Press Release Writing Tips

Make it newsworthy. Are you solving a problem or filling your readers' needs?

Pinpoint what that need or problem is and write the release from that perspective.

A headline that gets to the point. Craft a headline which conveys immediately

why this news is important. Avoid promotional sounding words. What you say here

determines whether the reader will read the rest of the release.

A strong leading paragraph. Answer who, what, where, when, why, and how.

Use this paragraph as an abstract or summary for the release.

Detailed explanation from the reader's

perspective. Give details of the news so

the editor understands why it's important to

his/her readers. Any background

information, quotes of note, comparisons to similar products or services, etc.,

which illustrate the importance of this news should be included here. If you're

announcing a new product, mention shipping date, price, and other points of

interest.

Short corporate summary. Include especially any information about products

or services which help establish your expertise. Also mention your location, years in

business, etc. Keep it short; don't include the annual report.

Include complete contact information. Contact name, company name, full

address, phone number, email address, and Web site URL. The contact name

should be someone who's available and capable of answering questions.

Keep it short. Maximum length should be one to two pages and no more than

500 words.

Tips for Sending a Press Release

Target your audience. Only contact

editors who write about your industry or

topic.

Find out the best way to contact your

audience. Is it by snail mail, email, or fax? Not everyone wants press releases by

email.

Don't send email releases with attachments. Send the release within the body

of the message.

Don't follow up. You will annoy most editors by making a second contact.

Know the editor's deadlines. Don't expect a magazine editor to cover your

event scheduled for next week.

InfoScavenger's Press Release Pet Peeves

Update your Web site with the "news" before sending your release. If it's a

new product, update that section of your site. If it's not important enough to be

added to your own site, why should anyone write about it?

Do not call editors, publications, etc., on their 800 numbers. This includes

calling to get the name and address of the appropriate editor as well as worthless

follow up calls ("did you get my release?"). Don't expect others to pick up the tab for

your marketing costs.

Press Release Basics and Web Resources

If you want to build your own list, see Sources for Building Your Own Media

List and our Checklist for Do It Yourself Publicity. You may save money if you do it

yourself, but it's not always the best approach. If you're responsible for public

relations at your firm, see Online Tips for PR Pros.

A Publicity Primer from Kirk Hallahan at Colorado State University's

Journalism and Technical Communication School is a good place to start. Lots of

good stuff here including general information about publicity and press releases

specifically. Find out the "mainstream notions of what's newsworthy" and see 32

ideas for generating news about your company. Under "Writing a News Release: A

Checklist" he outlines the format, important items to include, and common

problems seen in many press releases.

The Care and Feeding of The Press: A guide for press

relations staff (or those who play them on TV) by Esther

Schindler, for the Internet Press Guild is a very

comprehensive article offering advice on attracting

journalists' attention. It mentions software products

specifically, but is applicable to other media activities. Find

out why she says "less is more" and only the "clueless" follow up to see if the

release was received.