Writing a press release is a great way to market your website and bring in more web traffic. Press releases can be written to get the word out about events for your company or can simply announce changes in the company that are newsworthy. However, writing a good press release is a bit different than simply writing an article. There are particular things you'll need to keep in mind when writing a top quality press release that PR sites will actually accept.
Instructions
1. Start with an eye catching headline. In reality, the headline is going to be the most important part of the entire release. This is where people decide whether or not they are going to take the time to go on and read the rest of your release. Use a headline that grabs the eye and the attention. You want readers to long to know more. A couple examples of eye catching headlines include "BeBeShoes.com Announces Designer Baby Shoes for Top End Baby Boutiques" and "From Google's Black List to 100 Million in Sales: Top SEO Company Saves Real Estate Company from Bankruptcy."
2. Have a great hook paragraph. Once you draw them in with the headline, use the first paragraph to hook them. The first paragraph should include the who, what, when, how and why. This is where you find the real story and start to develop it.
3. Write from the angle of a journalist. A press release is to be written much like a newspaper article. This means you need to learn to write like a newspaper journalist. The press release must be newsworthy and you must write as if you are delivering that news in an unbiased manner. Consider why anyone else would consider your press release newsworthy. Make sure that the release is timely as well as relevant for the best results.
4. Properly format the press release. Without the right format, more than likely your press release will not be accepted. On the top line start out on the right hand side, writing in all caps, "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE." Double space, and then you have your headline in regular upper and lower case letter. Next is the sub heading, if you decide to include one. Then you'll put the city, date, and then start the first paragraph. Continue to double space between each paragraph. At the end, you can add a call to action, letting them know where to go for more information. Full contact details should then be added, and the press release should end with ###, letting the reader know it's the end.
5. Avoid getting long winded. Press releases should be between 300 to 500 words. Many people think it needs to be long to get attention. This is not the case. Even if you have an extremely well-written release, if it is a long one, more than likely people are not going to read it all. So, keep it short.
6. Add a quote to the press release. People like to see evidence from experts, and if you can, adding in a quote from an expert is a great idea. It lends reliability to your press release, which is important.
7. Avoid hype or sales talk in a press release. When editors see hype words or clichés, they are likely to reject it. Don't use explanation points, which signify hype. Avoid words such as "leading," "prestigious," "top," "best" and "cutting edge." Simply stay with the facts when you are writing the release. Don't make it sound like a sales pitch either. This will get rejected, or even if it does slip through, you'll lose your readers because they'll feel like you are simply trying to sell something to them.
