Press releases seem to be relegated to PR firms and seen as a marketing method only used by major corporations or large companies.  However, as a start-up or small business you might not be able to afford the costs associated with creating and distributing a press release through a traditional firm or agency.  The press release has evolved into something more than just an announcement about your company.  No longer do you have to wait and hope that a journalist or editor will pick up on your story – with the internet, your press releases can reach the people who influence what is read online.  From bloggers to local reporters to people halfway around the world, you can distribute a press release that may be seen by thousands of people in a very short period of time.

Undertaking the creation of a press release does not have to be an overwhelming task.  Approached systematically, you can gain the attention of the media and your target audience by following a few tips and strategies.  For this post we’re going to stay away from the distribution and focus on the creation of your press release.

Creating an effective press release

I have used the following tips to generate a lot of media attention and interviews for different websites, blogs, and businesses.  If you go into creating a press release with a system, you can see much more results and attention from your publicity.

• Determine your audience

  Who do you want to reach with your press release?  Editors, bloggers, local news outlets, or maybe specific geographic areas.  By defining who you are trying to reach, you can build your press release around your audience.

• Outline your content

  What do you want to convey with your press release?  Are you doing something new and spectacular or launching a new product?  Maybe you’re announcing a contest or running a promotion that you want to get the word out about.  You need to understand what (and why) you are creating a press release in the first place.Your content needs to be compelling.  While the promotion you just gave someone within your company is great for morale by putting out a press release – you can’t expect to get interviews or a lot of attention, because it has very narrow appeal.  To reach the most people, you need to provide them with a reason to be interested in what you are saying.

• Craft a killer headline

  Perhaps the single most important aspect of your press release is your headline.  Advertising legend David Ogilvy once said:

On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.

Make it intriguing, compelling, controversial, or anything that will draw the reader’s attention and make them want to read more.

• Tell a story – and be less commercial

  Many press releases fall on deaf ears because of their overly commercial tone and style.  Approach with a unique twist that highlights your news or announcement in a way that is colorful and engaging to the reader.

• Short, sweet, and simple

  People can see through hype and don’t have much time to digest information (your press release is one of thousands that are distributed each day), so keep it short and simple – highlighting your main points.

• Your contact information

  Ensure that all of your contact information is included in the release. With the possibility of social media outlets picking up on your story, you will also want to include things like a link to your blog, your Twitter account, and the major social media sites where you have a presence.  The contact information that you should consider including:

  • Address
  • Phone & Fax
  • Contact Name
  • Website
  • Email address
  • Twitter or Facebook
  • Blog

• Track the effectiveness

  After you have distributed your press release you need to track how effective it actually was.  How many sales did it generate?  How many interviews or media mentions?  Did bloggers write about you?  Find out what you did that was (or wasn’t) successful so you can adjust your next press release accordingly.