Developing a news release might seem like a daunting task at first to you, but with a little research and experience you will be able to write an excellent piece. To begin, just follow the advice below for writing and sending your news release. 1. Include Company Information If your company is going to take the time to write a news article, you should probably take the time to write a paragraph about the company. This gives the reporters a little background information on the business and qualifies the source of information. 2. Interest Your Audience Keep your audience and the publications readers in mind. Before writing your press release you should consider why the news matters to them. Ask yourself if you'd want to read the press release, if you were in their shoes. 3. Compelling Headlines Just like the rest of your marketing, you need a headline that will catch the attention of your intended audience (in this case the news editor). It will likely be the first thing the editor reads. If it doesn't catch his attention, it will also be the last. 4. Personalize Your Distribution Get the name of the person you are sending your press release to and place it in a prominent position. Be sure to double-check the spelling. 5. Stay Relevant Journalists want news that is relevant to their audience. Writing to meet the needs of the publication your submitting to greatly improves your odds of inclusion. 6. Build Credibility Quotes from your company's senior executives should do. News releases are taken a much more seriously when the boss's name is on the line. 7. Communicate Pertinent Information An old rule in journalism says that you should include the 5 W's and H. This holds true for press releases. Be sure to answer the questions What, Who, When, Where, Why, and How. 8. Positive Perception If the local community could perceive your news in a negative manner, you should take extra care to highlight the potential positives of the announcement. 9. Deal With Facts News articles should include factual information. Leave the opinions for the editorial column. It is ok, however, to include quotes that feature opinions. 10. Localize It Using quotes from each of your target markets is a great idea. News editors love quotes from respected individuals in their community or industry. Be sure to include quotes from groups that read the publications you have targeted with your press release. 11. Get Permission When including individual's quotes in your press release it's always a good idea to get permission. Verbal permission is always that is usually required, but this can prevent future problems as well as clarify any misunderstandings. 12. Make Yourself Reachable Provide a specific contact person with a phone number where they can be reached. Don't make contacting you a challenge. In fact it's a good idea to include an email address, web address, and fax number as well. 13. Use Controversy A great way to generate publicity with your press release could be to create controversy (even where there is none). If you run a computer store, for example, you might consider a headline that says Is your software stolen?" It doesn't offend anyone, but instantly places you in a position to be the trustworthy whistle blower. 14. Clean Layout For press releases submitted by mail, you should always double space them, number your pages, type News Release" at the top, and include a release date. 15. Verify Accuracy When it comes to numbers, names, and locations it's easy to make mistakes. You should always double-check everything to avoid embarrassing mistakes. By applying these rules for improving your media releases, you substantially increase the chance of your media release being published. If you'd like additional ways to improve your media release writing you should look at the amazing list of ways to write more effective press releases.
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