Tips For Writing an Effective Press Release

A press release is a great way for businesses to gain publicity and generate news stories, as well as make announcements about new products and personnel changes. However, for all its benefits it can be quite nerve racking for someone who has never written one before to do so. This article serves as a guide for writing a simple press release.

First, you should understand that a press release is not a news story. Instead, it is a relatively short, clear, and concise detailing of facts concerning an announcement of some sort about your business. When writing a press release, simply concern yourself with the five journalistic W's: who, what, where, when, and why. Two to three pages are ideal. Anything more than that would be overkill.

Next, create an eye-catching title. Just as when writing an article, it's important for your title to be specific about the content of your press release. "A New President" is too generic and could describe any number of companies, corporations, and countries. "The Wonderful Bob Smith Appointed President to Well Regarded Smith Carpet Company" is not only too long, but doesn't sound serious. "Bob Smith Appointed President of Smith Carpet Company" is short enough, to the point, and lets everyone know what the contents of your press release will describe.

Going back to your journalistic W's, it's now time to write the body of your press release:

Who is the company, who is affected by the story?

What is your announcement, what is taking place, what is your contact information?

Where are you located, what areas are being affected?

When is/did this taking place, i.e. time, date, and year?

Why are you making this announcement? Why is it news?

Once these questions are answered, your body has been written.

Some common mistakes in press release writing are:

Not putting the release on official company letterhead or stationary

Not including all applicable forms of information about the company including name, address, phone number, fax number, web site, and email addresses of publicity personnel, the ones interested persons will be contacting after reading the press release.

Not formatting your release correctly. Remember to use correct spelling, punctuation, and paragraph formatting. Anything less looks completely unprofessional.

Not ending with three consecutive # symbols, one on top of the other. This is standard journalistic practice and a sure sign of professionalism.

Not sending the release to the appropriate people. Naturally, you should send your press release to local newspapers, radio stations, and news channels. However, it's also a good idea, even if your business is local, to send it to other publications related to your trade, such as magazines, newsletters, and journals.

Once you've gone through all these steps and made note of the common mistakes, it's time to write your own release and send it out. Any release that has made use of these tips is sure to be a hit.