From the FinallyFast Help Desk:
Press releases are a frequent need for large and small companies, and why not? Press releases are a great way to get the word out about products or services through sites like PRWeb.com and PRNewsire.com. In this entry, we give you, as the writer, some tips for crafting an effective press release that will pass muster for the guidelines governing online press release distribution.
The first thing you have to realize about press releases is that they are distinctly different from promotional copy. Superlatives and the kind of positive, biased slant in promotional copy are a no-no in the world of press releases. PRWeb.com and the other PR destinations will only publish press releases that have a somewhat objective, journalistic tone. It’s the difference between “The Robo-Vacuum 5000 will make cleaning around the house a breeze!” and “The Robo-Vacuum 5000 demonstrates a significant time savings for normal household cleaning versus competing robot vacuums in independent tests.”
The other thing about a press release to understand is that it should involve something newsworthy. Merely extolling the virtues of a product or service is not enough; what is the news item you can inform people about? It could be some milestone event—10,000 units sold, record profits, an anniversary, an appearance at a trade show, etc. Find that concrete, newsworthy event, and then you can feel free to explain the product or service in the context of that news item.
Outside of those general considerations, here is the anatomy of a press release:
Headline – Make your headline short (up to 80 characters) and attention-grabbing. State the newsworthy item in the headline, along with the company or individual’s name.
Lead-in – The first sentence should include a geographical region and date separated by dashes, such as “Reno, Nevada – April 22, 2011,” which is followed by another dash and then the first sentence of the press release.
Summary – Your press release’s first paragraph should be all that anyone needs to understand the gist of your article. If the reader stopped after the summary, they’d still know what the press release is about. This is the best place to include any SEO keywords, if applicable. You should also include the web address for the company.
Body – Overall, the press release should not exceed 750 words or so. And divide your content into short paragraphs.
Quotation – If possible, a quotation from an appropriate principal is an acceptable way to inject some promotional slant into the material. You have to be objective for the rest of the press release, but a quotation is a way to “let loose” and promote the product.
Boilerplate – Every press release should end with a small paragraph that is essentially a biography of the company or individual talked about. Two sentences should do.
Contact information – Finally, give people a way to contact the organization for more information.
Tags: editing, formatting, press release, promotion, PRWeb.com, Writing
