If you operate a new business, or one that has news to share, then you need to know how to write an effective press release. Why? Because without it, your news will never get published. A good press release is one that is written by the business owner or someone who has a lot of knowledge about the business and will be able to convey the news in an appealing manner. First and foremost, your press release must have a catchy title. This is the first thing that editors will see when reading your submission, so make sure that it is worthy of being a publication headline. Quite often, the editors will use the title as you submit it. Secondly, a quality press release will contain the contact information of the person who owns the business or issues the press release. This should include a name, address, telephone, fax, e-mail and/or website address if applicable. Having your contact information at the top of the press release is very important incase the editor needs to verify the accuracy of the press release. The majority of editors will not even consider printing news without some type of contact information. Now that you are ready to begin writing the body of your press release, start with the date and location of your writing. An effective press release will reveal who, what, when and where. Who, or which business, are you writing about? What event or product release is taking place? When will it occur? And, finally - if there is a location for your upcoming event, where will it be? If you are announcing the debut of a website or product release, you would not need to include a location unless you are holding a special event party or similar function. But, if you are holding a news conference, the when and where aspect will be a critical part of getting publicity. A press release should never be longer than one page unless absolutely necessary. Many editors are crunched for space and just do not have the ability to publish lengthy news articles. Therefore, if you can keep your press release short and sweet, you will increase the likelihood of having it published. At the end of your write-up, include a brief paragraph detailing your career history or that of your business. A website address will be a nice addition, if applicable, and may result in additional website traffic if the release is printed. |
