A press release is a way to get your message out to the public quickly and effectively. It’s short (one or two paragraphs at most), but it can pack a powerful punch if done correctly.
Press releases are usually written and edited by professional writers or journalists. It is done with formal training in writing. As such, they must be produced with accuracy and precision.
When creating your press releases, three main components make up the story:
The topic, the lead, and the conclusion.
Your topic should be clear and descriptive – stick to the facts!
Your lead should grab attention and establish rapport. And the conclusion should emphasize the benefits of the product/service being described.
This article will go into more detail about each part. So put down those chocolate chips and pick up your pen! Let’s write my press release!
Topic & Message
Let’s start with some basics. What do you want to tell the world? And what does this world need to know?
As mentioned before, your topic should be clear and accurate. Make sure everything belongs together logically and clearly describes the content.
The next step is to choose an appropriate time to share this information. This depends on the audience and whether they are already familiar with the products and services discussed.
If yes, then test timing to see when people are looking for info related to them.
Submit the press release to media outlets
After you have finished writing your press release. It is time to start looking for somewhere to publish it!
Most online tools offer free content. So that you can use those to find new releases or create an account and upload yours from there.
Some of the most common sites are:-
Google News, Business Insider, The Huffington Post, Your Daily Voice, AllBusiness.com, etc.
You should look through their websites and see if they have any kind of social media accounts as well. This would be Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Most sites will ask for your email or phone number to process your submission, but some may not.
Some pay-per-click advertising sites need this as well. Make sure to check before submitting else you could waste your time waiting and money!
The best way to get results with press announcements is to spread love and contribute to a community already working hard to promote others.
Share relevant links on social media, write comments on blogs, chat about it on forums. Anything that helps other people learn more about the subject matter and the company being publicized.
Be consistent
Consistency is one of the most important things to know as an entrepreneur when it comes to press releases.
You want to make sure your messages are clear and easy to understand. But you also don’t want to sound like a broken record.
Press releases should be concise and focused on only mentioning significant details. There is no need to include every little detail about your company and its products. Those stories have already gone up on social media sites, filled out profiles on websites, and gathered comments.
Interchangeable content
Most people will skip past a poorly written article or press release if there isn’t anything new or interesting for them to read.
Because of this, writing two articles that say almost the same thing with different supporting examples and bullets.
This way, even if someone doesn’t look at the first article, they will at least get some information from the second one.
Make the press release catchy
A well-written, engaging press release will tell your audience what you want them to know. Your message should be clear and concise with powerful calls to action.
You can use strong language and vivid descriptions to emphasize important points.
Your audience will pay more attention to information that is interesting and fun. They will also compare your offer with those of other companies and decide which one seems most appealing.
Rely on media outlets to publish the press release
There are two main reasons why most people begin writing their press releases. First, some business or organization decides they’d like to spread their message through a press release. Instead of sending out an informal announcement via social media or word-of-mouth.
Second, even if you don’t feel that messages in your area of expertise match those of a well-known brand. Drafting your press release is a great way to get attention for your product or service.
By creating your press release, you take control of the content. You can include or exclude keywords. You can use appropriate tone and pitch, and gauge reader interest by looking at reactions online and from conversations you have with others.
But beyond these initial benefits, written announcements also boost search engine rankings. It help to connect you with other professionals in your field.
These opportunities arise because press releases are published by someone else (the media). So they list yours as an incentive to write his or her article.
Respond to readers and comments
Let people know what you’re offering through your business or website. By engaging in discussion and responding to other commenters.
Your followers will feel appreciated. Your reputation will grow as more people notice your excellent work.
Running a press release writing service means that you will be doing lots of promoting. Make sure you are giving good feedback and encouraging others to do well.
Don’t try to take over the world, because you can write a sentence and call it a day. Most people don’t have access to the media so unless you are very rich, this won’t work for most people.
But there is another way to use PR to promote yourself . Start talking about things you’ve done before and how you could help them with their content.
This gets back to our initial tip: being professional. If someone else has succeeded, then you can too!
Heck, even if they didn’t, you can still give tips and tricks for improving their writing.
Link to your website
After you have written an interesting article, it is time to start thinking about how to get people to read it.
The easiest way to do this is by linking to another site. A free tool that can help you do this is Yoast’s WordPress SEO Premium (known as SeoPress).
You can use their link builder feature to create a press release link. Pick the type of page you would like to link to. Choose the field from where you will grab the content. Then enter in some details such as the title and body of the content you want to include.
Then, add the link to your website or any other websites you control using the button “Add to My Site.” You also have the option to turn off private mode so anyone can see the link.
Use to gain popularity
A press release is an interesting tool that anyone can use to get their message out to the public.
They are not limited to journalists. You could write your press releases and send them to media or other individuals.
Press releases work by using something called news relevancy. News relevance comes from two main sources: events and topics of conversation. When someone else talks about a topic, we tend to discuss it too.
When people talk about the same thing as what you have said, they give yours more attention. Because it seems like a valid argument or source.
This happens even if others don’t agree with yours!
So how do you create your press releases? First, think about things that would be relevant to your business and niche. Second, find ways to add value to your ideas by developing them.
Third, make sure your messages sound professional and clear. If possible, use quotations to strengthen your points. Fourth, keep it short and simple.
The longer you take to say your message, the less likely people will read it. Try writing one-minute statements or bullets to hone your skills.
Write the release correctly
Writing a press release is more than putting together some interesting material. You have to write your message properly!
Press releases are usually one or two paragraphs long. But they should always contain
- an opening sentence that grabs attention,
- a main body that provides important information, and
- a conclusion that reiterates the main point.
The problem many people run into is the content of the body. Too often writers try to include too much detail in their press releases. It loses focus of what their press release was intended to do.
A good rule of thumb is to keep it short and simple. The reader will take care of the rest – including editing the extra content as needed.
