Tuesday, June 17, 2008

5 Tips to Make Your Press Release Brilliant

By Theo McLanahan

If you want to get publicity for your business via the media, press releases are an excellent way to do it. Here are 5 ways to boost the appeal of your press release.

Use the correct format. Press releases follow a well established format. If you want your release to be read and taken seriously, you need to be sure it is written properly. You should also be sure to double-check the spelling, grammar and punctuation before you submit it.

Keep it Clear and Concise: Your press release should be no longer than two pages. Media outlets receive lots of press releases and don't have time to read a ten page report. Keeping your writing clear and concise allow you to fit in the important facts without going over the two page limit. As you decide what information to include, answer the following questions: who, what, why, where, when, and how.

What's in it for the reader? Make sure you include a call to action in your press release. Put something in it that's going to inspire the reader to go to your event, visit your website, etc. If you write a blatant ad, it's going to be obvious and it won't get picked up by anyone. Include the features and benefits of what you're promoting, and tell your target market what's in it for them.

For example, if you were promoting a new food processor, you need to go beyond just saying it's smaller and takes up less space than other models. You need to state that the smaller size gives the customer the full power of a larger model, while helping them to save precious counter space in their kitchen.

Make It Interesting: If your writing is boring, no one is going to want to read it. Try to find a balance between straight facts and excitement. Using the example of the food processor above, announcing that 'our new food processor will be available this spring' isn't as catchy as 'our new space-saving food processor will be available this spring, just in time to help you chop fresh vegetables for your summer salads'.

Remember who your target market is. When you write your press release, make sure you keep your target market in mind. This will help you to focus on what your should include and where you should submit the release. For example, if your press release is health-related, it's not going to be worth the time to submit it to a travel magazine.

The media won't run a story on every single press release they receive, but if you follow these steps it's going to put you above a large percentage of the other releases coming across their desk.

About the Author:

No comments: