Done right, a press release can court tremendous interest and publicity for your brand and business. It can deliver eager new customers right to your doorstep, and could be one of the most effective and low cost marketing tactics in your business arsenal. In this article we’ll flirt with some ideas and tips to help you create an effective press release:
- A press release is a marketing tool that you should set in play every time anything major happens within the context of your business. As long as it is newsworthy, and something out of the ordinary, you can issue a press release – this can include the introduction of a new product, revamping an existing product or anything new, interesting and exciting such as your company sponsoring a local event.
- Keep your press release short and punchy. Journalists and PR sites are inundated with press releases on a daily basis – the snappier yours is, the more likely it is to be picked up and publicized.
- As always, make your headline interesting. In a sales letter or email, the header is crucial in grabbing interest and luring the reader into the body of content. Your press release should do the same – don’t be dull, and make the headline snappy and alluring.
- Resist spamming. Your press release should be written in an interesting way, but avoid turning it into a sales letter. Write it from the third person perspective, and include facts in a light and breezy way without resorting to the usual sickening sales terms and phrases.
- Offer to include a photo. Rather than attach a photo automatically include a note to the publishing site or journalist mentioning that a photo is available on request. If you do submit a photo, ensure it is of a high resolution and as professional as possible.
- Make the content useful. The first chunk of text in your press release should summarize who you are, what your product or event is and why it is so interesting. To make the press release more compelling and poignant you can throw in a well worded testimonial or comment from a user as long as it’s not over the top. A restrained press release is the best type of press release and often one that induces the best response.
- Spelling and grammar. Make sure your release is free of spelling and grammar problems.
- Include proof. If you’re making claims within your press release, make sure you can substantiate them with proof.
- Contact information. At a minimum, you’ll want to include your name, website and phone number.
- One page is enough. Resist the urge to waffle on, even if you have discovered the next thing since sliced bread. Condense the most salient information within the sanctuary of one page – two tops. Having said that, offer a link to a page with more substantial information for people who really do have a burning desire to learn more.
- There are a myriad of online sites and print publications that offer press release distribution. There are additional search engine benefits when you successfully pepper your press release online, and sites such as PR Web can help you do this.