Writing an Effective Press Release is About Telling a Story

A press release can save you a fortune in advertising costs. All you need is a little imagination!

The press release is one of the most powerful promotional tools for your business. It can be used by the one-person start-up or a multinational conglomerate. However, a press release should never sound like an advertisement. Historically, the press release was used to entice the press into writing an article about you. Nowadays, it has life as it stands and can be aimed at your potential customers directly. But do not spoil the effect by including advertising jargon. Your press release needs to offer authoritative and impartial information about your organization presented in an interesting way.

What's so special about press releases anyway?

The press release is used by companies to announce, for example, new products and services, a new CEO, upcoming or successful projects, etc. It may sound a bit like advertising but the difference is that the press release can both be submitted without charge and, if written correctly, it does not attract the negative connotations of an advertisement. This means that you do not have to pay for your space whether this is in the local papers or magazines, or for internet publication. And compared to news articles, press releases are written as if to encourage media interest. In fact, nowadays, your target reader will be your potential customers rather than journalists.

Writing the press release

Press releases should always aim to tell an interesting story. Therefore, what you are going to write should attract attention but it should also stick to facts. Never use exaggeration or say anything misleading in a press release. In a nutshell, try to find a newsworthy story but avoid hype.

Channel the reporter in you

In order to write an effective press release that will attract your customers, you need to think like a reporter. Pretend you are a reporter or put yourself in a reporter's shoes. Try to leave your own opinions aside, and approach the article objectively. To think like a reporter, make sure that you avoid all promotional language. This will cause your reader to click elsewhere. You need to be able to deliver the story from an angle that sounds interesting to your target audience but avoids sales copy. Use your professional knowledge and expertise and you will not go far wrong.

Formatting the press release

There are certain elements that you should probably include in your release. These elements will help it to come across as a press release and not be mistaken for something else. For starters, the most important things about the story should be mentioned first and then you can gradually move on to the details. The format that is usually used for press releases includes the following elements:

The headline – this is written as you would write a headline for the newspapers. Just make sure it is catchy but still informative and related to your story.

Introduction – This is where you catch the reader's attention whilst including the who, what, when, where, and why of your story.

Body – This is where you elaborate on the details whilst still keeping the story interesting.

Company information – Indicate any background information about your company but never cite the entire history of how your business started, etc.

Your contact information – This is the part where you put a link or contact details depending on your requirements.

Get started

You will find press releases easy to write once you get used to them. And don't be afraid to post a new release every few days to build up your credibility in the market. This is what the bigger companies do. Press releases are easy to write once you grow used to them. Local Press Releaser enables you to target your local customers in your release. Very few other press release sites are set up with this in mind so make full use of this opportunity. When you have posted a press release, start planning your next one to keep up the momentum and to be taken more seriously than your competitors.