The Press Release is Dead! I wrote last January in one of my favorite articles ever. After looking at what various authorities said, here was my parting remark, “So is the press release dead? Definitely not, but it has come out of its cocoon to become a social media butterfly.” Why did I make such a pronouncement? I’m glad you asked. If you remember we discussed that the press release was a way to announce news of your business or service to more people than just those who make it through the noise to your website. PRWeb says that they use “press release” and “news release” interchangeably to capture relevant search traffic. They also mentioned a newly coined idea “social media release.” So now that we are in agreement that the press release is not dead, we need to look at how to write one. Giving us this information will be guest blogger Fraser D Smith of Pro-Content also of Australia.--Jaco
Writing A Press Release That Demands Attention
There is no strict formula for writing a Press Release. Most good content writers would attest to this tried and true method for creating a release that will clearly announce a specific message. If you would like to discover how to create an effective release or want to know what to expect from a professional, this post will help you create and structure the ultimate press release.
The Header
The top line of your release is typically a capitalized one sentence capsulated wrap up of what the primary message. This should be the line that identifies to the reader what the release is about. In essence, think of this line as a sort of Meta Description. For example:
NEW PRO-CONTENT BLOG POST DETAILS HOW TO WRITE A PRESS RELEASE - TO BE LAUNCHED ON MAY 9TH, 2013.
The Grabber
With a little more content than the header, this section of a press release is intended to draw the reader in. Like an 'entré' of sorts, providing a taste of what's to come. It describes, in more detail, the importance of reading the release and how it is valuable to the reader. The grabber is normally voiced as a sales pitch. If it is written correctly, the reader should be sold without having to continue reading. For example:
Have you ever pondered how to write a press release in the correct format? With the help of our service, you can access the information that you need today. Any business owner, web site developer, sales executive or writer can obtain and use this information immediately, perhaps providing significant savings.
The Main Text
This is essentially the 'main course' of the press release. Any information that is essential to the message of the release should be included here. The first paragraph should begin with the date of the release, then move on to the detail. Each paragraph should describe an individual talking point of the advertisement. When ordering a press release or drafting one yourself, it is always helpful to write an item list outlining a topic for each of these paragraphs. This helps the flow of the content and provides value to the statement. In a list of 5 items you might use the alternative services or options for the last two paragraphs and keep the important information about the advertisement in the first three.
About Us Section
This section describes the web site or business and is intended to build trust with the reader. This is a very simple section. Typically, the information includes the site or company launch date, how they have grown over the years and where they are today. This information should be kept professional rather than conversational.
Contact Info
Obviously, no press release is complete unless providing information on how to contact the distributor of the advertisement for more information as well as a last chance to include the web site's URL or company's phone number. The information provided should be formatted as follows:
NAME: John Writer
POSITION: CEO
WEBSITE: yourwebsite.com
PHONE CONTACT: 987-555-1234
EMAIL CONTACT: "info@yourwebsite.com"
So there you have it! How to structure and write a press release in the most simple format possible. This is a tried and true, successful formula used by many professional writers. If you follow these basic guidelines you will easily create your own press release with ease. Good luck!
Fraser D Smith is a Freelance Journalist, Author and CEO of Pro-Content Australia - providing professional online & offline content writing services worldwide.
Visit our website at http://www.pro-content.com.au
Find more information at http://www.pro-content.com.au/Blog
Pro-Content provides specialist services in Web Content Creation, Website Reviews, Blog Management, Website Design, Blog Content, Article Writing, Advertising Text, Copywriting, Editing, Marketing, Internet & Social-Media Communication and more.
Fraser has published articles on gardening, landscaping, sports, leisure, travel, food, fashion, dating, health & fitness, crime, marketing, medical technology, publishing, film & TV, small business, franchising, finance, mortgages, real estate and many more popular topics.
(c) Copyright: Pro-Content Australia. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Jaco Grobbelaar is the owner of BroadVision Marketing. BroadVision Marketing works with business owners to put in place inbound and outbound marketing strategies that consistently secure new clients. The BroadVision Marketing Training Center is located in Petaluma, CA and primarily serves companies in the San Francisco Bay area.
Jaco can be reached at jaco@broadvisionmarketing.com or 707.766.9778 or connect with Jaco on Facebook - www.facebook.com/broadvisionmarketing - and LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/JacoGrobbelaar.