Easy Guide To Effective Press Releases
Building a strong marketing plan should include this easy guide to effective press releases. You want to share your company, your activities, and your products with the world. The power that press releases can provide will help you attain those goals.
Developing the story for a strong press release does not have to be a challenge. Simple steps can make big differences in crafting a press release that will stand out from the piles of press releases covering up most media professionals today.
Seven Easy Steps to Effective Press Releases
1. Keep it simple. The challenge is to say what you need to say, to be creative and descriptive, while still keeping the content concise and precise. Look for action words to replace adverbs. Cut out words and sentences that do nothing to move the story forward. The goal is to create a press release that fills only one page.
2. Follow the industry format. Every press release needs to include the release time, a headline, the location of the story, the date of the story, the body of the story, the people or companies involved, and the contact information for the one person that will handle queries from the media. You should also include an indicator that the story has ended (in most instances it is ###).
3. Follow through with a fact check, grammar check, and spell check. Simple typos can keep your press release from being shared by the media professionals. They are looking through hundreds of releases and the ones that are clean in grammar and spelling will be more likely to get their attention for the right reasons. It is also a good idea to check on any dates, locations, or other facts to be certain that you have them all in order.
4. Utilize quotes from those in the story. Adding quotes to a story help the flow and make it read more like a news article than a sales pitch.
5. Find quotes from experts or celebrities that relate to the story. Seek out quotes that endorse the products or company when possible.
6. Know the market. Research the submission sites that you are considering for your press release and be certain to make your press release conform to the guidelines on those sites. If you are submitting your press release to individual journalists or publications, then tailor your content to match their interests.
7. Submit your press releases in a timely manner. The sooner you can submit your press release the better. You want to present the story while the story is still hot.
The only effective press release is one that is shared by the media. You can have a great story and a powerful product, but getting the message out can be derailed by a less than professional press release. Invest time and resources into crafting clear, concise, and engaging content. Follow this easy guide to effective press releases.
