The Art of the Press Release

The press release is one of the most important
documents when it comes to advertising your business
and your product, but it is also one of the most
challenging to create.

A press release is your chance to catch the media’s eye
and get your message out, but with hundreds of press
releases flooding newsrooms across the nation every
day, you need to know how to make yours the keeper.

The essentials
You need to have a basic outline of the
information that you will use in your release. This
will include your contact information, a headline,
dateline, the body text of your release and your
boilerplate. Always begin with FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE in
the top left-hand corner of your release to grab the
reporter’s attention.

Here’s a brief description of each element:

* Contact information: As a small-business owner, you
are the most likely contact for information on your
business. Include your name, title, company name,
telephone number, fax number, Web site address and
e-mail address. You might also consider including your
home or cell phone number for reporters who might be
working on a deadline.

* Headline: Your headline should be eye-catching and
explicit and you should put it in bold-face type. A
reporter should be able to read the headline and know
exactly what your release is about. Remember, the
quicker you get the reporter’s attention, the more
likely it is that he will keep reading.

* Dateline: This should include the date of your
release and the city and state you are sending your
release from. This information directly precedes the
first line of your body text.

* Body Text: This is your vessel for conveying your
information. Your first sentence should engage readers
and lead them into the rest of your release. Once you
draw your readers in, you want to give them the facts.
In this section, you can also use direct quotes to
support your facts. Keep your information short, sweet
and to the point. If you find that you need more than
one page, use "-more-" at the bottom of each page to
indicate another page of text. Keep in mind that
several pages of text can be overwhelming and
cumbersome and may lessen your chances of getting a
story.

* Boilerplate: This is a standard paragraph that should
be at the bottom of every press release that you send
out. Think of it as your company’s signature — it will
have a sentence or two that describes your company,
your Web site address, your business’s telephone number
and any other general helpful information. On the next
line after the boilerplate, center three pound signs in
the middle of the page to signify the end of the
release.

While a press release can be a wonderful tool for
getting your business the attention that it deserves,
it is also one that is easily abused. To make sure that
you are using press releases wisely, keep in mind your
audience and your purpose.

First, be sure that your news is newsworthy. A common
misconception when it comes to press releases is that
the more you send, the better. Limit your releases to
your most important news only. If reporters get a
continual stream of mundane releases from you, they are
less likely to pay attention when your big news comes
through.

When sending a press release, think about who in
the media will be most interested in your news. Try to
send your releases specifically to reporters and
editors that cover the beats that your news would fall
under, such as business, education, technology or
another area of focus. Also, consider sending your
releases to magazines or other publications that
specialize in topics relating to your business.

Overall, a press release is a great way to get your
news to the media. Just remember to keep it creative,
concise and easy for reporters to use when doing their
jobs.

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