How to Write a Press Release

A press release can be like a key that opens a door into a great hallway filled with numerous rooms. It ends up that press releases just aren't what they used to be. There was a time when writing press releases was an exclusive right of members of the media, publicists and public relations specialists. This elite class of specialists would fashion press releases and send them out to various newspapers, radio stations and television stations. Those days are gone. The internet and other innovations now make it possible for the average person to efficiently craft a press release for themselves. But just any type of writing will not suffice.

Even though writing press releases has become something anyone can do, there is still a great storehouse of wisdom on how to write an effective press release that will gain the attention of the intended audience. The online press release is no different. The goals of an online press release are to bring traffic to the online sites where the press release is submitted, to use the right keyword density in order to gain a high ranking in Google and similar searches, and to be Search Engine Optimized. Word choice is critical to the success of that release.

Basic rules of a press release

- A brief clear and to the point headline
- Start with date and location
- First paragraph should grab attention with important keywords
- Body of press release should back up title and include Who, what, when, where, why, and how
- Make it clean and straight to the point for journalists
- Add an ‘about’ paragraph and contact details at bottom
- Keep it news worthy at all times, do not write like an article
- Written in 3rd person format, not as if you are writing about yourself
- Doesn’t need to be massively long