Writing Press Releases

What are mistakes in press releases?

I’m writing a press release – what are some mistakes that people make (I don’t want to make the same ones)? I’ve heard that mistakes can prevent it from being printed so what should I avoid doing?

I can’t really give you a definitive answer, but I’ve worked with adapting press releases to be printed in newspapers before, so I can give you some pointers from my perspective. These were for event coverage, so I’m not sure if they’re entirely applicable:
- Make sure you send the press release to the right people – media that cover the area and topic you’re discussing. In the organization, there will be specific people whose job it is to handle press releases; it’s best to get it to them
- Get the press release in as early as reasonably possible (that is, not years ahead, but with a decent grace period)
- Make sure all the information necessary is present and correct. This should seem like a given, but make sure any dates, times, locations, contact info are there, that days of the week correspond to dates, etc.
- Leave contact info in case further details are needed

Here’s a good template:

http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp

Best of luck!

how to write press releases?

What are the most important guidelines to follow for writing good press releases?

Write the headline. It should be brief, clear and to the point: an ultra-compact version of the press release’s key point.

News release headlines should have a "grabber" to attract readers, i.e., journalists, just as a newspaper headline is meant to grab readers. It may describe the latest achievement of an organization, a recent newsworthy event, a new product or service. For example, "XYZ Co. enters strategic partnership with ABC Co. in India & United States."
Headlines are written in bold and are typically larger than the press release text. Conventional press release headlines are present-tense and exclude "a" and "the" as well as forms of the verb "to be" in certain contexts.
The first word in the press release headline should be capitalized, as should all proper nouns. Most headline words appear in lower-case letters, although adding a stylized "small caps" style can create a more graphically news-attractive look and feel. Do not capitalize every word.
The simplest method to arrive at the press release headline is to extract the most important keywords from your press release. Now from these keywords, try to frame a logical and attention-getting statement. Using keywords will give you better visibility in search engines, and it will be simpler for journalists and readers to get the idea of the press release content.
Write the press release body copy. The press release should be written as you want it to appear in a news story.

Start with the date and city in which the press release is originated. The city may be omitted if it will be confusing, for example if the release is written in New York about events in the company’s Chicago division.
The lead, or first sentence, should grab the reader and say concisely what is happening. The next 1-2 sentences then expand upon the lead.
The press release body copy should be compact. Avoid using very long sentences and paragraphs. Avoid repetition and over use of fancy language and jargon.
A first paragraph (two to three sentences) must actually sum up the press release and the further content must elaborate it. In a fast-paced world, neither journalists nor other readers would read the entire press release if the start of the article didn’t generate interest.
Deal with actual facts – events, products, services, people, targets, goals, plans, projects. Try to provide maximum use of concrete facts. A simple method for writing an effective press release is to make a list of following things:
Communicate the 5 Ws and the H. Who, what, when, where, why, and how. Then consider the points below if pertinent.

What is the actual news?
Why this is news?
The people, products, items, dates and other things related with the news.
The purpose behind the news.
Your company – the source of this news.
Now from the points gathered, try to construct paragraphs and assemble them sequentially: The headline > the summary or introduction of the news > event or achievements > product > people > again the concluding summary > the company.
The length of a press release should be no more than three pages. If you are sending a hard copy, text should be double-spaced.
The more newsworthy you make the press release copy, the better the chances of it being selected by a journalist or reporting. Find out what "newsworthy" means to a given market and use it to hook the editor or reporter.
Include information about the company. When a journalist picks up your press release for a story, he/she would logically have to mention the company in the news article. Journalists can then get the company information from this section.

The title for this section should be – About XYZ_COMPANY
After the title, use a paragraph or two to describe your company with 5/6 lines each. The text must describe your company, its core business and the business policy. Many businesses already have a professionally written brochures, presentations, business plans, etc. – that introductory text can be put here.
At the end of this section, point to your website. The link should be the exact and complete URL without any embedding so that, even if this page is printed, the link will be printed as it is. For example: http://www.your_company_website.com. Companies which maintain a separate media page on their websites must point to that URL here. A media page typically has contact information and press kits.
Tie it together. Provide some extra information links that support your press release.
Add contact information. If your press release is really newsworthy, journalists would surely like more information or would like to interview key people associated with it.

If you are comfortable with the idea of letting your key people being directly contacted by media, you can provide their contact details on the press release page itself. For example, in case of some innovation, you can provide the contact information of your engineering or research team for the media

does anyone know how to write a press release?

i have just got done writing a book on how to lose up to 36 inch’s in under 2 weeks with a secret bodywrap recipe that i have developed and a detox program that my personal training clients love, does anyone know how to write an effective press release. i would be willing to trade a copy of my book for a great press release.

Contact the editors of various news papers or health magazines by e-mail with short pre review of the topic,with your ph.no.Someone will depute a correspondent to contact you.If there is no responce within a week,check the names and e-mail addresses of health correspondents from the same source and e-mail them.Someone will contact you for sure.If the article has real good matter in it,you will get the break through and leave the rest to them.

EditPro-How to Do a Press Release (2)

Press release

Duration : 0:1:31

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Writing the Press Release

Writing like a journalist helps ensure your release will be picked up.

Duration : 0:1:50

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How to Write a Book, Get Published and Become an Author

http://www.everythingyoushouldknow.com Is your dream to have a career as a bestselling author, speaker and expert?

Are you on a mission to change people’s lives?

Then I can help you make this dream come true.

Hi, my name is Arielle Ford and while I can’t wave a magic wand to make your dreams come true I CAN give you ALL the information and tools you’ll need to make it as an author, a speaker and an expert.

I am uniquely qualified to be your guide into the world of publishing, publicity, speaking and building a platform.

For the past 15 years I have represented some of the biggest and brightest authors in the world, people like Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, don Miguel Ruiz, Dean Ornish, Louise Hay, Gary Zukav and many others.

In my 15 years as a publicist I have represented hundreds of authors, 11 of which became #1 New York Times bestsellers, 10 of which appeared on Oprah, 8 got on Good Morning America, and many appeared on Larry King, Today Show and had stories USA Today, People magazine and the New York Times. I am also a literary agent and an author with six books to my credit including The Hot Chocolate For The Mystical Soul series.

I know what its like to mortgage my home to self-publish a book, I have been on many book tours and appeared on dozens of local and national TV and radio shows. I have been there and I KNOW WHAT IT TAKES to be a success in this business. NOW I am going to share with you ALL OF MY INSIDER SECRETS and tell you EVERTYHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PUBLISHING, PUBLICITY AND BUILDING A PLATFORM!

According to USA Today and the Association of American Publishers 82% of all Americans plan to write a book someday.

I’m only interested in talking to the SERIOUS, GROUNDED FOLKS who want to make it BIG and UNDERSTAND that it takes hard work, perseverance, talent and dedication to have a successful career as an author, expert and speaker.

I know what it takes to create a successful career in this business and I plan to share ALL of my knowledge in the 6 hours and 180 pages of EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PUBLISHING, PUBLICITY & BUILDING A PLATFORM.

Not only will I give you the straight facts on how to create a career, I will also give you a reference book with EVERYTHING you will need including the email addressees and direct lines to my favorite Oprah producers.

This product is the equivalent of a graduate level course on the publishing world. It’s packed with insider information and tips you can’t find anywhere else. Not in books, not college campuses.

In this package you will learn how the publishing industry works and
What publishers are looking for!

I will explain:

How to build a speaking career

How to build the ALL IMPORTANT Platform

As well as what it takes to market and publicize a book.

You will hear interviews with 3 highly successful bestselling authors who will share with you how they got started as speakers and the secrets to their success.

I will explain the details of finding an agent and a publisher including the do’s and don’ts of writing a book proposal.

The reference guide also includes lists of freelance editors, publicists, author escorts and an entire section on publishing resources.

I’ll show you how to do your own publicity and give you samples of pitch letters, press releases, and even scripts on how to leave an effective voice mail message.

This is just a fraction of the material you will receive in this 6 hour audio and resource guide.

If your dream is to have a career as a bestselling author, speaker and expert
This package will provide you with the information you need to make your dreams a reality.

Visit http://www.everythingyoushouldknow.com for a free special report on how to become a successful author.

Duration : 0:4:56

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How To Write A Press Release For Your Small Business

How often do you take advantage of Press Releases as a PR Marketing Strategy? Many small business owners overlook the power of the press release. When you write a great release announcing a new service , products or a new direction and if positioned properly, chances are good that a reporter will pick it up and run a story on you.

Did you know that the media finds a large percentage of their story ideas on the Internet ? Writing a good press release will answer the 4 W’s , Who, What, Where, When , and Why in the content of the press. Have a strong headline that will grab the attention of the journalist. It is important to have your keywords in the headline. Don’t write the press release trying to sell your products or services. Your goal is to educate the journalist because they tune into one station which is What’s In It For Me (WIIFM) and their target audience/readers.

So, next time you release something newsworthy, submit it to
online Press Release databases like these ones:

http://www.free-press-release-center.info
http://www.prweb.com
http://www.prleap.com

Writing a press release will help increase your link popularity and when you submit to Frëe Press Release Center they allow you to provide some keywords for your press release. With increase link popularity this will drive more traffic to your website and increase your page ranking. From a web strategy point of view consider upgrading your account with Free Press Release Center because your press release remain in their system forever.

When you write your press release it is very important optimize it for the keywords that are important for your website, services, products , books etc. This will translate into more traffic because when someone searches for information your website will be found and seen relevant by the search engines. Visit website www.goodkeywords.com which is a free service that will help you search for keywords and phrases related to your particular industry.

Embrace the power of writing Press Releases as PR Marketing Strategy for your small business.

Robert L Moment
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/how-to-write-a-press-release-for-your-small-business-124486.html

The Art/science of Writing a Winning Resume

The subject of good resume writing has never become obsolete, and in today’s tough job market, it is smart to get the process down to an exact science.

Computers and the Internet have made it a lot easier for the erstwhile job-seeker to craft and distribute a resume.

However, easier doesn’t always mean better. In fact, resumes have gotten longer – in some cases, three pages and beyond.

Do PR people have more responsibilities? Or, are word processing programs making it easier, faster and cheaper to write and distribute lengthy resumes? Or, are long-resume writers likely to be long-winded in person?

Good press releases

Follow the basic principles of journalism – who, what, when, where and why. That means, short, substantive sentences that actually convey facts.

The two-page rule still applies.

“Chronological” format (titles, company names, job descriptions listed in date order) is the preferred format. However, people with many years of experience often opt for the more abbreviated “functional” version.

Arial and Times Roman are the recommended fonts. Exotic fonts are distracting and hard to read. Be font consistent throughout.

Keep bolding, italicizing and underscoring to a minimum. They are generally reserved for sub-headings which include company names, titles and dates. Use underscores for references to publication titles, quotations and such.

Use one-inch margins top and bottom, and at least half-inch margins left and right. It’s better to have more white space than too many words.

Job and/or career objectives are okay when career direction is not obvious from reading the resume. Career summaries and highlights are also OK.

Avoid the “cutesy” approach. No gifts (like a chunk of Brie with a note inscribed to “The Big Cheese”), stunts (balloon/flower deliveries), teasers (telegrams delivered, saying on it: “I have a great idea for a campaign. Hire me today and I’ll tell you what it is”).

Resumes on tapes, CDs, disks and high-content rag pages are a nice touch, but expensive to produce and distribute. Keep it simple.

Word processing template resumes are certainly acceptable and useful at keeping the writer within basic format guidelines.

Letters

Keep to one page.

Don’t start your letter by saying “If you are looking for a person with, etc. etc. “Well, look no further.” Chances are our clients will definitely look further.

As your high school typing teacher warned you – don’t sound too chummy when writing a business letter. Maintain professionalism at all times.

And remember, just about all correspondence software has a spell-checker and, in some cases, a grammar-checker. Use them.

If you’re sending your letter and resume via fax or the U.S. mail, be sure to sign it. It’s a nice personal touch in an otherwise impersonal, digital world. When sending an e-mail letter, close the letter with your name typed out.

Thank-you notes

Nothing in the computerized world can replace a handwritten thank-you note. It’s polite, it’s personalized, it’s professional. Given the overabundance of e-mails that everyone, least of all employers receive, an e-mailed thank-you note can get lost, deleted or overlooked. By sending yours the old-fashioned way, you’ll be remembered for your good manners in addition to all you’ll bring to their table, should you be hired.

Job-seekers don’t need to spend a fortune; a box of simple letterhead and envelopes from the local stationery store will do just fine. Keep your envelopes stamped in advance – this way it’s harder to procrastinate about not having gone to the post office! Unless an interview was a complete disaster or you’re definitely not interested in the job, taking this extra measure can help a great deal.

Email

In the sender’s info area of your e-mail message, your name and the word “resume” in the subject is sufficient.

If possible, send both your letter and resume in the body of the email and also send them as an attachment.

Avoid email “priority” indicators. They are an alarmist tactic and should only be used in an emergency or when conveying classified information.

The beginning of a job search is a good time to change that “really cool” e-mail address to a more professional-sounding identifier. We’ve received materials from people with e-mail addresses with the words dudes, studs, vixens, gals, buddies, chicks, love machines and the like.

Unless you’re auditioning for the next Bond movie or ghost-writing the next Jackie Collins book, leave the personal stuff on a second, personal e-mail address.

For obvious reasons, home or private e-mail addresses are always preferable to that of your employer.

Requesting a “return receipt” is OK; still, follow up within a decent interval.

When in doubt, use a PC platform. Macs are fine, but can display some quirks when being read by a PC.

After putting the finishing touches on your letter and resume, send it to a friend to make sure it can be read and doesn’t have any viruses. Have a trusted associate double-proofread it to ensure it reads smoothly.

Lastly, computer address books are very handy. But it is easy to click on the wrong name and send your resume to THAT person – thus risking some serious embarrassment, or worse.

There you have it. When it comes to letter and resume writing, remember the old adage, “The more things change…”

Dennis Spring
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/the-artscience-of-writing-a-winning-resume-128167.html

(part#2) What is the Local Search Syndicate

http://www.localsearchsyndicate.com – This is the internet’s best place to dominate your market using video, information marketing, social media, podcasting, teleseminars, article writing, press releases

Duration : 0:5:29

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Creative Writing and Content for Websites, Blogging, and Newsletters

http://www.cuttersword.com
At Cutter’s Word, we recognize the value of having a creative and personal touch in your organization’s communication needs. Cutter’s Word offers clients individualized content and design for all of their communication requirements. In addition to producing content for web media including websites, e-newsletters and blogging, we also offer layout and design for fliers, newsletters, brochures, press releases and other marketing material. We can ghost write material for you or coach you through the writing or publishing process. We also present workshops and speaking engagements in creative journaling, grief journaling, self-advocacy, self-defense and relationships and disabilities.

website version

Duration : 0:0:56

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