–

There’s one thing in particular that drives me crazy in working with webmasters on press release writing and distribution. Far too many honestly believe that “press releases” and “articles” are the same thing. I stumbled upon a job posting where someone was looking for a press release writer this evening. Here are a few of the ridiculous comments:

“Each month, the contracted freelancer will write 4 SEO PRESS RELEASES (must be genuine, not cut/paste work) and submit to 50 press release sites, I will need to see and approve the list as well as the articles before the submission begins. I must see 200 backlinks every month as a result of this.”

Problem: First, like I said, press releases aren’t articles. Also, you can’t judge the effectiveness of press releases by your number of backlinks (frankly, one or two backlinks from quality, relevant news sources or authority sites is more valuable in the long run than 200 crap backlinks from unrelated PR sites and scraper sites). And then there’s the “50 press release sites” thing. I’m sorry, but that’s just pathetically stupid, and shows the poster doesn’t know the first thing about effective press release distribution. So here’s a quick note to webmasters: learn what a tool is before you jump into using it just because everyone else is. Otherwise, you just waste your time, waste your money, and end up not achieving the results you’re hoping for, all while making yourself look like an idiot.

“Next month you can submit to the same article sites but will have to write new articles which I need to approve of first.”

Problem: This is something else I see far too often… people wanting to submit press releases to article directories. If you can’t see the problem with that, then, I’m really not sure what to tell you….

Let’s summarize: If you don’t know what a press release is for in the first place, you shouldn’t be using them until you learn. That’s why the Web is so littered with crap “news,” and why social media press releases won’t come close to solving the underlying press release problem. Don’t hire article writers to write your press releases. Don’t submit press releases to article directories. Don’t submit press releases to hoards of press release distribution sites unless you have lots of time to kill for absolutely nothing. Just don’t….

I really don’t understand why so many people these days (probably because anyone and their brother can start a business online without batting an eyelash) can’t be bothered to learn the basics of business. No one wants to deal with business planning. No one wants to deal with marketing plans. They want everything handed to them on a silver platter, and they want to pay next to nothing, all while expecting the world in return. It just doesn’t work that way… you can’t just jump into tactics that you’ve heard have worked for others. Every market and audience is different. The press release issue is really just a tiny part of a much bigger problem… people are idiots. I’ve hit on a pet peeve today; can you tell?

The post What Press Releases Aren’t appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

What is an Online Press Room?

An online press room is like an interactive media kit. It’s where members of the media (and often general visitors as well) can view past news coverage and mentions of your business, products, or services, your archived news (press releases / news releases), obtain media-specific contact information, and access company-provided media elements (such as videos and high resolution product images).

Benefits of an Online Press Room

While not every small business needs an online press room, there are some distinct benefits to having one. Here are some examples:

• It can make the company look larger, more important, or more professional.
• By showcasing past news coverage, it shows members of the media that others have already deemed the company “newsworthy.”
• It serves as an archive of past news and achievements.
• It serves as a communications “headquarters” between the company and members of the media.

What Should an Online Press Room Look Like?

An online press room can be integrated into your existing website design. It doesn’t need to be a completely separate environment. What’s important in a press room is the content and the ability for members of the media to interact with the company in some way.

Common Online Press Room Components

If you’re not sure what to include in your online press room or media relations area, consider these options. You don’t have to include all of them.

• Press Release / News Release Archives
• Past Press Mentions
• Detailed Company Bio
• Executive / Owner Bio(s)
• Built-In Search Function
• Ability to Subscribe to the Company’s Latest News (such as press releases via email)
• Detailed Media Contact Info
• Company Fact Sheet
• Product Fact Sheets if Appropriate
• Photos / Multimedia (executive photos, product photos, high resolution logos, videos, audio interviews, etc.)
• Media FAQs (questions that members of the media may have, laid out for them ahead of time – these can be answered in the press room, or just the questions to inspire interview questions; often used that way by artists and authors)

Do you already have an online press room for your small business? If not, what’s holding you back? Do you have other ideas for what an online media room should include? Share your thoughts with me in the comments.

This article was originally published on September 12, 2007. It was revised and updated on its currently-listed publication date.

The post Online Press Room Basics for Your Small Business appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

• press releases
• news releases
• media releases
• Web releases

Why do we have so many different names for the same public relations writing tool? Unless you’re in the PR industry, it can seem downright confusing.

The Differences

“Press release” is the traditional term for the usually one-page document you’ll distribute to people or media outlets in your niche or industry to disseminate news or other timely information.

“News release” is a more general term many in the PR field like to use now because “press” implies print media. Now we distribute to broadcast and Web media and even social media outlets (not to mention directly to our end audiences online).

“Media release” is similar to “news release” — just another more general term sometimes used. These days I mostly see it used in reference to social media releases, but occasionally see it on its own.

“Web release” is specifically for releases distributed online.

My Preference

Personally, I still prefer the term “press release,” and it’s what we’ll predominantly use here at Public Relations Writing. But as a former PR professional, why would I choose to use a term many of my colleagues find antiquated? Because it just makes sense.

The association of the term “press release” with print media might occur with PR professionals, but my experience is that members of my target market (small business owners, independent professionals, and Web professionals) do not make that connection. Some PR pros assume that when clients use the word “press” they have all of these preconceived notions about not only what press releases do but apparently what PR is all about at well. My experience is quite the opposite, with very little understanding and a huge willingness to learn no matter what clients choose to call them (and it seems insulting to me for industry insiders to assume that clients would associate a single tool with the purpose of an entire profession — if that’s true, then PR folks simply aren’t doing their job).

On top of that, “press release” is the term they prefer to use, and it’s therefore the term I need to use if I want to reach them (advertising that I can write Web releases means nothing to many of them when they’re looking to hire a press release writer, so I stick to press release writing in ads and my own sites).

Not only does this apply to my own target market, but in general “press release” is still the preferred term outside of the PR industry — it’s the most searched for option when people are looking for information on release writing and distribution. Let’s look at Google’s global monthly search volume for each of the terms to show you what I mean (results generated from the Adwords Keyword Tool):

• Press Release — 823,000 searches monthly
• News Release — 90,500 searches monthly
• Media Release — 40,5000 searches monthly
• Web Release — 8100 searches monthly

Obviously people are looking for information on “press releases” far more than they’re searching for information using any of those other terms. You need to appeal to your audience, and my audience wants “press release” info.

Some might try to argue that it’s better to be a big fish in a smaller pond (get a bigger portion of the smaller search volume for the other terms than a smaller portion of the larger search volume for “press release”), but that would be shortsighted. That’s because we’re not solely talking about SEO here and placements / traffic for that one generic term. If you drill down the keyword research results even more you’ll find that even the frequently searched for long tail keyword phrases in this topic area revolve around the “press release” base. Therefore, you can still reach more people with the long tail / small pond method by sticking to press releases as opposed to changing your phrasing just to appeal to other PR types (which is never something I go out of my way to do).

You can use any of the terms here, nearly interchangeably, so don’t let them confuse you when you’re doing research on press release writing. Just know that here “press release” is the way to go.

If you need help writing your next press release (or whatever you prefer to call it), get in touch and tell me about your company’s news.

The post Press Releases, News Releases, Media Releases, Web Releases – Huh? appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

There are three keys to a successful press release:

1. A quality news angle (never send a press release if you don’t have real news)
2. A well-written release (following proper formatting, writing styles, etc.)
3. A tailored press release distribution plan (there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to distribution)

This guide will walk you though the components of a press release and offer several press release writing tips you can use when learning how to write a press release for your business.

Press Release Components

• Release time – The top of a press release should either have “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” or an embargo date listed (EMBARGOED UNTIL DATE) if the news isn’t to be published immediately.
• Headline – The headline is like the title of your press release. It should grab the reader’s attention, make them want to click or read more, and still manage to introduce the news angle itself.
• Summary – Press release summaries are popular in online press release distribution. This should be a two to four sentence summary of the news, expanding on the headline but not as detailed as the press release body. When using offline press release distribution methods, this can be substituted with a one-line sub-heading.
• Dateline – The dateline of a press release comes directly before (but on the same line as) the opening body paragraph. It will include the hometown of the company issuing the news release as well as the release date.
• Press Release Body – The first body paragraph of a press release should briefly answer the questions of who?, what?, when?, where?, and why?. Following paragraphs will include supporting details and often a quote from a representative of the company.
• Boilerplate – A press release boilerplate is a short backgrounder on the issuing company, person, or organization, generally no longer than one paragraph.
• Call to Action – The call to action invites the reader to get in touch with you for any additional details they may need in writing a story.
• Contact Information – At a bare minimum include a media contact name, phone number, and email address. It never hurts to include a mailing address, cell, or fax number as well.
• Closing – All news releases should contain a closing mark (often ### or -30-), which signifies to the reader that there’s nothing more to come. If a release goes to a second page, the first page should be marked with something like -more- to make it clear that another page will follow. You can list any addenda (such as photos) just before the closing.

Proofread your press release carefully before distributing it to journalists or posting it to a press release distribution site. If you’re still not confident enough to write your own news release given these tips and template, hire a press release writer or PR firm to write your release for you.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Try to keep a press release to one page whenever possible. People don’t generally have a long attention span when reading them.
• Only send a press release when you have press release ideas with real news to distribute. Littering the Web or hounding journalists with too many “fluff” releases can damage your chances of coverage in the future.
• Write using the journalistic inverted pyramid style (with the most important information coming first, and working down to less vital, supplemental details).
• A release in the 300 – 400 word range is often adequate. If your press release is longer than that, see if you can cut something without losing effect before deciding to keep the longer copy.
• Don’t forget to add complete contact information!
• Publish your press release to your company website. This creates an archive of your news for journalists to later refer to, and makes your press releases more directly accessible to your customers, clients, or visitors.
• Publish your press release to an online press release distribution service that will get it listed in news engines such as Google News or Yahoo! News. This makes your press release available via search. Paid services such as PRWeb can do this. Some free services, like PR.com, can get a press release listed in Google News as well, although you generally have to pay to include live links.
• Write using short paragraphs and sentences.
• Avoid testimonials or other promotional language. A press release is news; not advertising.

The post How to Write a Press Release appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Your Catchy Headline Goes Here

This is where you’ll include a short summary of two to four sentences. Some press release distribution sites allow you to include a link here. This section usually shows on RSS feeds, so at least include your website name to encourage type-in traffic if nothing else.

City, State – Date – Type the first paragraph of the body of your press release here. This paragraph should very briefly answer the questions of Who?, What?, When?, Where?, and Why?

The second paragraph of the body of your press release should elaborate on your news, and give further details.

Continue with short paragraphs to discuss different aspects of your company’s or site’s news, including a quote when appropriate. A quote should only contain something that needs to come from a representative of the company or authority source to give it credibility.

The last body paragraph should include less important details and supplemental information not included earlier.

About Your Company

You should include a boilerplate (it’s often the same on every press release you send) with a basic description of who you are and what you do. Give relevant statistics, or any information that makes you seem newsworthy in a general sense (being a major international organization, a published author, etc.).

For more information about Your Company/Site or (specific news, product, etc. in the release), please contact Your Name at Your Phone Number.

Contact Info:
Contact Name
Company Name
Mailing Address
City / State / Zip (or City / Country)
Phone: Your Phone Number
Email: Your Email Address
Web: Your Website URL

###

The post Press Release Template appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Release Time

This line graces the top of nearly every press release distributed to the media. It tells the journalist or editor receiving it when the information in the release can be made public. Most often, that line will read FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. If the news isn’t permitted to be released until a later point in time, the release time would read EMBARGOED UNTIL with the release date listed afterwards.

Contact Info

At a bare minimum, every press release should include the full name of the appropriate media contact person, their phone number, and their email address. A website URL should also be added, and a mailing address can be added optionally. The idea is to make it easy for journalists to contact someone related to the news story if they need additional information. Having no, or incomplete, media contact info on a press release is quite possibly the biggest press release writing mistake you can make.

Headline

The headline is like a title. It needs to convey your general news and grab the interest of the reader right away. A common error is trying to make the headline overly “cute” rather than having it tell the journalist immediately what the news is. If you can do both, great. If not, focus the headline on the news angle… just make sure you have a solid and interesting news angle to begin with.

Subheading / Summary

Generally, there’s no need to have both a subheading and a summary, so choose the best option for your press release and distribution model. They each serve the same purpose – to expand upon the news very generally mentioned in your headline. Many online distribution outlets require a summary to be included.

Dateline

The dateline will include the date the release is being distributed, as well as the hometown or nearest metropolitan area of the company or individual presenting the news to the media.

Opening Paragraph

The opening or lead paragraph should start on the same line as the press release’s dateline, and expands upon the headline by answering the following questions briefly: who?, what?, when?, where?, and why?

News Release Body

The body of your news release expands upon the news being presented by offering supporting details, statistics, or background information. This is where you would include quotes in your press release. The body of the press release should follow the basic inverted pyramid writing style of journalism, where the most newsworthy information is offered first, with a trickle down effect through the least newsworthy supporting details.

Boilerplate

The boilerplate is a more general background or “about us” paragraph regarding the person, company, or organization presenting the news. The purpose of the boilerplate is simply to provide background information to journalists, giving them a better idea of who the issuing source of the news is.

Call to Action

If you want members of the media to take any specific action, you’ll mention that at the end of the press release. This is very often just a line such as “For more information about CompanyABC or this particular news story, please contact Contact’s Name at contact’s phone number.”

Closing

You need to let editors and/or journalists know when your release is finished, so they don’t assume that there’s another page or addenda attached. There are a few different symbols you can use to close a press release, including “###” and “-30-“. If you do have a second page, you could end your first page with something like -more-, and if you have any addenda attached (such as photos), you should mention it at the end of the news release.

The post Press Release Components appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Header

When writing a press release, you should always include a header with the contact person’s name and contact information (such as phone number and email address). Beneath the contact information, you should type FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. (For online press releases, contact information may be placed at the bottom.)

Headline

You should write a catchy, yet informative, headline (or title) for your press releases. This should be centered a few lines below your header information, and can be placed in all bold type. While some people like to use all CAPS when typing a headline, you should avoid that. Many online news services (press release distribution sites or newswires) won’t accept a title in all caps.

Summary

This is an optional 1-4 sentences briefly summarizing the news angle of a press release. This is traditionally added to news releases when the company plans to utilize online press release distribution sites or newswires. If the release is being distributed manually offline (such as via fax), a sub-heading can still be used in its place.

Dateline

Every press release you write should have the date included. The dateline usually occurs in one of two places: either under the header and before the headline, or at the beginning of the press release body, along with the city and state. For example: New York, NY – March 14, 2006 – ‘Body of your press release here.’

Press Release Body

The body of every press release that you write should answer the questions of who, what, when, where, and why. Ideally, these questions will be answered in the first paragraph of your press release, and you’ll expand upon the details in a following paragraph. Quotes are often effective in the body of a press release, as long as they’re not testimonials (not promotional in nature).

Boilerplate

At the end of your actual news, you should include a standard boilerplate. This can be a simple paragraph talking about the business, organization, or individual presenting the news found in the press release. It’s your opportunity to give background information and statistics about who you are and what you do.

Call to Action

Add a line after your boilerplate similar to: “For more information, please contact Your Contact Name at Your Phone Number.” This can simply be a repeat of the contact information presented in your header.

Media Instructions / References

At the very end of your release, before the closing, you should include any details about photos or other materials you’ve included or referenced (such as naming the individuals in the photo), and include any media instructions if the release is in reference to an event they may be interested in covering (such as where they can park and set up their equipment).

Closing

You should always end a press release with ### or -30- centered at the bottom of the page. That tells the reader that they’ve reached the end of your release, and there are no additional pages. If you do have more than one page because of addenda being attached or because it’s a long release, you should use the -more- tag at the bottom of every page but the last one.

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