Print Article for : How To Write A Press Release Template

[H1772]How To Write A Press Release Template

by Eric Lorence, Eri

The first thing you have to remember is that a Press Release is"news"
Item. It needs to "inform" people, NOT sell them something. For example,
You are reading this report because you want to learn something that will
BENEFIT YOU. You aren't reading it just so you can buy something else. If
Money is the deriving force in your business - you won't go too far. Your
main goals should be in pleasing customers, providing them with a high-
quality product and more than their money's worth. The trick is to do all
this while still making money. People don't care what mountains you had to
climb what seas you had to cross or what tribe of people you had to learn
the ways of just to find a secret formula. Instead - they want to know WHAT
the secret formula is.

The sales circulars you print and mail sell your product. A Press Release
informs others about your product. Instead of your main objective being to
sell the product and have the customer send in an order immediately, a Press
Release informs the customer exactly how your product will benefit their
lives. This must be conveyed in the form of a "newsworthy" Press Release.
If you have a sales circular to sell a product, you can easily turn it into
a Press Release without much difficulty. It's just a new marketing angle of
presenting your product to the public.

The following is an example of a typical Press Release for our publishing
services: So many people are entering the mail order market these days, but
so many of them are getting ripped-off by a bunch of hype. People are
promised untold riches in a short period of time. The hype ads play with
their emotions by making them believe it's so easy to make money through the
mail. It's sad.

However, a new book has just been released to help solve these problems for
the average person. For the first time in history - a REAL directory has been
compiled listing the ACTUAL name and addresses of 179 honest and trustworthy
mail order folks. People can write DIRECTLY to these people and receive FREE
information to get them started in their own business now!

It's unbelievable. Without trying to sell you anything else, you can get this
book for only $4.95 - a price anyone can afford. Meet the real mail order
dealers who care about their products and want to help you get started doing
what they are doing.

Only available from Graphic Publishing, PO Box 488, Bluff City TN 37618.
As you can see, this is a short but sweet Press Release - however, you should
be able to see the "newsworthiness" in it. Its main focus is on the fact
that most people get ripped-off when they start their first mail order
business. The solution to this problem is a new directory that is available
for the first time in history. The sell is slowly led into because the reader
will naturally want to get their hands on this one. It doesn't ask for money
it only tells the reader how to get a copy if they want one.

Here's a great test for a real press release. Since your final sales pitch is
included in the last paragraph - read the Press Release aloud. Would it still
be worth reading WITHOUT your sales pitch? If so, it's probably a Press
Release.

Press Releases come in many forms due to the product you are writing about.
However, the basic rule of thumb still applies. If you've never wrote one
before - it may be a little difficult. Don't despair. Grab the latest daily
newspaper and read some of their informational articles. Notice how each
article is written and patterns yours after the same format. After you do a
few of them - you'll be able to "get the picture."

When your Press Release is written to your satisfaction, the proper way to
submit it to a publisher is: Be sure and type it on a typewriter or computer.
Standard format is double-spaced and not longer than two 8 1/2x11 pages.
Be sure and put your name, address and page number at the top of each page.

Write the note: "For Immediate Release." at the top. If you are only sending
the press release to one publication - tell them it's a "first run."

The first thing you should ask, before writing press releases, is when it is appropriate to use them. A news release can be used, for instance, when you win an award, introduce new products or services, open a new office or sponsor an event. The press release aims to connect with the media and is usually the first expected form of communication with the media.

Writing press releases comes with a number of benefits:

--> Free publicity. If your press release is deemed newsworthy by the editors of the websites you submitted it to, then it may be published, which means free advertising for you.

--> Improvement of your search engine rankings. The more links you have that point in the direction of your website, the better your rankings will be.

--> Keepin your business fresh in the minds of your customers.

The better you know how to write a press release, the more successful it will be.

--> Make it newsworthy. When writing press releases you should always bear in mind that you need to give the media a story, not an advertisement. Most journalists are not interested in your latest products or services unless they are truly revolutionary. They are looking for information that is of importance and of value to their readers. If you can find such an angle, your chances of getting coverage will greatly increase.

--> Keep it short. Try to concentrate what you want to say in one or two pages at most to make it easier to read.

--> Stick to the facts. Avoid exaggerations and embellishments. Be honest. If your story sounds too good to be true, then you may end up hurting your own credibility.

--> Use only enough words to tell your story. Do not use unnecessary adjectives or flowery language.

--> The less jargon the better. You will need a bit of jargon if you want to optimize the news release for online search engines; however, it is best to communicate your news by speaking plainly, using ordinary language.

--> Do not address your target audience directly. Avoid using “I”, “we” and “you” outside a direct quotation, or else your copy will look like an advertisement rather than a news release.

Online press release structure

--> Header. When writing press releases for online distribution, the header consists of the following line: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

--> Headline. The headline needs to be catchy yet informative. It should be placed a few lines below the information in the header and written in bold type. Do not write in all CAPS, because many online news services will not accept a title in all CAPS.

--> Dateline. None of your press releases should be sent without a dateline. The dateline is usually placed either under the header and before the headline or at the beginning of the press release body, along with the city and state/country.

--> Press Release Body. The first paragraph (the lead) of the press release body should answer the questions of who, what, when, where and why. The second paragraph of the body should elaborate on the news and provide further details. Continue discussing various aspects of your company's or site's news in short paragraphs.

--> Boilerplate. You should include a boilerplate, which should remain the same on every news release you send, with a short description of who you are and what you.

--> Contact Info. Provide your contact details so that you could be reached in case someone wants more information. They should be ordered like this, each on its separate line: Contact Info, Contact Name, Company Name, Mailing Address, City/State/Zip or City/Country, Phone, Email, Web.

Optimizing your press release

Always remember when writing press releases to use a language that is compelling to both humans and “machines” (software) that use sophisticated algorithms to determine the meaning and subsequent categorization of the release. Optimized press releases will rank higher in search engines.

In order to optimize your press release, the first step you should take is to select those keywords relevant to your field of activity. Choose your keywords efficiently before you begin placing them in a keyword-rich content. Don't forget that keyword density should be no more than 5 % - 7 %.

Placing your keywords in header tags is also relevant. Most important is H1, followed by H2 then H3. Try to add keywords in you press release copy and also include text links on your keywords.

How to promote press releases

You have written and optimized your press release for search engines. All you have to do now is to put it on your website and add a link to it on an already indexed page and the search engines will find it. Another way to promote press releases is to send them by e-mail to website editors. Even more efficient is to submit your news releases to online press release services, such as Business Wire, PR Newswire and PRWeb.

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About Author

Both Eric Lorence & Adriana Iordan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Eric Lorence has sinced written about articles on various topics from Banner Advertising, Acne and Bodybuilding Supplements. E. S. Lorence is a free lance writer, author, and Internet entrepreneur based in Alpharetta, GAVisit for thousands of interesting and info. Eric Lorence's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.

Adriana Iordan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, The Internet and Software. . Adriana Iordan's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.