How fitting for me to write about this today! I just wrote and sent two press releases to a client of mine, about his recent launching of two new websites. Whether it be for your job or as a promotion tool for your business, press release writing is certainly an important skill to have. As mentioned in the posting about advertising on small budgets, well written, well-timed press releases can help you attain free publicity. And who doesn’t want that for his or her home-based business?

Here are some crucial tips to keep in mind when writing your press release to increase your chances of news coverage:

LAYOUT
1.) Write/print your press release on company letterhead. Don’t have letterhead? Well it’s easy to create one by using your logo as well as the company’s/contact’s name, web address, location address, and phone number clearly printed at the top of the page. Also at the top of the page, ABOVE the contact information, will be the words PRESS RELEASE, spelled out in all CAPS and in bold.

2.) Directly above your press release title, on the left margin, should be the words “IMMEDIATE RELEASE” in all CAPS. To the right of this, record the date in which you will be distributing the press release to the media.

3.) Include a headline to capture the media’s attention. The headline or title of the press release should be centered and in bold. It should be short and to the point, while interesting the journalist enough for him or her to continue reading on.

4.) Do your research. Before I nailed my press release template down straight, I did a lot of research on the web about standard press release formatting, what is recommended/required, not recommended/required, and I must say, there are tons of resources out there!

THE BODY
1.) Start the body of the press release with the CITY, State (abbreviated), followed by the date (of which you can abbreviate the month). For example:

RANDOPLH, NJ.-Jan. 14, 2008-

For bigger, well known cities, such as New York, Chicago, or Las Vegas, just include the city name:

LAS VEGAS –Jan. 14, 2008–

2.) The body of a press release is quite basic - who, what, where, when, and why. In the first paragraph, include in brief detail what the press release is all about. In the second, explain in detail about who cares, why you should care, where one can find it, when it will happen, etc. Known as the “informative” paragraph, the second paragraph is where all of the pertinent details of the story should be. Oftentimes, a quote is included in this section to give the release a more personal touch. The third paragraph is the final and a summary of the release, as well as one that provides further information on your company with the company contact information clearly spelled out. Here you can include a brief history section about your company ,or your bio. You can also provide a link to your website.

OTHER BASICS
1.) Press releases should be typed in a clear, basic font, such as Arial or Times News Roman, and double-spaced. If a press release exceeds one page, end the first page with a “-more-” message at the bottom of the page. The second page should then indicate ‘Page Two’ in either the corner, or within the restated (often shorter) title centered and in bold before you continue writing the rest of the press release. For example:

HIPPOCRATES PUBLISHING LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE/PAGE 2

To define the END of a press release, use the symbol ###, centered directly underneath the last line of the release.

2.) Keep press releases short, sweet, relevant, and interesting. Limit paragraphs to about 4 sentences each, and ensure concise contact information is included on the top and bottom of the release.

3.) Don’t let a press release become an advertisement. A press release is the “news.” Therefore, keep it fact-based.

4.) Practice, practice, practice. The more press releases you write, the easier they will become.

Later this week, I’ll include information on submitting press releases to the media.

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