So you want to write
a press release. You’re thinking in
the right direction and you’ll get more benefits than you imagine with a press
release. A well-written press release
will accomplish a couple of things. This
article will discuss how to write a release and the benefits you’ll get by
publishing it online.
First, let’s get into how
to write a press release. The easiest
way to write a release is to answer the following five questions.
- Who
- What
- When
- Where
- Why
Write Your Press Release by Answering the 5 Questions
Ideally, you want to answer those five questions in the
first paragraph of the document. By answering
the five questions in the first paragraph you will ensure your press release doesn’t
get reject by distribution outlets. Here’s
a quick example.
Where: Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania - Who: XYZ company
today announced - What: the company acquired
their competitor – When: - last week
– Why: to increase their product
offering to consumers.
Asking yourself those five questions will also help you write your release a lot faster simply because you know exactly what to focus your attention on. After you’ve answered the questions then you can give readers a little background on both companies and how the announcement will benefit consumers.
Most press releases are between 450 to 550 words. I’ve seen releases that are 800 words but that’s
too much. No one is going to read that
much text unless it is something they are passionate about. Also, most distribution outlets will only
accept a release that’s more than 350 words.
Don’t use the words ‘you’ – ‘our’ – ‘my’ in your press
release because it will be rejected. It should
be written the third person. Your
release should also contain contact information and a short ‘about’ section
that’s about 5 or 6 lines long. To see a
sample press
release online please click here so you can view the format. Pay attention to the last part of the release
so that you know what to insert in the contact section.
The benefits of a press release are that you will create
brand awareness. The more people that
read your release, the more exposure you’ll get. Also, they may share it with their friends so
make sure you include the social media sharing buttons if you’re given the
option when you submit your release.
Press releases also provide SEO benefits, but only if you
use your keywords inside of a hypertext link.
You should also include three hypertext links in your release, but no
more than five. Make sure the links are
on your keywords. For example, if your
keyword is ‘business
signs’ you’ll want to create a hyper link on that keyword within the text
like I did on this sentence.
Do not publish your press release to a distribution service
that doesn’t allow hypertext links. You’ll
be wasting your time. There are plenty
of services that allow hypertext links.
Links in your release provide SEO value, but they also give the reader
something to click on if they want to visit your website.
It doesn’t matter how popular the service is or how much traffic it receives, it
readers can’t click on a link you’re wasting your time and their time.
Please leave a comment below if you think this article provide
you with a few good ideas. If you think
of a way in which I can improve the article, please let me know. I’m always open to suggestions.
