Here’s a riddle for you: what’s short, concise, compelling and newsworthy and can boost the online visibility and profitability of your business by spreading the word about your most recent accomplishments?
You know the answer to this one: it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a press release that travels fast to satisfy the universal hunger for premium content that is tormenting both bloggers and journalists every single step of the way. Press releases are extremely valuable content pieces designed to support your online marketing strategies and help you make a name for yourself.
How to Write Press Releases Like a Pro
Writing press releases is not art and it’s not science. It’s a combination of both elements. In order to create and distribute truly effective press releases, you have to understand how the mind of your targeted audience functions. Empathy is an important piece of the puzzle enabling you to perfect your press release writing skills and resonate with your public and also with your tastemakers, who amplify your message and make sure it reaches an even broader audience. Most people rely on a trial-and-error process to assess the quality and the effectiveness of their web writing. But you are not most people. You can do better than this.
According to Raven tips on press release writing, in order to convince journalists to take your masterpiece into consideration and include it in their article, you have to think like a journalist. It actually makes sense. Can you image how difficult it must be to identify truly amazing newsworthy facts when you are bombarded with tons of written junk and mambo jumbo on a daily basis, when you’re really craving for stellar content and accurate, trustworthy sources of inspiration? In order to perfect your press release writing, you must start by identifying and avoiding these 3 extremely common and annoying mistakes that could turn you into an average Joe instead of helping you enjoy the fair share of fortune and fame that great content creators are entitled to.
Press Release Writing Pitfalls That You Should Avoid at All Costs
a) Overkill Just Killed Your Press Release. Oops. Make sure you don’t start your quotes with the overrated, extremely irritating fragment indicating that you are really excited to let your clients know that you have succeeded in something. Of course you’re excited! You have all the reasons in the world to be thrilled: you’ve launched a new product, expanded your company or have recently invested time, money and energy in a new partnership. Nobody says that it’s illegal to show a bit of enthusiasm, but don’t overdo it. Keep the fact, but ditch the hyperbole. Downplay the “we” factor in your presentation; after all, your products should be into the spotlight, not your merits, your moneymaking efforts or your excitement.
b) Fabricated Facts Never Tricked Anyone into Buying Your Story. Don’t invent facts and don’t include statements that you cannot back with solid evidence.
c) Giving Up Is Not an Option: Write Killer Press Releases or Die Trying. Most importantly, don’t lose your hope. Keep your press release writing simple and straight to the point. Emphasize the novelty that is relevant and newsworthy and accentuate its impact on your targeted audience.
5 Ways to Bring and Keep Your Press Releases in the Public Eye While Boosting Their Effectiveness
Press release writing is not as difficult as you may be inclined to think. As a matter of fact, there are at least 5 foolproof methods to bring your press releases into the attention of a broader audience and maximize their influence fast and with minimal effort.
1. Create Better Stories. Don’t write press releases just to generate inbound links. It won’t work. Google is already one step ahead of you on this one. By cataloging links in press releases as unnatural, it basically forces content creators to use the rel nofollow attribute. So instead of treating your press releases like plain SEO tools, give them a little bit of credit. They are food for thought consumed on a daily basis by millions of journalists worldwide who are constantly looking for genuine, attention-grabbing stories. Think first, optimize second. Make sure your story sounds too good to be true when it actually is. Self-indulgent sales pitches are so yesterday. They no longer prove their utility, so unless you want to bore a journalist to death, don’t invest your time and money in them. Create stellar stories that can be quoted, which are based on 100% verifiable facts.
2. Keep It Simple. Always write in the 3rd person, present facts from the readers’ perspective and keep it short and simple. A good press release shouldn’t count more than 500 words to prove a point. You are not writing a novel and you don’t get paid by the word, so don’t hesitate to be brief. Get to the point fast and don’t use tons of adjectives to highlight your authority or your amazing capabilities, experience and accomplishments.
3. Rely on First-Class Distribution Strategies. If content is a powerful king, then proper distribution is its influent queen. Make sure you email your press releases to your targeted audience. According to a Copyblogger post on how to use the modern press release, a human touch is what makes the difference between great press releases that are being shared and quoted and mediocre ones that sink into oblivion since the very beginning. Pick up the phone and make sure your targeted bloggers and journalists actually managed to read your story. Distribute your press releases via a good wire service, but don’t forget to explore marketing opportunities brought to you by social media platforms. Sharing your press releases on social networking websites can only work to your advantage, allowing you to raise the online visibility of your brand.
4. Optimize with Maximum Care. Optimize your press releases, but always remember that Google is breathing down your neck. You wouldn’t want to rely on shady optimization tactics that could turn out to be counterproductive. Use relevant keywords in your headlines and body copy, but don’t overdo it. Keyword stuffing is one of the capital sins listed in the SEO Decalogue.
5. Opt for an Ideal Format. How you writeweb content is almost as important as what you write. This rule applies also when it comes to crafting result-oriented press releases. The standard format comprises a few key elements that you should not omit, including headline, dateline, introductory paragraph, body, boilerplate, source and media contact information. According to iReach, subheads are optional, but they can help you put your ideas in order and organize your material more effectively.
Now you know it. Great format, optimized, stellar content, a good story with a twist, world class distribution strategy and a refined, studied simplicity represent the main factors that could raise the visibility and the effectiveness of your content pieces and help you improve your press release writing skills in no time.
You just opened your writer’s desk at Express Writers to find a new assign- what? They gave you a PRESS RELEASE? It’s been, well, it’s been a long time since you wrote your last press release – and the last one felt like pulling teeth.
You’re still painfully aware of that little fact, and you’re nervous to try your hand at press releases again.
If you break out in a cold sweat every time someone mentions writing a good press release, you’re not alone! While press releases are critical for marketing of all shapes and sizes, they’re harder to write, for most people, than a blog or a web page. Fortunately, “difficult” isn’t the same as “impossible.”
To dominate the press release forever, all you need to do is study up on standard press release formats! Today, we’re going to provide a breakdown of what NOT to do with press releases, and give you the information you need to dominate your next press release assignment.
Going in Blind: The Worst Way to Start a Press Release
While we’ve got all the respect in the world for free-flowing writers who bend the rules of grammar and structure to their will, Kerouac would have sucked at press releases.
After all, a press release is an informative document meant to be picked up by the media. As such, it’s critical that your press releases follow a certain format and contain certain information.
Deviate from this too largely and you risk having your press release overlooked or, worse, putting out a press release that doesn’t fulfill the purposes you wanted it to.
Today, it’s critical to have a working knowledge of how press releases function. If you jump in blind and start typing until you reach your word count, your press release is going to fail.
While learning the format of a press release might seem like a scary prospect, knowledge is power, and learning the ins and outs of a PR will allow you to dominate it. Writing killer press releases is a methodical pursuit, and the best-trained and most knowledgeable people win the race.
3 Mistakes NOT to Make When Writing A Good Press Release
In the world of press releases, knowing what NOT to do is almost as critical as knowing what to do. With this in mind, avoid these three deadly mistakes in your next press release:
1. Providing Subjective Information
Press releases aren’t meant to be subjective. Unlike advertising, they don’t “sell” a company or a product. They don’t tell people how great a brand is.
Instead, press releases merely present facts that readers can rely on.
For example, if you’re publishing a press release about an upcoming event, that document needs to include details about when the event takes place, where it will be held, who is sponsoring it, and how readers can learn more about it.
The press release DOESN’T need to feature a bunch of fluff that tells people how this is the “greatest event in the world!” While the former is reliable and trustworthy, the latter is icky and will turn readers off your material.
2. Writing Poorly
You did well in your high school English classes. Heck, you even scored high enough on your ACT that you didn’t have to take the Grammar-Spelling-Punctuation test when you applied for the Communications or Journalism program at your college. You pride yourself on your command of English.
Unfortunately, that positive outlook won’t get you far when you start getting sloppy in your writing. Even the best writers sometimes fall victim to low-quality writing, and spelling and grammar mistakes. For an example of how immediately poor writing can cause people to abandon your press release, check out this primo example of a bad press release:
In addition to being embarrassing for you, spelling and grammar mistakes and poor writing can also cause journalists and readers to abandon the press release without a second look.
3. Format the Document Improperly
Press releases abide by a very specific set of formatting rules. Get them wrong, and you’ll look unprofessional and inexperienced, which is a major no-no in the world of press releases and writing for brands. Here’s what to shoot for when you format your PR:
At The Top of the Document. The top of the document should include the company’s logo, contact information, and the words “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,” or “Hold until [release date].” After that, you’ll want to include a keyword-rich headline. The headline should be written in title case, and should be short, brief, and to-the-point. For best results, use active voice in your title, and write it as if you were crafting a blog post or other click-worthy document. Your headline is just as critical as anything else, and it deserves to be treated accordingly.
The Body of the Document. The body of the document should be populated by short, interesting paragraphs, no longer than 2-4 sentences. Include the who, what, where, when, and why of the press release topic, and consider pulling in some hyperlinks, multimedia content, and influencer quotes that provide a perspective external of the writer’s.
Company Contact and Boilerplate Information. At the end of the document, you should include the company’s contact information (unless you plugged it in below the logo, which is fine as well), boilerplate information, which gives journalists and readers some background about the company and its main players, and a few social media links.
Once you’ve input all that information, your press release should follow this structure:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Title Case Headline, less than 170 characters
Short summary paragraph
City, State/Country (if needed)-Month, Day, Year
Lead paragraph with who, what, when, where, why and how; most important information here
Press release body, short paragraphs
Last paragraph
Company Information
Contact Information
### or “End”
7 Insider Tips for Writing a Good Press Release
While mastering the structure of the press release is critical, the battle of creating a great press release is bigger than that. Here are some pro tips to help you get it right:
1. Always Write Your Headlines Last
This is as true for blog writing as it is press releases. While you should give your release a working title, go back and write your headline last. In addition to ensuring your headline mimics the structure and format of your release, this also ensures it will contain relevant keywords and give your reader a solid idea of what they’ll learn from the press release.
2. Make Your Readers Care
One big question readers ask as they skim press releases is “who cares?” And they have a point! If you can’t answer the “who cares?” question, your press release is going to flop, and that’s bad for everyone. Be sure you understand the target audience of your press release and that you’re setting yourself up to communicate with them accordingly. The more you can make your audience care, the better.
3. Use Data
Data inspires trust, and trust is essential for a good press release. To make the PR more credible, include relevant data that can help back up your claims or lend weight to your announcement. Not only will this capture the attention of readers, it will also give journalists something to quote and share from your press release.
4. Write in Active Voice
Active voice is strong, forceful, and deliberate. Use it throughout the press release to communicate confidence and conviction to your readers and inspire trust in the company and the topic at hand.
5. Get Right to the Point
Beat around the bush – lose readers. Get to the point – gain attention. When it comes to writing a good press release, it’s really that simple. Since press releases are educational documents, they’re meant to provide immediate value and understanding. If they don’t, people will leave.
6. Make it Flawless
The more flawless your press release can be, the better. Before you submit it, go back through the document and check for spelling and grammar errors and any flow or understanding issues. These things will sink your release faster than a lead balloon, so it’s critical to resolve them now.
7. Include Relevant Contact Information
Instead of giving readers every bit of contact information a company has, include only the most relevant channels. Email, phone, and social media links are ideal, although the “right” contact information will vary from brand to brand.
Writing a Good Press Release the Easy Way
While writing a good press release can feel impossible, abiding by these simple guidelines can help make it a reality.
If you need professional help to write your upcoming press release, contact Express Writers to learn more about our specialty PR team and how they can help your brand succeed.
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