How to Write a Press Release & Get Free Publicity 1-2-3
How to Find Your Newsworthy Idea
Your press release needs to be
newsworthy to be effective for you. However, with the right angle, even ordinary events can bring
lots of attention to your business. This is where a professional writer comes in handy (see step 2).
Here are some ideas that you can focus on. Simply develop the simple idea, and then send it to your
professional writer, who will write the press release for you, putting that special angle on your
story.
- Business grand opening
- Unveiling of a new product or service
- New uses for products and services
- Announcement of an upcoming contest or event you are holding
- Charity work you are doing or donations your company has made
- Company move, expansion or changes
- Results of a poll or survey that you've done
- Make an analysis or prediction
- Take part in a controversy
- Make a public appearance
- Pricing changes
- Customer success stories
- Testimonials received from customers
- You get the idea...
How to Write a Press Release, Tips & Examples
When you write a press release, you want to grab the reader's attention with a catchy headline. Make sure
you don't sound like you are trying to sell something - but rather you are providing important information to
your reader.
Keep your press release at about 1 page and send samples when applicable. Focus on benefits to the reader,
use bold headlines and break large paragraphs into smaller ones for easier reading.
Date Instructions:
"For Immediate Release";
"For Release Before [date]" or
"For Release After [date]"
Headline:
Use an attention-getting headline with 85 characters or less.
Contact Information
Include as much information as possible here. Make it easy for the media to contact you.
Summary:
Before you get into the body of the release, write a sentence or two to summarize your press release.
Content:
This is where your story goes. The first paragraph should answer all the important questions - Who, What,
Where, When, Why & How?
Signify the end of your press release with ###
Get The Word Out: Submit Your Press Release
Contacting Journalists:
Journalists are busy. The best way to get through to them is to get their attention - stand out from
the crowd. You can do this by picking up the phone and calling them directly, sending a personal email, writing
a letter to the editor or speaking at public events. You can also submit articles to publications to be used as
content - reporters are always looking for good content which makes their job easier.
Newspaper, Magazine and Radio Media Sources:
Reach Millions of Potential Customers
PRWeb is an award-winning online press release submission service. Even if you are a small business, you
can get big-time visibility using this press release distribution service. Submit your press release, and PRWeb
does the rest. They even have free how-to webinars including How to Write a News Release
Free Press Release
Distribution
Another option is to use 1888PressRelease.com to submit your press release for free. Although you get much more
exposure with a paid submission, this free service is worth the time. They also offer cheap paid upgrades so
you can increase your exposure depending on how much you want to spend. If you're new to press release writing,
you'll like the sample press releases on their site and press release writing tips they provide for free.
Press Release Submission
Software
Instead of paying a company to submit your news to the right sources - you can now do it yourself with
software you can use at home. This is ideal if you plan to send out more than one news story about your
business. If you want to flood your website with targeted traffic, reach top search engine rankings and
gain dozens or more backlinks, this is a really simple way to achieve all 3 at once. Higher Search Engine Rankings in 7
Days with Press Equalizer
Online Publicity Can Help Your Business Achieve Credibility
(ARA) - If you're looking to enhance your marketing efforts, getting an article published about your
company essentially provides a third party endorsement to your products and services. You don't need the
luxury of a million-dollar ad budget to raise awareness of your business. Instead, working with the print
media can be a cost-effective way to get editorial publicity for articles that incorporate information
about your company. In fact, with the rise of Internet use within the business community and the general
public, reaching your target audience is now faster and more convenient than ever.
How then does your business generate good publicity and gain placement in newspapers and magazines? As
Guerilla Marketing author Jay Conrad Levinson notes, "the single most important factor in obtaining free
publicity [is] providing news worth publicizing." It is crucial that your business products and services are
incorporated into articles that provide readers with newsworthy ideas or suggestions. Highlighting an article's
human interest angle is another method to increase your chances of publication.
It's important for businesses to distinguish precisely what is and isn't newsworthy about their products and
services. For example, the announcement of a new product is more likely to annoy an editor than grab his or her
attention. "Editors and publishers get thinly veiled advertising garbage all the time masquerading as news,"
says "Magnet Marketing" author John R. Graham. However, if the product exemplifies a current trend or helps
readers to achieve a goal, an editor will be more inclined to publish it.
The key is to move the article's primary emphasis from the value of the company's products to the potential
benefit for the reader. Articles that reference your business as an 'expert' source on a given subject provide
powerful credibility. For example, a company that sells a salt substitute should avoid writing an article
describing its products in detail. Instead, an article about how a recent study revealed a link between lowered
sodium intake and reduced occurrence of osteoporosis has much more value to a publication's readers.
Developing a newsworthy angle, however, is only half the battle. You must also distribute your releases to
the appropriate people, and do it cost-effectively. Businesses often rely upon the traditional marketing
technique of mailing materials to lists of prospective clients. However, the process of building lists is labor
intensive and very costly.
Businesses that want to market their products and services beyond the local level should consider utilizing
the Internet as a key component in their publicity efforts. "Even companies hoping to generate publicity at the
regional level can benefit from the national - and global - coverage the Internet provides," notes Fran Yoch,
vice president of ARA Content, a Minneapolis based feature article distribution service via the Internet at
www.aracontent.com. "Imagine the benefits of newspaper and magazine editors accessing articles about your
company and downloading them for publication with a simple stroke of a computer key.
"ARA Content is part of the growing number of distribution services that take advantage of the Internet's
speed and flexibility in order to serve their clients more effectively. Yoch elaborates, "Clients who want to
re-focus an article around a particular holiday, or who want to distribute an ongoing series of articles,
appreciate the speed at which we can update and build upon their existing information."
Attaining publicity through the media is cost-effective because of the extended life the releases have after
they are first published. Newspapers, magazines and online publications may re-print the article and expand its
reach far beyond initial expectations. Copies of published articles also can be redistributed to new prospects
or current customers, giving extra mileage to a company's publicity efforts.
The value of editorial publicity seems clear. As Graham notes, "To fail to use the press to tell a
newsworthy story is to miss one of the best opportunities available to businesses today."
About The Author: This article courtesy of ARA Content, http://www.aracontent.com, e-mail: info@aracontent.com |
EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information, contact Fran Yoch, Vice President, ARA Content at (888) 299-3678.
Did you know that there is more than just one public relations strategy you can use to gain more
customers?
Write articles. You don't have to be a professional writer, but you can get free press and
draw in customers by sharing helpful or interesting information in your area of expertise. Articles can be
short, and you can submit them easily online to multiple article directories for free.
Use business cards. Often overlooked as a marketing tool, business cards can act as mini
ads and be very effective at getting free publicity. Besides including them in all your correspondence - share
them with
other local business owners who offer similar products or services to yours -
but don't directly complete with you. "Teaming up" with other local businesses enables you to refer clients to
each other without having to pay for advertising.
Use social media. Twitter and Facebook can get you a lot of free publicity when used
correctly. The key is to combine useful content for your readers in addition to promotional efforts.
Start speaking. Many local organizations or community groups like to have speakers at their
meetings or events. This can be a great way to get free publicity for your business and at the same time
establish yourself as an expert in your field.
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