How to Write an Effective Press Release

News releases (AKA "press releases") are an important part of a public relations campaign. Consequently, they're also an important marketing strategy. They are the primary means of "selling" your story to the media. All press releases are structured the same way, so make sure you answer "yes" to these key questions when writing your next press release:

1. Is it easy to read?
Editors look at hundreds of press releases every day, and if your news release is difficult to read, they will throw it out. It should be on plain white paper and printed in black ink. The main body of the release should be double-spaced and have at least a one inch margin all around the edges. Also, your letterhead should appear at the top of the first page to establish your identity.

2. Is your spelling and grammar correct?
A good press release has misspelled words or grammatical errors. If yours contains such errors you'll lose credibility; it will have the same effect as a badly written business letter or resume. The release e should be typed. Print out (or type out) a fresh copy for each person to whom you will send it. Do not send out poor-quality photocopies with dark staple marks or blotches.

3. Did you include the answers to who, what, when, where, why and how?
Because all news articles include these six basic questions, your press release should follow the same guidelines. Put the most important facts in the lead paragraph, with the facts decreasing in importance as you go down the page. Consider this: you send a press release to an editor who has very little space open in the newspaper. Ideally, the editor would trim your press release from the bottom. Therefore, to make sure the most important information gets run, put the less important information at the bottom.

4. Did you include a contact source?
In the top, right-hand corner of the first page, directly beneath your company name, there should be a line that gives the reader your contact information, such as a name and telephone number. The editor must have somebody in your business to call to answer questions or to be interviewed about your news item. Also, if your contact hours are limited (say 9-5), specify this in the contact source area.

5. Did you include a dateline?
The best press releases will include a dateline with the city in which the business is based and the date the release is written. Every press release needs a dateline so that the
editor can tell when it was mailed. Nobody wants to cover an old story that has lost its timeliness.

While a press release may not be the biggest or most important part of your business, knowing how to write an effective one will always come in handy and will be one more tool in your toolbox to attract business.