Press releases are a great technique for engaging the media, which also makes them advertise your business / service for free.
Press releases with two main functions:
>> To influence the print reporter, show the journalists or radio broadcasters covering the story and having their own personal discussion.
>> A self-published article to be used as a space filler applied by print or Internet publications.
Both are excellent methods of advertising your business / service. It takes practice to learn how to grab the reader’s attention the way you want with your writing. The idea is not to present your entire story to the reporter. You want to give the reporter enough information to be creative and come up with methods to make their story stand out on its own.
Press Release: A Storyteller:
Sometimes, no matter what you do, you can’t get an editor or reporter to cover your story. Sometimes, however, they will allow you to submit the press release yourself and find a space for it. Low budget Internet publications often do this. The style of the article is not really a “release”, but mostly an article. Article style releases should be fully researched and interviewed on their last appearance.
Don’t think this is a place to present a sales pitch. It should not be written to sell anything.
Write your press release like a reporter. Include all angles in neutral focus. You will need to support all your claims with documentation of all the facts.
Press releases create you as the specialist people can go to for information about your line of business. Smaller Internet publications and print shops are very fond of this form of publication because it provides them with a free copy.
Mandatory content of the press release:
Every good press release should include the following:
>> The title should be brief, but it captures the interest of both the reader and the editor. Do not use all capital letters, but it is a good idea to capitalize the first letter of each word in the title.
>> Compelling Beginning – This paragraph should be a summary of the press release and be written in such a way that it grabs the reader’s attention to read more.
>> Concise Summary: When writing your press release, include the most imperative facts first, then the least important ones.
>> At the end of the press release, please include your contact phone number or website.
>> Be brief and to the point. Try not to be too wordy. You can quickly lose a reader.
>> Make sure the facts are correct. Check all the facts.
>> Reality, not fiction
By learning how to give what the online media is looking for while writing press releases, you soon find that you are repeatedly asked for more press releases.
Ad launch:
Ad launches are an additional advertising tool that is delivered as an email campaign to current and future customers of new updates, products, services, upcoming sales, or changes to existing ones.
By: Kathryn Ali
Copyright http://marketing.actual-facts.com 2007