A press release is one of the key ways you can communicate news about your company to the mass media. Reporters, editors, and suppliers are hungry for news, and they often depend on releases to tip them off to new and unusual products, company trends, tips and hints, and other developments. In fact, much of what you read in newspapers, magazines, or trade publications, hear on the radio or see on television originated in press release form. Unfortunately, the average editor receives as many as several hundred press releases each week, the vast majority of which end up getting “filed. ” Your challenge is to create a release that makes the journalist want to know more and discover that your story is one they must tell.
Use these 10 tips to write a release that will get noticed.
Use an active headline to grab the reporter’s attention
The headline makes your release stand out. Keep it short, active, and descriptive; in other words, use something like “Doe Named Man of the Year ” instead of ” John Doe Gets Award”.
Put the most important information at the beginning
This is a tried and true rule of journalism. The reporter should be able to tell what the release is about from the first two paragraphs. In fact, chances are that’s all they may read. So don’t hide good information. And remember the “5 W’s and the H” – ensure that your launch provides answers to Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
Avoid hype and unsubstantiated claims
A article writer can smell a sales page a mile away. Rather than making over-inflated statements, offer genuine, usable information. Find genuine methods to set you as well as your company aside and stress those factors. To market your business, create a launch that answers queries about your business, instead of one that provides just general statements about how exactly great or interesting your business can be without saying why.
Be active also to the point
Use language that may get the reader as worked up about your news when you are. If your release can be boring or meandering, they could assume that you’ll not be considered a good interview.
Keep your launch to two web pages or less
On the rare occasion, you can decide on a third page if it’s necessary to offer critical details. Otherwise, if you cannot condition your message in two webpages, you are not getting to the idea.
Include a contact
Ensure that your release includes a person the journalist can easily contact to find out more. This person ought to be familiar with all of the information in the launch, and should prepare yourself to answer queries. And issue the launch on your business letterhead – it appears professional and gives the writer another way to reach your firm.
Keep jargon to the minimum
If you’re in a technical field, try not to use technical terms. Many reporters are not as intimate with your company or your industry as you are. Real English, not jargon, best communicates your story.
Stress benefits
This falls into the category of “don’t say it, show it. ” Avoid saying something is “unique” or ” the best. ” Instead, show how people will benefit – i. e. save time, save money, make their life easier, etc.
Be specific and detailed
Marcia Yudkin, author of “Six Steps to Free Publicity” calls this the “Yes, but what IS it? ” syndrome. The reader needs to be able to visualize a new product, or know how a new service works. If in doubt, have someone unfamiliar with your product or service read the release and ask them to describe what you are trying to publicize. And it’s better to use too many details than too few. So, as Yudkin notes, ” Rather than ‘Jackson’s new publication includes information made to reward any currency markets investor, ‘ write, ‘Jackson’s fresh book consists of seven concepts of market evaluation that permit even informal investors to select profitable stocks. ‘ Better still, describe two of the seven concepts right in the launch. ”
Proofread
When you’ve completed your news release, be sure you proofread it for typographical mistakes. Unless you have a good attention for spelling or grammar, supply the release to a pal or colleague would you. If your release appears careless and careless, so do you want to.
Original Article - http://googlenewssubmit.com/write-successful-press-release/
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