Press releases are a great way to promote your business and generate awareness with the help of search engines. They can be written in any tone, from informal to professional. However, press release writing is not as easy as it seems.
There are certain guidelines you need to follow while creating one so that it gets noticed by online readers quickly and generates impactful results for your business.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Craft a compelling headline that grabs attention. |
| 2. Start with a strong lead paragraph to summarize the key points. |
| 3. Provide relevant and newsworthy information that adds value. |
| 4. Use quotes from key sources to add credibility and insight. |
| 5. Keep the press release concise and focused, around 300-800 words. |
| 6. Incorporate multimedia elements like images and videos to enhance engagement. |
| 7. Include accurate contact information for media inquiries. |
| 8. Use a clear and professional writing style with proper grammar and formatting. |
| 9. Tailor your press release to your target audience and their interests. |
| 10. Highlight the unique angle or perspective of your story. |
| 11. Follow the standard press release format with dateline and boilerplate. |
| 12. Optimize for SEO by including relevant keywords naturally. |
| 13. Proofread and edit your press release for accuracy and clarity. |
| 14. Consider using press release distribution services for wider reach. |
| 15. Monitor and analyze the performance of your press release for insights. |
1. Style
Be concise and to the point, but don’t be too short (no one likes a one-sentence article). You want your readers to feel like they have gotten their money’s worth after reading it.
On the other hand, if you’re writing for an industry newsletter that’s read by professionals who often specialize in your subject matter, you might consider going into more detail than usual.
For example, if you were writing about marketing strategies for small businesses and providing tips on how to diversify their offerings or increase their visibility online you could include specific examples from a client case study illustrating these different strategies in action.
Write in an active voice (as opposed to passive) when possible; this keeps things moving along nicely without sounding stuffy or formalized (like many business memos do).
If someone needs informing about something important happening at work then let them know immediately so that they can start acting accordingly right away instead of waiting around wondering what’s going on until later today when everyone gets together again after lunch break`
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2. Blurbs
Blurbs are short, descriptive text about your press release. They should be used to describe the content of your press release. Blurbs should always be written in the third person (“This is an example of a great blurb that we could include in our next press release:”). This can help readers understand what to expect from reading about and using your product/service.
Blurbs also need to be active voice rather than passive voice and written in present tense instead of future or past tense and they shouldn’t use any acronyms, abbreviations, or industry jargon unless there is a good reason for it.
3. Call To Action
A call to action is an instruction that tells readers what you want them to do when they’ve finished reading your press release. The most common form of a call-to-action is “Read more” or “Click here.”
Most PR professionals advise keeping this as short and simple as possible because you’ll need to communicate it clearly for it to be effective.
You don’t want an overcomplicated message getting in the way of your press release’s main message; keep your calls-to-action simple but clear enough so that they’re easy for readers who read only headlines (or just scan) will be able to understand them quickly and clearly.
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4. Linking
Linking to your existing website, social media accounts, blog posts, videos, images, and infographics will help readers find more information about you or your product.
Include links to press releases that you have done in the past, case studies, and testimonials (if any). This can be a very effective way of showing the value of what you are offering.
5. Make Your Title Interesting
With your title, you have just one chance to make a first impression. Since the title is what will be used in any article that references your press release, it should be as interesting and attention-grabbing as possible.
A good rule of thumb is to use keywords that are not too common or obscure.
For example, if you’re writing an article about a new device designed by Apple Inc. it’s best to avoid using terms like “new gadget” or “latest product,” because these keywords are too generic and do not accurately convey what the piece is about.
If you can come up with the more specific language in your headline (i.e., “Apple Unveils iWatch”), all the better!
Similarly, short headlines tend not to work as well as longer ones; if there isn’t enough space for an entire sentence (which will likely happen if there aren’t many words), then try breaking it up into several lines instead this way everything still makes sense even though there won’t be room for all of them on one line together anyway.”
6. Headlines
The headline is the first thing your readers will see, so it has to be catchy, attention-grabbing, and relevant. It should also be easy to understand, read and scan.
Here are some tips for writing a great headline:
- Make it short–no more than 7 words
- Use numbers and statistics if appropriate – people like numbers!
- Use words that are relevant to your story (but don’t overdo it)
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7. Cross-links within your press release
Cross-links are vital to SEO and user experience. They also help with branding, by creating a narrative. They can be used to create a hierarchy, which means you can break up your press release into different sections so it’s easier for the reader to follow what they are reading.
Cross-links within your press releases allow you to structure them in such a way that makes sense for both you and your audience.
8. Texting
Text messaging is one of the most effective ways to reach out to audiences, especially younger ones. When you send a press release via text message, your audience will receive it in real-time and be able to share it with others on social media or in person and they might even save it for later reading!
There are two ways you can do this: either by using an automated service like e-blast software that sends out messages en masse or by manually typing in each recipient’s number (which could take forever).
If you want an easy way out, opt for an automated service like Eblasts Hub Pro; it allows users to create personalized SMS campaigns using templates and then sends them out automatically through text messages at specified times of the day. This means no more waiting around while texts trickle into your phone one by one; instead, they arrive all at once with one click!
9. Press Release Service Providers
PR services are a great option for beginners who don’t have time to write a PR on their own, for people who don’t have the technical skills to write a PR themselves, and for people who just don’t want to spend the time writing one. The main advantage of using an online press release service is that it can be written in six hours or less and cost less than $200.
10. Titles And Headlines Are Important
The headline is the most important part of your press release. It’s what readers will see first, so it needs to grab their attention and be memorable. To make sure you have the best possible headline for your press release, follow these tips:
Use catchy words and phrases in your title or headline. If you want people to read it, you need to make sure that they know what they’ll get from it immediately after reading the title or headline.
Use keywords in headlines if possible. If there are certain words that people search for online when looking for information about your product or service, then include those keywords in your headlines so that Google can help people find your content more easily!
Make sure each piece of content is specific enough so that readers know exactly what they’re getting when they click through (e.g., “How To Create A SaaS Startup In Under One Month” vs “Startup Tips”).
Learning from those who’ve been there can be invaluable. Gain insights from an experienced press release writer’s lessons and elevate your press release game.
11. The Art Of Storytelling And Press Release Writing
Storytelling is an art that goes back to our earliest days as cavemen. It was the first form of communication, used to convey events and information in a way that could be easily understood by the tribe. Press releases are often viewed as dry business documents by the public, but you can use storytelling to make your PR more interesting and effective.
Storytelling has been used in marketing for decades now, and there are some tried-and-true methods for making sure your story is memorable. Don’t shy away from using these tried-and-true methods they work!
12. Blurbs Or Snippets Or Teasers
Blurbs are short, to-the-point teasers that introduce your press release. They can be used for any type of content and should be relevant to the subject of the release. They should be interesting and SEO-friendly so that they get picked up by search engines and more people will read them!
A good blurb will make people want to read more about what you’re talking about in your release. So don’t waste any time on them — write something snappy!
13. Links in Press Releases
When you’re writing your press release, it’s important to include links in your text. This can be done by using hyperlinks or including the anchor text for a link within the body of the sentence. Links are a great way to direct readers to more information on your site.
Linking out can increase traffic and help build your brand’s reputation as an authoritative and trusted source of information. The most effective way to do this is by linking out only once at the end of each paragraph or at least every 100 words or so.
This helps keep readers engaged with what you’re writing about and prevents them from getting distracted by other sites while they read through your content!
How do you know where these links should point? A good rule of thumb is that if someone has reached this page, they’ve already decided they want some additional information on whatever topic is discussed here – so where better than directly off our website?
14. Tags For Better Optimization Of Your Press Releases By Search Engines
You need to use the proper tags for your press release, otherwise, it won’t be able to get indexed. The tags are what search engines use to determine which keywords your press release should be associated with.
A good place to start is using keywords that are relevant and specific to the news story you want to share. For example, if a company has launched a new product line aimed at women over 40, they would want their press releases tagged with “women over 40.”
This makes it easier for people who search this term in Google or Bing (or whatever other search engine they might use) because they’ll find more relevant results than they would have otherwise and thus be more likely to click through on one of those links instead of wasting time sifting through irrelevant listings.
You can also add key phrases like “new product lines” so that you rank higher when someone searches these terms together rather than just one word at a time (think about how many people may type “product lines” but not necessarily include “new”).
The same goes for URLs: make sure they’re short but descriptive enough so readers know what type of content they’re getting into when clicking through that’s why it helps if you match up keyword-rich text within both meta descriptions as well as titles!
15. Press Release Distribution Sites Can Give You High-Quality Links
Press release distribution sites can give you high-quality links
If you’re looking to build your brand, getting a link from a press release distribution site is an effective way to do this.
The article will be written in a professional tone, and it will include your company’s name, which gives them more authority over other types of articles that don’t use your company name. Press releases also have time-sensitive information as well as facts about new products or services being offered by the company, so they have some authority too!
Want to master press release writing? Dive into the definitive guide to press release writing and enhance your understanding of this powerful communication tool.
Following These Tips, Will Help You Generate Quality Pros And Achieve Greater Visibility Online
If you’re looking for more visibility online and want to stand out from the competition, then a press release is one of the best ways to achieve this.
In this post, we’ll explore 17 tips that will help you generate quality PRs and achieve greater visibility online:
- Write an interesting headline that grabs people’s attention
- Write concise paragraphs with active verbs and strong nouns for better readability
- Use keywords in your text for better optimization by search engines
Conclusion
Now that you have all the tools to write a press release, it’s time to try it out. Write your first press release and publish it on a news site or blog. You can check out our Press Release Writing Guide for more tips on improving your PRs.
Further Reading
15 Tips for Writing a Great Press Release: Enhance your press release skills with these valuable tips to make your content stand out.
The 10 Golden Rules of Writing Press Releases: Discover the essential rules to follow when crafting effective press releases for promoting your business.
7 Tips We Love for Writing a Press Release That Gets Noticed: Explore these tips that have proven successful in creating press releases that capture attention and engagement.
FAQs
What are the key elements of a successful press release?
A successful press release should include a clear headline, relevant and engaging content, quotes from key stakeholders, and accurate contact information for media inquiries.
How can I make my press release more newsworthy?
To make your press release more newsworthy, focus on timely and relevant topics, highlight unique angles, and provide valuable insights or solutions.
Is there a recommended length for a press release?
Yes, a press release is typically around 300-800 words in length. It should be concise while conveying all necessary information.
How do I distribute my press release effectively?
Consider using press release distribution services, reaching out to relevant journalists or media outlets, and sharing it on your company’s website and social media platforms.
Can I include multimedia in my press release?
Absolutely. Adding multimedia elements like images, videos, or infographics can enhance the visual appeal of your press release and make it more engaging for readers.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.