Jun 29 2010

7 Essential Press Release Tips

Writing press releases that grab the attention of editors and get published is a skill. Here are a handful of tips that will help your press releases gain the attention they deserve:

  1. Start with a killer headline. Make certain that its attention-grabbing, encouraging the reader to at least skim the story.
  2. Kick off with an introductory statement that summarises what the press release is about and provides further encouragement to read on.
  3. Introduce a question. E.g. ‘So how were these outstanding sales figures achieved?’ This sets the stage for the body of the press release.
  4. Include at least one quotation from an authoritative source such as the managing director or a head of department.
  5. Provide a succinct and accurate answer to the question posed earlier.
  6. Include a conclusion that reflects on the story and considers the future.
  7. Always provide accurate contact details including a telephone number, email address, street address and website so that editors can get in touch to corroborate the story and maybe request exclusivity.

Hopefully these little tips will help propel your press releases to the world at large. Good luck!

Tony is a Senior Search Engine Optimisation Engineer at FreshEgg.com

9 Responses to “7 Essential Press Release Tips”

  1. jpauldesign (Joe Paul) says:
    December 31, 1969 at 11:59 pm

    7 Essential Press Release Tips: http://bit.ly/9hoPKa

  2. Merryl Rosenthal says:
    June 29, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    Excellent tips for writing attention-grabbing and useful press releases.

    Having written reams of press releases while working in book publishing, I learned all the information you just shared on my own. Thanks for giving a head start to people who are new to this form of content.

    Cheers. :)

  3. Adam Sherk says:
    June 29, 2010 at 9:32 pm

    Nice list of tips Tony. I’d also add “Avoid buzzwords and marketing speak.” Please excuse the plug, but by coincidence I just wrote about that today: The Most Overused Buzzwords and Marketing Speak in Press Releases

  4. Janet Thaeler says:
    June 30, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    Tony,
    One overlooked piece of an effective press release that may seem obvious are links. First link a keyword phrase you want to rank for in the first paragraph. Next link to your main domain www.URL.com because many sites will not make the links live but at least they can see your home page. The SEO benefits can be huge – my friend got a .edu link from a press release I wrote for him. They didn’t link to the press release itself but it is how they found and linked to the site.

    Another thing is to put a call to action – whether it’s to go to your press kit, YouTube Page, become a fan on Facebook, download a whitepaper, etc.

    I wrote a book on the subject – it’s called, “I Need a Killer Press Release, Now What??”

    Best
    Janet

  5. Nathaniel Donnachie says:
    July 7, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    You’ve really hit the nail on the head here Tony.

    I think i would mention the ‘news worthiness’ of a press release. PR submission sites, as well as Google News, love literature that is attention-grabbing and relevant. So always look for a news ‘angle’ for your piece to maximise its potential.

  6. trace phone number canada says:
    July 24, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    Great Tips for beginners like me.

    Also a good reminder for advance writers.

    Keep posting a lot like this Mr. Tony :)

  7. MRdate says:
    October 21, 2011 at 6:39 pm

    I was just looking to write a PR for DateMeCanada.com
    Do you have any suggestions on how to be effective with a dating site?

  8. Jazzy Wright says:
    November 10, 2011 at 10:46 pm

    I have a few more press release tips: “6 Ways to Keep Your Press Release Out of the Recycling Bin”: http://jazzywrightpr.com/?page_id=16.

    Hope this helps!

  9. spanish hills real estate says:
    December 9, 2011 at 8:22 am

    These are great tips for any type of press release. It is important that your headline is catchy because this is what attracts the attention of readers. If you have a boring title then some people may just pass your article.