Successful Press Releases Get Your Company Noticed

A press release, also called a media release or news brief, is your ticket to free publicity - sometimes lots of free publicity. It's worth taking the time to do it right, because a neat, well-written, properly formatted press release about an interesting topic will all but jump up and say, "Hello, there!" to whichever editor's desk it crosses - and you'd better expend the effort to make sure it's crossing the right editor's desk, as well.

Press releases are simply brief announcements sent out to the media about something you want the media to know. They might be intended to entice a reporter to cover an event; update the public on an office relocation or a new hire or contract; or toot the company's horn about a contribution made or award won.

"When I'm out at various community functions and run into local businesspeople, they'll tell me about interesting, exciting happenings in their business," said Becky Mangus, publisher of The Business Monthly. "I'll tell them, 'Send me a press release about it.' People don't remember to do that. They don't realize that a published press release will get their company's name in the public eye, and may just sow the seeds for an entire article about them."



Is It News?

A press release is not an advertisement. Editors will deep-six a submission that reads like one as fast as it takes them to hit the Delete button. Instead, think like a reporter. What is the news story you are trying to communicate? A good press release answers all the "five Ws": who, what, when, where, why (and how), and captures the attention of the editor with interesting, well-worded, succinct information.

Keep the wording clear, concise and devoid of technical terminology and flowery marketing language. Avoid subjective adjectives such as "exciting," "successful" and "tasty." Use the active voice. Instead of, "Jack Cohen has recently been hired by ABC to the position of vice president of marketing," write, "ABC recently hired Jack Cohen as vice president of marketing."



Structuring Your News Brief

A well-crafted press release follows a certain style. Although publications may consider your submission without using the commonly accepted format, they much prefer it.

¥ In the top right corner of the page, include the date and, directly below, type, "For Immediate Release" (if the release announces an upcoming event, you may put, "News and Photo Opportunity" instead). On the next line, include a contact name and phone number.

¥ Your headline should summarize the main point of your story. Grab the reader's attention with strong, dynamic wording, but keep it short and to the point.

¥ The body of your press release follows a pattern known as the inverted pyramid. The editor will tend to shorten your piece by cutting from the bottom up. Make sure the most important information and quotations are retained by putting them first. And keep the document short; two pages is the generally accepted maximum.

¥ Your last paragraph should be descriptive of your company. Although it most likely will be deleted from the published release, that information may convince an editor that you are worthy of additional coverage.

¥ End the release with -30- or ###.

¥ If you have a photo available, go ahead and send it. Be sure to include a caption with the first and last names of any people in the photo and what the photo is depicting.



Just the Facts

Above all, be sure all your information is accurate. Double-check that the dates are right and names are spelled correctly. Avoid embellishments. Errors are bad for both you and the publication, and an editor may question using your information. Get permission for any quotations or photographs you use.



E-Mail, Please

In this day and age, there is no reason to not submit your press release in electronic format. In fact, it's rare that an editor will take the time to have your hard copy information entered into the computer.

Broadcast your press release to as many media as it is relevant to. There's no guarantee that a publication will use your submission, but with the use of e-mail format, once you have your media contact list established, it takes very little additional time to transmit to additional publications and broadcasters.

Pay attention to the publication's deadlines. Call ahead and check the schedule and the name and e-mail address of the appropriate editor. Popular sections of the newspaper are business and people in business news. Also, for local publications, include your business or residence location in your communication as that may affect whether your news is used or whether you will be considered to be out of the coverage area.

It takes a little time and effort, but the creation of press releases can keep your company's name in the public eye. The old show biz adage says: "No publicity is bad publicity," but a press release is a great way to get some good publicity.