Let’s look at the evolution of SEO press releases and how you can use them to build high quality backlinks without sacrificing your credibility.

The Early Days of SEO Press Releases

Press releases have taken an interesting, though predictable, trajectory over the last decade or so. I was fortunate to be in a position to watch SEO press releases go through a pretty complete lifecycle, from the spammy bastardization of traditional news releases to the hybrid style you’ll often find today.

Early on, SEO press releases weren’t often written by experienced PR professionals. They were a PR tool hijacked by SEO service providers.

Why?

A big part of getting SEO clients to rank well in Google was building backlinks (still is). And early on, big press release distribution sites (like PRWeb) had what are known as “dofollow” links in them. This means SEO folks could use press releases on these distribution sites to manipulate their position in search engine rankings. It became the equivalent of buying links (a no-no in Google’s eyes).

I won’t bore you with more details on this here. You can read more about this background and what Google did to turn things around in my earlier post, Why Serious Press Release Writers Don’t Stress About SEO.

The Real Purpose of SEO Press Releases

Here’s the thing…

This old school kind of SEO press release was always a bad idea. And I made my sure my clients knew it. While I couldn’t control whether distribution sites made links “dofollow” or “nofollow,” I did give my clients this advice:

• Never distribute a news release solely for the backlinks. Have legitimate news to share or an otherwise timely angle. Submit spammy press releases, and you risk damaging your reputation permanently with media outlets. And then you’re screwed when you do have news you want them to amplify.
• Don’t overload your press release with too many links, and don’t make them all anchor text links (definitely not the same anchor text in multiple links).
• Stop thinking of press release distribution sites themselves as SEO link sources. That is not where the truly valuable links for SEO purposes come from anyway.

This put my clients ahead of the curve (and didn’t leave them with a bad link profile to clean up to “fix” their Google rankings later). And this is where SEO press releases eventually went.

In other words, the real purpose of SEO press releases went back to a focus on getting press. The most valuable backlinks no longer came from the distribution sites. They came from the media outlets and bloggers picking up a company’s story. And that meant companies had to put out higher quality news releases again with genuine newsworthy angles.

It took time, and there was a transition period.

• First, distribution sites nofollowed their links. This helped weed out the worst of the worst offenders. When they couldn’t buy links anymore, they stopped using press releases.
• Then distribution sites started cracking down on links a bit more, such as limiting the number of them or at least limiting how many anchor text links customers could include (those are when you link keyword phrases).
• Google started its own crackdown, on sites with “unnatural” links (links that are bought or otherwise unearned).

Has all of this completely gotten rid of spammy old school SEO press releases? No. But it did decrease their frequency. And that makes it just a little bit easier for your quality releases to get the coverage they deserve.

3 Tips for Writing Modern SEO Press Releases

None of this is to say press releases themselves don’t have SEO value anymore.

For example, your press releases will often be distributed online. That means they, themselves, will be indexed by Google. And that means customers searching for news about your company or your industry will find your release first if you make sure they’re well-optimized for search engine rankings.

Here are some ways you can do that:

1. Use relevant keyword phrases in your press release, especially in your headline. These should be keywords your target customers (or media outlets you hope to land coverage from) are likely to use when searching Google.
2. Include links in your press release, but focus on “natural” links. In other words, don’t link your keywords. Link your company name. Or if you need to highlight an internal page on your website, include the full URL (the web page address). This makes it possible for readers to access that page even if your news release is republished without a live, clickable link.
3. Add social media links to your press release if distribution sites allow. Make it easy for readers to not only find you on social media but also to share your press release. This helps you build backlinks and traffic to the release itself — good for SEO on its own, but it can also help you secure more media and blog pick-ups for your story.

That’s the gist of how SEO press releases began, where they are today, and how you can get SEO benefits from your news releases without spamming press release distribution sites in the process.

Need help writing an SEO-friendly press release of your own? I’d be happy to do that. Get in touch, and let’s talk about your company’s upcoming news.

The post The Evolution of SEO Press Releases appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

There’s some truth to that. But chances are good any SEO advice you’ve read about press release writing or distribution is either sorely outdated or flat-out wrong. So before you follow all those little SEO “rules” you’ve heard about, let’s set the record straight.

First, for those of you new to the concept of SEO press releases, let’s take a quick look at what SEO actually means.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” Simply put, SEO is everything you do to make your website (or a particular web page) rank highly in search engines when people search for keyword phrases relevant to your site.

For example, if your company sells gourmet coffee online, when a potential customer Googles something like “gourmet coffee,” you want your website to be one of the first they see in their search results.

Everything you do to make that happen naturally (as opposed to paying for placement with ads) is SEO.

Why Should Press Release Writers Worry About SEO?

Well, they shouldn’t. But…

The main reason people tell business owners to focus on SEO in their press releases is to build easy links to their website. But that advice is simply out of date.

A bit of background…

I’ve been involved in public relations for around 18 years now. And I’ve specialized in online PR during most of that time. More importantly, there was a time when I was the only PR pro active in some major webmaster communities, teaching and consulting with that market about press releases, which were still a brand new concept to most of them.

I’ve also been an active web publisher for 16 years. In addition to running my own network of websites in that time, I’ve also worked as a contributor and editor for major online publications. I’ve consulted with well over a dozen SEO firms (in addition to online marketing agencies and non-agency clients). So I’m more in touch with SEO trends and avoiding “algorithm chasing” than many press release writers.

That’s where this advice is coming from — someone who’s been there, done that, and who knows what she’s talking about.

Now, back to using press releases for easy links for SEO…

Years ago, this was a good strategy (not “good” as in smart, but “good” as in it worked).

Press release distribution sites had a lot of “link juice” (the value of their links in improving your website’s rankings). Basically, press releases became seen as a good way to build links to your website.

But, as they often do, marketers used and abused this strategy until they pretty much destroyed it.

That was a good thing though.

Because of this abuse, in 2013 Google (AKA “the internet police”) went after links coming from press release distribution sites.

In response to those actions from Google, press release distribution sites — at least the respectable ones — started using the “nofollow” attribute on all links in press releases.

You don’t need to worry about what that means from a technical perspective. Just know it tells Google not to pass that same “link juice” to your site that we talked about earlier. Basically, links in press releases were devalued for SEO purposes because too many people were trying to use them to manipulate Google’s search rankings.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. SEO still has a role when it comes to news releases. But that role is much smaller than it once was. It shouldn’t be your primary concern.

What to Focus On Instead

Rather than worry about using press releases to directly influence your website’s search engine rankings, you should do what I’ve been telling clients for almost as long as I’ve been in business (funny how the good advice never goes out of style or incites the wrath of Google):

Focus on the media first. 

That’s what press releases are after all — media relations tools.

The real value of press releases has never been about links in press releases themselves (or keywords, or clickbait headlines, for that matter).

The real value of press releases has always been in the resulting coverage your company earns. 

These are the pick-ups on industry blogs, in trade publications, and in major media outlets. They’re the stories that result from a successful press release — not the press release content and distribution site links themselves.

Why then did so many people focus on SEO first?

It was easier.

Using press releases properly isn’t always easy. You don’t fully control results (you have no idea what news stories you’ll compete with on any given day).

Calling a news release a “success” because some SEO newbie submitted it to a hundred free distribution sites for quick links became far too common. Clients considered it a huge investment to submit releases to even cheaper press release distribution sites because they didn’t see the real potential; they just saw it as buying links.

A truly successful press release is one that gets more relevant eyes on your news — and, yes, more visitors to your website in many cases — with legitimate coverage. And really, it’s links from those media outlets and relevant blogs that think you deserve coverage that have the most SEO value anyway.

How do you earn that media coverage? 

• You do something genuinely newsworthy.
• You put together a well-written press release that won’t make journalists’ eyes bleed.
• You get your press release into the hands of relevant journalists, bloggers, and other interested parties.

Yikes. That sounds like real work, doesn’t it? No wonder so many people tried to take the easy way out, spamming the web with low quality “news” releases for quick links.

You’re better than that though. And you do deserve real coverage for your company’s news. That’s why you won’t make some of these common mistakes.

Ignore These “Rules” for SEO Press Releases

If you want to follow press release best practices rather than joining the ranks of SEO spammers, here are some SEO press release writing “rules” you can, and should gleefully, break.

1. Your press release headline should be keyword-rich.

No. Your press release headline should grab attention and get your news across clearly. You’re writing for people, not search engines.

Do This Instead:

One thing you should keep in mind when writing press release headlines that will appear online is that they’ll show up in search engine results. While you shouldn’t stuff them full of keyword phrases, you should make sure the entire headline displays.

If your release comes up in search results, you want people to click it to read your news and decide if it’s worth covering in their own outlet. If your headline gets cut off because it’s too long to display in Google, you risk them browsing right past your press release in favor of a competing listing.

While Google changes the amount of a page title they’ll display periodically, I find that around 60 characters is pretty safe.

2. You should link keyword-rich anchor text to your website.

No. Just no.

This is a seriously old school SEO tactic that some PR and marketing folks are still pushing for press release writing.

A couple of problems:

• Not all distribution sites will even let you do this any more. (And if they’re charging extra for the ability to post these as “dofollow” links in any way, they’re basically selling links for SEO purposes which could get them — and you — penalized by Google.)
• Your press release won’t only appear the way you post it to a distribution site. It can be published elsewhere via a feed from that site, or manually picked up (and sites will follow their own editorial guidelines regarding links). And it may even appear in print, where that link is worthless even though the coverage may be far more valuable.

Remember this: once you put a press release with spammy keyword-rich links on a distribution site, it might be there indefinitely. And the next time Google gets themselves in a tizzy and your old link-building habits come back to haunt you, you might be stuck. So never post anything you wouldn’t want to still have on the web five or ten years from now.

Do This Instead:

Your full URL should be visible. And you should be using links sparingly — direct people where you want them to click, and don’t give them too many options.

(Oh, and Google doesn’t like you over-using anchor text links for keyword phrases you want to rank for nearly as much as they used to. In fact, keyword-rich anchor text links in press releases are outright labeled a “link scheme” in Google’s quality guidelines. So get over this old “rule.” Move on. And put actual readers first.)

3. You should post to as many press release distribution sites as possible.

This advice goes back to the “easy linkbuilding” strategy where SEO people and some marketers thought the real value of releases was the number of immediate backlinks they could build. So they would post news releases to dozens, if not hundreds, of free distribution sites.

Don’t do this.

This has always been incredibly bad advice. Most of the free sites never offered much link value to begin with. And it put you at risk of being seen as a spammer — not the way you land legitimate coverage and the truly high value links that can come with.

Do This Instead: 

If you want to distribute your release online, do it through just one premium distribution service. Use industry targeting there. Or choose an industry-specific wire to distribute your release through.

Then, more importantly, focus on manual press release distribution. This is when you send your release directly to key editors with key publications (or other media outlets) you hope will pick up your news. Don’t rely on them seeing your more widely-posted release. If you want someone’s attention, ask for it.

So, should you stress over SEO when it comes to your company’s (or your clients’) press releases? Not unless you’re stuck in the past. But press releases do still have SEO value when they’re used to land legitimate, and earned, media coverage. So above all else, focus on making your company one members of the media actually want to talk about.

Do you need help writing your next press release? Contact me, an experienced PR professional, to talk about your project when you’re ready.

The post Why Serious Press Release Writers Don’t Stress About SEO appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

But how do you know which journalists to send your news release to?

Before you think about distribution, you’ll want to build a media list.

What is a Media List?

A media list for press release distribution is fairly self-explanatory. It’s a list of members of the media you want to interact with, build relationships with, and land news coverage with.

This will include newspapers, magazines, trade publications, blogs, other online publications, and broadcast media outlets.

What Your Media List Should Include

It’s not enough to know which outlets you should send your news to. Ideally, you’ll want your media list to include the following:

• Editors’ names (all press releases should be personally addressed to the most relevant editors at a publication)
• Preferred contact methods (sometimes this information is available on the media outlet’s website; other times you’ll learn from asking the editor or reporter in question or from past experience working with them)
• A list of interest areas (what they usually cover, and what their audience is interested in)

If you want journalists and bloggers to pick up your story, you need to make it more about them than you. It’s not about you gloating about some accomplishment or promoting your wares. It’s about you sharing a story of interest to a media outlet’s audience. That’s who they serve. Not you.

3 Ways to Build Your Media List

Now that you know the kind of information you’ll want to include in your press release distribution list, how do you build it? Where do you find media contact information?

Here are three options:

1. Hire a PR firm to assemble a custom media distribution list for you. They may already have media contacts in your specialty area and they may be familiar with outlets you aren’t.
2. Use a media directory to build your list. You can for premium database access with services like Cision’s, or you can use free directories (though those are more likely to be out of date or not have the kind of detailed contact info you want).
3. Piece together your own custom media list. You can do this by Googling outlets you know you want to target in order to find editor information and contact preferences. This is workable if your media list will be small, such as only focusing on local outlets. But for a longer list, you’re probably better off paying for database access or hiring someone with database access to put together a custom media list for you.

Once you have your media list, perhaps the most important thing to remember is to keep it up to date. Reporters leave media outlets all the time. Sometimes you’ll want to follow a reporter you have a relationship with to a new outlet. Sometimes not. But the last thing you want to do is be sending your news to former employees instead of those currently responsible for editorial decisions. Their preferences aren’t necessarily the same.

Before you can use your media list, you’ll want a well-written press release to share your story. Get in touch when you’re ready, and I’ll help you write one.

The post 3 Ways to Build Your Own Media List for Press Release Distribution appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Here are a couple of scenarios where it makes sense to manually email your press release to key journalists instead of using a distribution services:

Your News is of Local Interest

Press release distribution websites are handy if your news is of somewhat general interest or wide appeal. But it might not be worth the cost (or even be helpful) when your news is only of local interest.

At the same time, there’s no guarantee your local media will even use those distribution sites as sources, meaning your news might never get into the right hands.

This is an ideal time to send your press release directly to local journalists and bloggers who care about your news. It’s a chance to cultivate those relationships, which is the most important part of routinely being able to land media coverage.

Your News is Industry-Specific

Similar to local news, sometimes your news is of significant importance within your industry, but more general media outlets won’t care. So wasting time and money on generic distribution websites isn’t worth it.

Instead, email your news release directly to journalists at industry publications. That includes trade magazines, broader-interest magazines with sections dedicated to your industry, industry newsletters, blogs, and other industry websites.

Again, this is about cultivating relationships, so pay attention to each journalist’s rules for submitting news, and get to know their audiences. If you give them garbage they can’t work with, they won’t take later pitches from you as seriously. But if you regularly give them what their readers (or listeners, subscribers, or viewers) want, you might become a go-to source.

These are the two most common situations where it makes sense to bypass press release distribution sites and focus your efforts on manually distributing your news to the media. But manual press release distribution is something you should use every time you have news to put out. Distribution sites might help you get picked up in smaller outlets — and there’s a longer-shot chance they’ll earn you placement in bigger ones. But don’t rely on off-chance coverage.

The best results come to those who go out there and earn them. So if you want coverage in Publication A, get your press release directly to the best editor at Publication A — every time.

Need help drafting a press release? Contact me and let’s talk about your company’s news.

The post When Manual Press Release Distribution Makes Sense appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

First though, let’s look at a problematic middle ground of sorts — the media blast.

What is a Media Blast?

A media blast falls somewhere between manual press release distribution and using a distribution site to send your news out into the world.

This is when you might manually build your media list, but you’ll take a “spray and pray” approach to distributing your release. You send it out in a mass email newsletter (or some similar method), hitting dozens, if not hundreds, of journalists in one shot.

In other words, it’s lazy press release distribution.

It’s also not particularly effective and can get you, or your clients, blacklisted from coverage with some blogs and media outlets.

What’s Wrong With Media Blasts?

The problem with media blasts is there’s no personalization, and often little-to-no selective targeting.

Journalists tend to hate being on the receiving end of these pitches (as do bloggers) because the news sent to them is frequently a bad fit for their readership. There’s nothing to tell them why you think the news is of value to their audience. And frankly, they (we) can see these pitches in huge volume.

That means not only is your pitch less effective because you haven’t taken the time to tailor it to a specific journalist and what they’re looking for, but also that you’re just another fish in a very big pond, and your news release will very likely drown there.

In my next post we’ll look at a better alternative in manual press release distribution (and yes, it does involve more work — but, I promise, it’s worth it). In the meantime, if you’ve been tempted to send out a media blast, do journalists (and yourself) a favor. Don’t.

If you have news to share and you haven’t written your own release yet, get in touch if you’d like a professional press release writer to handle the writing for you.

The post What’s Wrong With a Media Blast? appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

While I write press releases for clients, I no longer run a full-service PR firm, so I don’t take on distribution. So instead, I want to go over some of the basics with you if you opt to do this yourself. Let’s explore some important dos and don’ts that can increase your chances of media coverage and help you avoid getting in hot water with journalists.

4 Dos for Press Release Distribution

If you want earned media (coverage you aren’t paying publications for), you have to think beyond yourself. Your news has to be about consumers of the media you’re targeting.

But having something interesting and newsworthy to say isn’t enough. You have to get your press release into the hands of the right people. Here are some tips to help you do that.

1. DO use a well-targeted media list.

Not all of your press release distribution has to be manual. But you should be building relationships with key journalists and bloggers who cover your industry.

As you build those relationships, reach out directly to those people when you have news you feel would be a good fit for their outlet. You can’t expect them to stumble across your release just because you’ve put it out over a newswire.

2. DO put your press release online.

Those one-on-one relationships aside, you should still put your press release online.

While you’re manually targeting key media outlets, there are countless smaller publications and blogs that could amplify your story’s reach. But chances are, you don’t know most of them yet.

Putting your press release online through a distribution service makes it possible for people you would never think to pitch to find your story and cover your news.

3. DO include relevant media.

Would high-resolution photos be appropriate if a journalist wanted to pick up your story? Do you have a video that provides more background? Include these things in some way, even if it’s just a link where they can be accessed or downloaded.

Not all journalists will bother to contact you to see if you have these things available. But if you provide them when you initially distribute your press release, you’re giving those reporters what they need to do their job. The easier you make things on them, the more valuable a resource you are.

4. DO experiment with distribution times.

It makes sense that you’d want to put your news out on a weekday morning, getting in front of journalists on days they’re working, and before everyone else. Right?

Here’s the thing about that — everyone else is thinking the same way. So if you aren’t getting coverage when you put press releases out at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings, try releasing your next one in the afternoon or (*gasp*) over the weekend.

Sure, some in the media might not see your news then. But for those who do, you’ll stand out rather than being just one of dozens of stories they’re bombarded with during more popular press release distribution times.

3 Don’ts for Press Release Distribution

Even a perfectly-written press release can fall short if you screw up its distribution. Here are some big — and all too common — mistakes. Speaking as both a PR professional and a writer who can receive dozens of press releases every month, pretty please, don’t do these three things.

1. DON’T demand immediate action.

I used to run a fairly well-known regional music publication where I constantly received press releases from artists, record labels, and venues. One time I received a press release from a manager of one of those venues. It was well-tailored — an event press release / media advisory with a nicely-written personalized invitation.

They were hoping I’d write up a spotlight on them, and they wanted me to check the place out during an event with some of the biggest local acts performing. Normally I’d be all for that. It was perfectly-handled actually.

But there was one problem.

The email came in on an early Friday afternoon. And they wanted someone there that evening.

I didn’t have any contributors in that area I could assign this to, especially last-minute. So it would have fallen on me. And I still had to finish work for that day. I’d have to put myself together. I’d need to squeeze in a bit of background research. And I’d need to make a two-hour trip to get there. Not happening.

That was back in my somewhat more polite days, so after telling the manager he was delusional, I said I’d consider setting something up another time, but not tied to that event. He understood. We actually became friends, and I even hosted a couple of charity shows there with my own clients down the road.

But that’s very much an exception.

Most journalists would be pissed off (if they didn’t immediately delete it or die of laughter first). Don’t be “that guy” who thinks your news is “drop everything and fawn all over us” good.

I promise you. It’s not.

Always respect journalists’ time. Your pitch itself is already an intrusion on it.

2. DON’T send press releases to people who don’t want them.

Okay. So this is actually tricky. No journalist wants crap press releases littering their inbox. So don’t spam things to overly-generic lists hoping for a few bites.

But let’s assume you’re a semi-responsible individual. Your release itself rocks. And you have a well-targeted media list. You still might get in trouble with some reporters (and especially bloggers who will sometimes “out” you because they can rant publicly at a moment’s notice — not the kind of coverage you’re looking for).

When you build your media list, it’s not enough to know someone covers your industry. Find out if they actually accept news releases before you add their contact information to your pitch list. Many do. Some do not. At the very least, read their contact page carefully. If they specifically say they don’t accept press releases, don’t send them one. Ever. Find another way to connect if you want a relationship with that person or the outlet they write for.

3. DON’T post your release to dozens of free distribution sites.

This is an old school SEO press release distribution tactic. Some people still promote this service. If you’re thinking about hiring someone to mass-submit your news release to dozens, or hundreds, of distribution websites for quick backlinks, don’t. They’re screwing you over.

I won’t go into this in detail because I already did when talking about SEO press releases, but the real value isn’t in links from distribution sites. It’s in the links you get from legitimate media outlets, or blogs, that run your story. Google doesn’t give press release distribution site links much weight anymore because they were being spammed for years. So don’t waste your time (or your money hiring someone to do this).

If you use a press release distribution service, one is enough. Make it a premium one that can reach the kinds of media outlets you’re seeking coverage from. If you want it online elsewhere so you can promote it via social media, put it on your own website as well.

Look. These are far from the only dos and don’ts you should be following. But they’re some of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to press release distribution.

You want to stand out because of your news itself. You don’t want to stand out by being that jerk who wasted a journalist’s time, spammed a blogger you hoped to build a relationship with, or published too many garbage releases for SEO’s sake to be missed.

Get on the wrong side of journalists once, and you could stay there even if you try to clean up your act later.

Feeling ready to distribute a press release? You need to have it written first? Get in touch and let a professional writer (and experienced PR pro) handle it for you.

The post Press Release Distribution Dos & Don’ts appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Yes.

In this case, you can use what’s known as an “embargoed” press release. But what is an embargoed press release and when should you use one?

Let’s start by thinking about a typical press release.

Near the top of almost every press release you see, you’ll find the words “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.” (I’m not shouting at you by the way. “For immediate release” should be in all CAPS at the top of a press release.)

When a journalist receives these news releases, they know they can cover that story at any time. The news has officially been announced and can be shared publicly.

What is an Embargoed Press Release Then?

An embargoed press release is one where you want to tell journalists about your news right now, but you don’t want them sharing the story yet.

That’s really all there is to it. You’re giving them the news before you want to actually announce that news to the public.

How to Label an Embargoed Press Release

To make sure journalists or bloggers know when it’s okay to publish your news, you’ll change just one line in your release.

That “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” becomes something along the lines of “UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL: APRIL 1, 2018.”

If the news needs to be embargoed until a specific time on that day, include the time as well. Don’t forget to include the time zone to avoid confusion from one media outlet to the next.

What if Journalists or Bloggers Don’t Honor an Embargo?

This isn’t as common as you might think (if you distribute your news release responsibly). But it does happen.

Some bloggers and journalists have a no-embargo policy. They won’t honor any of them. Sometimes bloggers simply won’t notice or care because in their world speed of publication can be a priority.

What can you do if a journalist does violate your embargo and publishes your news early? Not much. Basically you could refuse to share later news, tips, or interview sources with that outlet. But that’s often not in your, or your client’s, best interest anyway.

It’s much wiser to be careful from the start.

Embargoed press releases are not meant to be distributed to massive numbers of media outlets at once, like you might get if you put out a release through a distribution service.

Instead, hand-pick journalists and / or bloggers to get the embargoed news release. Everyone else would get the announcement in a more widely-distributed release later.

After all, you can’t just slap an embargo date on a press release and expect people to honor it. They have to agree to that embargo first — before you send them the full story ideally. So stick to journalists and bloggers you know and trust.

When Should You Send an Embargoed Press Release?

The easy answer to this question for most businesses is “rarely.”

Some businesses will never have good cause to issue an embargoed press release. These aren’t meant to be used for routine news stories, and if you get in the habit of treating them like they are, you’re going to annoy key members of the media who you should be building relationships with instead.

That said, here are a few examples of times when it might make sense to send an embargoed press release to key journalists or bloggers:

Before a New Product Launch

Let’s say your company operates in the tech industry and you’re releasing a hotly-anticipated new gadget.

You might not be ready to make a public launch announcement yet. Maybe you haven’t even decided on an exact release date. But that product release is rapidly approaching, and you want to generate some quick buzz post-launch.

With a tech gadget (or software, or just about any product for that matter), you might want to let highly-relevant journalists know ahead of time so you can get your product in their hands. You want them to test things out. You want them to play with your products a bit. You want them not only well-informed on launch day, but you want to get them excited about your new product ahead of time.

Before Releasing Important Studies or Data

Now let’s say you work in medical research and you’re about to release results of an important study to the public.

You might use an embargoed press release to share the full study, key findings, and interview contacts with appropriate media outlets.

The reason you would do this is largely about accuracy.

An embargo lets journalists read the study fully, interview people associated with it, and get answers to their questions before they share the news.

This takes away any rush-to-publication that might come when media outlets are racing to break a story. They’re all held to the same time constraint.

When Legally Required for Public Companies

There are certain rules publicly-traded companies are held to that private companies are not (and which are beyond the scope of this post).

Suffice to say, in some situations, news about a public company needs to be made available publicly at a certain time (and not leaked before). That’s because news about public companies can directly impact stock prices of both that company and its competitors.

If you run a public company and aren’t sure how things like SEC rules influence when you can, and cannot, issue a news release (embargoed or otherwise), run it by your legal department.

That’s the gist of what embargoed press releases are, and how and why you might use one. Need help writing an embargoed press release (or any news release for that matter)? Get in touch, and let a PR pro and professional writer handle it for you.

The post What is an Embargoed Press Release? appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

In addition to being hired to write releases, I’m often asked to give feedback on releases business owners tried to write for themselves. And I still see the same nauseating mistakes today that I saw 15 years ago.

Some of those mistakes are silly matters of oversight. Others come from business owners getting bad advice from marketers. (Tip: Never get PR advice from marketers.)

Fortunately these problems — whether based in laziness or ego — are fixable. So the next time you write a news release hoping for attention from the media, give your release a once-over. If you find these issues, clean that wreck up before you waste journalists’ time.

7 Press Release Problems That Make You Look Like an Amateur

Let’s look at seven problems I often see that lead to godawful press releases unworthy of media coverage. If you want your story out there, make sure these don’t describe your news release.

1. Your press release headline is so “cutesy” no one could possibly tell what your news is by looking at it.

Remember that headlines need to be descriptive… think catchy, not cutesy. And make sure people know the gist of your news just from the headline. Your job is to tell the reader what the release is about, not make you look clever.

2. You neglect to leave your full contact information.

Journalists don’t give a rat’s behind that you’re worried about spam. If you want significant news coverage, you’d better include an email address and phone number. If spam is that big of an issue (an excuse I’ve often heard from clients who want to leave this info out), then create an address or number reserved only for media contacts.

A journalist’s job isn’t to simply re-publish your press release. You want them writing their own story about you, and that can include additional research and interviews. Make yourself available.

3. You don’t tell us why your story is newsworthy until the end.

No journalist is going to read to the end of your release if you don’t hit them with the news up front in your lede (the first sentence or two of the press release body).

You need to get their attention early. Don’t start off telling background stories. Follow the “inverted pyramid” style — the most important information first (ideally answer “the 5 Ws” in your lede), then work down to your background info at the end.

4. Your news release resembles a novel.

Huge blocks of text and multiple-page press releases just aren’t practical for a busy journalist. It’s rare your press release needs to go beyond one page. Keep it short, to-the-point, and don’t get lost in the swamp of news releases journalists and bloggers can find themselves drowning in at any given time.

5. Any 6th grader could tell you were too lazy to proofread your press release.

If your release is littered with spelling and grammatical errors, don’t count on it being read. If you want someone to take the time to consider your story, respect them enough to take the time to proofread your release before distribution.

Not much of a writer or editor? Hire someone to write your releases for you or look over your copy with fresh eyes.

6. Your press release reads like a testimonial.

Despite what some business owners and marketers think, a press release is not an advertising or marketing tactic; it’s a media relations tool.

Journalists don’t give a damn about what your customers say, or how great you think you are. So don’t add customer testimonials or boastful quotes from yourself or your staff. If you have to say your product, service, or company is great or “the best” in some way, do it elsewhere if you need to satisfy your ego. But really, that’s not for you to say or decide. It’s like someone referring to themselves as a “guru” or some nonsense. It just makes you look like an ass.

If you want to run an advertisement where you can brag, buy advertising space.

7. You clearly think you deserve a front page story.

This ties into my last point. You might think you have the best thing since sliced bread. But so does the guy down the street with his own business or launch… and the guy across town… and the guy across the country… and all their brothers.

You might think you have a high quality, solid news angle that journalists should be fighting over to break. They might think your news is a total yawn. No amount of manufactured excitement will convince a journalist to agree.

Run your news angle by unbiased parties when possible. And if they’re not impressed, don’t dismiss them. Find out why, and fix it before you waste a journalist’s time. Getting giddy about “nothing” news doesn’t make it any more important in anyone else’s eyes. But the best way to fix this? Make sure your releases are written for (and sent to) the right people. A journalist with a consumer magazine might not give a damn about your new product, whereas industry-specialized writers might totally geek out about it alongside you.

It’s amazing what a solid news angle, a carefully written and edited release, and something as basic as contact info can do. Yet, you’d be surprised at how many press releases are distributed every day violating these and other press release writing sins. As someone who’s worked on both sides of this fence — both as a PR professional and someone who gets bombarded with shoddy press releases as a writer — I have one piece of advice for you:

Do better.

The post 7 Signs Your Press Release Sucks appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

But first, the all-important question:

What is Press Release End Matter?

In its simplest terms, your press release end matter is everything that comes after your main news story. For example, it includes:

• Your media contact information;
• A call-to-action (CTA);
• Your company boilerplate (your backgrounder or “about us” section);
• Addenda (any additional documents, images, data, etc. you’re distributing with the news release itself).

Now, let’s get to some tips about these things and how you can make your press release end matter more effective.

Press Release End Matter Tips

If you want your press releases to attract media coverage, even the end matter, well, matters. Here’s how you can get the most out of it:

1. Include comprehensive media contact info.

I can’t believe I even have to say this, but I’ve seen too many news releases that neglect it. So…

Always include media contact information with your press release.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t think your news is interview-worthy. It doesn’t matter if you’re only hoping for a few blog pick-ups. If you put out a press release, it better include accurate contact information.

But take that a step further. Make sure it includes comprehensive media contact information.

What does that include? At a minimum, this:

• The name of a media contact person
• Your company name
• An address
• A phone number
• An email address
• Your website address

If possible, based on your press release distribution method, you can also include social media profiles, especially if they’re relevant to your news.

2. Get to the point with your company boilerplate.

If you read some press releases, you’ll notice they almost always end with some background information on the company issuing the release. This is the boilerplate.

To get the most out of it, here are some things to keep in mind:

First, keep it short. In many cases, 50-100 words will be enough. No one is reading your news release for generic background about your company. Your boilerplate is a supplement to show the reader your company is actually worth writing about or otherwise covering in their media outlet. Don’t let it distract from your news.

And second, use your boilerplate to “sell” your company, or someone in your company (such as for an interview source). A good way to do this is to include social proof or impressive statistics of some kind. This is far more valuable than rambling on about your company’s history — unless, of course, it’s that history that makes your company impressive in some way.

3. Keep your call-to-action simple.

After your boilerplate, you’ll generally include a short call-to-action. This is a prompt for the reader to take action to learn more about your news. That might be an invitation to visit your website, or a specific page on it. Or it might be an invitation for them to call your media contact person with questions or to set up an interview.

There’s no need to get fancy with this. “For more information, please [insert what you’d like them to do],” is plenty.

4. Don’t make a mystery of press release addenda.

This is another important reminder that probably shouldn’t have to be said, but does:

If you’re including addenda with your news release, make sure you list those items at the end of the press release itself.

If you don’t tell journalists there’s additional information for them, chances are they’re going to gloss over your release and never see it.

They receive far more news releases than you probably realize. And making images, charts with important data, and other extra information available to them (which can make their life easier as long as it’s well-targeted and necessary) can be the difference between landing a story and having your news ignored.

I hope this series helps you improve your future press release formatting, from headlines to end matter. If you have questions about writing or formatting press releases or want help from a pro in writing your next news release, contact me any time.

The post Tips for Formatting Press Release End Matter appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

This is where you go beyond grabbing a journalist’s attention and give them all of the important information they would need if they decide to write a story about you or your company.

Here are some things to keep in mind when writing the body of your press releases.

1. Use the inverted pyramid in writing the press release body.

Write a press release the way a journalist would write a news story — using inverted pyramid style.

What does this mean exactly?

It’s simple. You start with the most important information up front, and then add supporting details after. Think of it in three tiers:

• Must-have information to understand your news story
• Details that are important even if not absolutely necessary
• Information that’s nice to have, but definitely not necessary

The most important element of using the inverted pyramid style to write press releases is to try to answer as many of the “5 Ws” — who, what, when, where, and why — as possible right in your “lede” (your first body paragraph or introduction).

2. Don’t make your press release body longer than necessary.

With that inverted pyramid style in mind, as you get to less important details, ask yourself:

Would a journalist really want this, or is it only interesting to me?

If a journalist wouldn’t care, cut it. (And be realistic. Just because you think something about your company or product is amazing, it doesn’t mean anyone else is going to be excited about it.)

Journalists (and bloggers for that matter) are busy. They receive more pitches than you would probably ever imagine.

If you want to hold their attention, get to your point quickly. And don’t bore them with information they neither want nor need (like industry jargon, extensive company bios, or self-gratuitous hype that offers no news value).

In most cases, your press release shouldn’t exceed one page.

3. Make it clear when your release goes to a second page.

If you do have a good reason for taking a press release to a second page, make that clear on the first page by using the following at the bottom:

– More –

Don’t ever leave journalists wondering if they’re missing something.

4. Don’t leave out key information to prompt media contacts.

This is something I’ve seen both as a writer who receives a lot of press releases and as a PR consultant.

Every once in a while I’ll get a release where vital information is left out (or I’ll have a client suggest it). And it’s done so intentionally, sometimes even with a “cute” little call-to-action prompting me to contact the company for the very information that should have already been provided in the press release.

Don’t do this.

Ever.

It’s a dumb idea.

It’s unprofessional.

You’ll piss off the very journalists you want to ingratiate yourself with.

Do you know what I do when a company pitches me a story, leaves out key information, and then tries to prompt me to call them or email them for the information they already knew I would need?

I never contact them.

I don’t cover that story.

And, in many cases, I blacklist them and block any future releases of theirs from reaching me.

That is not your goal with a press release. Your job is to present an interesting and newsworthy story to journalists and bloggers who reach a relevant audience. And your job is to make their job as easy as possible.

These tips might seem simple.

They are!

That’s pretty much the point with press releases: Keep it simple. Keep it clear. Keep it newsworthy.

If the body of your press release does that, you’ll have a much better chance of landing the kind of media coverage you want.

Next week we’ll look at press release writing tips for your release’s end matter (the things that come after the main body of your news release). For the time being, if you have news you want to release and you’d like a pro’s hand in writing your press release, contact me and let’s talk about your project.

The post Tips for Formatting Your Press Release Body appeared first on Pro Business Writer.