Ah, the press release: an essential part of the public relations equation. Write it correctly and you’ll see the payoff. Make mistakes, however, and you’ll look bad.
So what are the components of a good press release?
- SEO. Research keywords and incorporate them into the body copy to make your release search engine-friendly.
- The storyline. Cover the who, what, where, when and why in a way that catches the reader’s attention and keeps it.
- The headline. Make it purposeful and to the point where it gives your reader the motivation to keep going. Make it too long or too vague and they’re bound to stop reading altogether.
- Getting right to the point. Say what you need to say in the very first paragraph.
- Avoiding sounding too promotional. Be convincing, but in a subtle way.
- Trimming the fat. Don’t repeat yourself, sound too wordy or have an overly lengthy release.
- Contact information. And enough of it. You’re sending this to the media in hopes of coverage – make it as easy as possible for them to reach you.
- Using spell check/editing.
A good press release can go a long way – so make the most of the opportunity.