Press Release Tips

With studies showing that a website can attract up to 40% more traffic with an effective press release, it's not surprising that writers of press releases are in such high demand.
However, a writer is only as good as the information he or she has to hand - therefore, if you want your press release to have the maximum effect possible, you need to know what information should be on there.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
This is a standard that should appear on all your press releases, at the top of the page. Not all press releases use this header, but the most effective usually always do. You should have it in Caps and Bold as well.

Contact Information.
Again, this isn't always on a press release, or at least not all contact information is. Depending if you're releasing to print or the web, this can be at the top of your press release, just after 'For Immediate Release', or at the bottom of the release itself, as the last piece of information.

Headline.
You have information to share; this is where you place it. For maximum effect, keep your headline to around 80 characters, and in bold.

Date and info line.
This will let readers know where the press release is coming from, so include city and date.

Main/lead paragraph.
This is where you're either going to succeed or fail with your press release. You need to grab attention from the word 'Go', with the information you'll be expanding on in the main body of the press release. Use the Five W Rule as your guide - Who, What, When, Where and Why. This is a tried and tested formula that has proven its effectiveness time and time again.

Text body.
The main fill of your press release and where you can expand on the initial attention-grabbing lead paragraph.

Recap and end.
Make sure you have a small last piece of information to leave the reader thinking about. This can be highlighting a release date, or more information about a particular product or service.

Remember, the aim of a press release is to pique people's interest in whatever you have to promote. Knowing what you need to present in one is half the battle - then you can employ the services of an expert to bring your product to life.