless hours and hundreds of dollars to build links to their web site. However, there is an easy and inexpensive way to build dozens of links that many simply ignore. Public Relations is of key importance to any company or web site and often times, a Press Release is the greatest tool web site owners have to help spread the word about their company, increase buzz about the web site or the products that are offered, and build dozens of back links from multiple, reputable web sites.

Here, we will go through the process of writing and submitting a press release and include many tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your press release. A press release must be written in a special way and we will go through the process of how to write a press release and where to submit it for best results. However, before we go in depth into how you can best use a press release e need to explain what a press release is.

A press release is a document that is sent out by a company or web site when something that is notable regarding the company occurs. All of the articles you see in newspapers and on web sites such as CNN and Yahoo! are based of press releases that were sent by the company to PR Newswires such as PRWEB or PRLEAP, or sent to the media company directly. Obviously, there are thousands of press releases being sent to major media companies such as CNN or Yahoo! daily so, only the best written press releases that have significance to the average user gets picked up by these companies. Hence, we will spend a lot of time talking about how to write effective press release in future entries.

Now, the major purpose of the press release is for public relations and to get newspapers and other large media outlets to pick up the story and present it to a large audience to help generate buzz and interest; however, for many small web site owners who don’t have the money to spend building major media contacts or paying someone else to send out your press releases to major media companies, free press release submission at PR Outlets such as PR.com and PRLEAP.com are an inexpensive way to build dozens of back links for purely SEO value.

A press release is of great benefit to any company and web site and we invite you to check back soon for all of the latest tips and tricks regarding press releases.

Falco Pangkey is the owner and writer of Freepublicity.eu. He writes about getting online and offline Free Publicity.

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Tags: press, release, about, public relations, publicity

Relax. When a reporter makes an unexpected call, you are not obliged to respond immediately. But you should always cooperate – even when your news is bad.

The first thing to do is note the reporter’s contact details. Ask them to forward story background and questions via email. Reassure the reporter that their inquiry will be dealt with and that someone will be back in touch within half an hour.

Once you receive the reporter’s email request, collect the facts. If necessary, forward the matter to colleagues who might normally deal with media issues. If you are the spokesperson, take time to decide whether comment is appropriate. Always avoid saying “no comment.” Simply explain why you have no comment. For example; “I’m sorry, I can’t comment on this right now. We are still looking into the matter.”

If you need more time, phone back the reporter with an update. Your company may need another hour, maybe another day or even a week. This is your decision. But try to be reasonable. Reporters do have deadlines and it helps if you can work within them.The most important issue is to keep reporters informed. Always return their calls, even if you have nothing to say.

Five top tips:

1. Gather facts before comment

2. Use descriptive language

3. Highlight specific examples

4. Avoid live interviews

5. Never say “No comment”

A common complaint about the news media is their tendency to misquote or to quote out of context. This is often the case when journalists struggle to understand what you are trying to say. Make an effort to be clear and concise. Be sure to send reporters supporting fact sheets and other relevant information before the interview. Don’t overload reporters – just make it easy for them to get what they need.

Be sure to give the media something new to report. Perhaps you are launching a new product? Does an existing product or service have new features? Is your company about to break new ground? Can you share new research or information about new trends?

Finally, do not assume the reporter will immediately recognise the news. Their job is to report it. You can help them by identifying the issues you believe to be newsworthy. To encourage coverage of your issue, you should be courteous, friendly, timely, relevant and objective.

Greg Ward is a New Zealand journalist and media trainer. Greg’s website offers a comprehensive collection of articles, tips and strategies for media interviews and presentations.

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Tags: news, interviews, press, release, pr

One of the fastest and most cost effective ways to let others know about you, your services, and your products is to generate media visibility. Print, radio, TV, and the Internet can deliver, even broadcast, your message to countless people in your local community and beyond.

How do you get media visibility? Because media visibility involves news coverage, you need to determine, develop, and deliver news angles that are of community interest. You may want begin by hiring a public relations (PR) professional, who can help you discover news angles and media approaches that reflect both your business image and your budget. Even a budget-conscious do-it-yourselfer who ultimately wants to handle most of the PR tasks his- or herself will benefit from working with a PR expert who knows firsthand what the media considers news and how they like that information to be presented.

Here are five recommendations to consider when approaching the media for news coverage. These suggestions are designed to keep you on track with what the media wants. They will help you steer clear of the “look-at-me” trap that many fall into when they begin the process of securing possible news coverage. The “look-at-me” message is better suited for advertising than news. Remember that TV news editors and anchors, radio news directors and talk show hosts, and print reporters are looking for community news — what’s happening that is of interest to the communities they serve. The news angle you present to the media should reflect what is authentic about your place in the larger community. For example, how does your service or product improve the lives of others? How do you give back to your community? How have you helped others improve their lives or reach their dreams?

Here are five ideas to get the media wheels moving in your direction:

1. Pitch feature stories to selected media about actions you are taking to raise funds for public or other community-related programs that show how you fit into the community where you do business. Is there a cause or organization that you care about? Is there a link between them and the work you do?

2. Pitch profiles/news stories about local (or national) celebrities/personalities (even interesting board members/volunteers, etc.) related to community-related projects you are working on or have worked on.

3. Pitch client success stories that are uplifting and/or relevant to current news topics. In this way, your client “talks” for you. For example, after learning that your community will most likely experience an earthquake or other natural disaster, you may donate one of your water filter systems to a local senior center or day care to make sure their water remains drinkable in an emergency.

4. Sponsor a local radio or TV program. Underwriting a particular show or program will have the added advantage of linking you up in the listener or viewer’s mind with the show host or program theme. This could also include having your employees and friends volunteer to staff the phones at your local Public Broadcasting Service radio or TV station during a pledge drive.

5. Establish a community award in recognition of someone else who contributes to the community. Generate nominees, reward the selected winner with product and/or services, and then notify the press when the award is given. Possible award topics: Inspiration Award, Humanitarian Award — you get the idea.

You can and probably already do make a difference in the lives of others. So go ahead and let the media know. As author and radio show host Wes Nisker of “Crazy Wisdom” fame says, “If you don’t like the news, go out and make your own.”

Get visible!

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Karen Pierce Gonzalez – EzineArticles Expert Author
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Tags: public, relation, press, release