101: Writing Press Releases
If your business is thriving and you’ve got a story to tell, it may be time to pen a press release. But be careful: there’s more to writing a press release than you might think.
The following advice, gathered from prwebdirect.com, will guide you through the process of seeking top exposure while avoiding the most common mistakes.
Be critical. While you may be excited, it doesn’t mean everyone else will be.
“Answer the question, ‘Why should anyone care?’” advises the web site staff. “And make sure your announcement has some news values such as timeliness, uniqueness or something truly unusual.”
Envision your story as you write. Don’t leave it up to the media to mold your press release into a story; mold your story in the press release.
“Try to develop a story as you would like to have it told,” prwebdirect.com says. “Even if your news is not reprinted verbatim, it may provide an acceptable amount of exposure.”
Get right to the point. Much like a journalist will write a news story, you want to include the most pertinent information right away.
“Your headline and first paragraph should tell the story,” advises the staff. “The rest of your press release should provide the detail. You have a matter of seconds to grab your readers’ attention. Do no blow it with a weak opening.”
Subtle exclamations. Simply put, let the message, not the punctuation dictate the excitement.
“There is no better way to destroy your credibility than to include a bunch of hype,” the PR staff says. “The exclamation point (!) is your enemy. If you must use an exclamation point, use one. Never do this!!!!!!!!!!” Also, never use crazy fonts, colors or background images. Keep it simple.
Stick to the facts. You want to avoid embellishments and exaggerations, but sometimes you need to be careful in how you tell the truth.
“If your story sounds too good to be true, you are probably hurting your own credibility,” the web site says. “Even if it is true, you may want to tone it down a bit.”
WBJ Web Partners
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