Four Steps to Writing a Newsworthy Press Release
When running a business, whether it is located on Main Street inyour town or online, publicity is essential. When a smallbusiness has little or no advertising budget, the best thing forthe owner to do is to get people interested in your company. Howdo you do that with a limited budget? Write a newsworthy pressrelease and send it to the editors of local and nationalpublications in the market that potential customers read.This press release should be no longer than one page. Ma...
...ke sureyou only send the release to the editors that directly coveryour field and don't forget to include your contact information.It is not necessary to follow-up with the editor as long as youinclude your contact information. In fact, most editors do notlike getting follow-up calls about your press release. If theylike it… they will call.Here are the four steps to writing a newsworthy press release:1. Decide when you are sending out the release. It is alwaysbest to send out your release after 11AM EST, any day besidesFriday and Monday unless you have hard news. Also decide whetherthe release is "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" or not. If not, includethe specific date and time that you want the publication to makeyour press release public knowledge. Write the release date andtime or "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" at the top of your press release.2. Create a catchy headline that accurately summarizes yourpress release. Your press release's headline can be one line orhave a subheading as well. Just remember you are competingagainst hundreds of other press releases on the editor's desk.When editors do not have time to sit and read every single pressrelease that comes in, they sometimes just take a glance at theheadline. It is very important to have a headline gets theirattention so they start reading. Work on the headline because itis just as important as the body of the press release. While youshould make your headline interesting and intriguing, make sureit has something to do with the contents of the press release.Using a headline like "Free Trip to Bermuda" when your pressrelease is about your organic baby food company is notappropriate unless you are giving away free trips to Bermuda toyour customers, and even then that headline should be revised.3. Compose the body of your press release. A short (3-4paragraphs), newsworthy press release will grab the attention ofeditors, which will in turn get you publicity-and for only thecost of emailing, faxing or mailing the release. The release hasto highlight the uniqueness of your business-what differentiatesyou from your competitors. If you can't think of a unique thingabout your company-wait until you can before you send out therelease.Here are a few newsworthy topics to write about in yourrelease:1. Grand Opening/Re-Opening of your business, e.g. aninteresting story about why/how you started your company and thetarget market of your business.2. The results of a recent surveyyour company created, e.g. provide the results of the survey tothe news media.3. Tie Your Company to an Upcoming Holiday, e.g.a company that makes Hawaiian lays in National Luau month or ifyou work at home and it's Home Based Business week. 4. Astrategic partnership that your company has formed: e.g.Annabelle's Organic Baby Food has formed an alliance withShannon's Baby Gift Baskets.5. Include a short, concise companyprofile or business owner bio at the bottom of the release. Ifthe editors have never heard about your company, this is theplace to give them some additional background information or togive them your standard company description.After writing your release, edit it and re-edit it. Get rid ofwords that are not necessary. Make sure the sentences are easyto read and even easier to understand. Use strong and livelywords in your release. Format your press release to be double-spaced on one page and atthe end of the release type "# # #" so the editors know theyhave reached the end of your press release. Remember when youdistribute the press release to only distribute it topublications where the readers would be interested in yoursubject and make sure the release is real news and not anadvertisement.
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