Learn/Write-Effective-Press-Releases
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Get your company's news in front of people
A well-written press release that’s optimized for search engines can generate targeted traffic to your website, and help you acquire new customers. Regularly publishing good press releases can contribute to any company’s marketing and online visibility strategies.
You can write a press release about anything significant that’s happening in your business. Product launches, important new hires, mergers, financial results and market surveys are all topics that companies frequently publicize.
One word of caution: While journalists do get story ideas from press releases, you shouldn’t expect a story just because you published a press release. Events that you regard as big news may mean little to anyone outside your company. Instead, think of each press release as an opportunity to get your name in front of all your important audiences – including reporters.
A number of news sites (some are listed below) publish dozens of press releases every day. Search engines crawl through these sites, so it’s important to structure your press release so both search engines and people get all the facts. Remember, not everyone can write a great – and effective – press release. Learning to do it right can put you ahead of your competitors.
Once you’ve followed the guidelines below, you’ll want to make sure you optimize your press release for search engines. Include well-chosen keywords and links to relevant pages on your site, so people searching the web for what you sell can find your press releases.
It’s smart to make sure your website is properly optimized for search engines so you gain the most benefit from your online efforts.
Structure Your Press Release for Best Effect
There’s a standard press release format that makes all the relevant details immediately available to any reader. You should follow this format on every press release you create.
- Headline – The headline should grab attention and tell readers immediately what your news is. In the example below, the headline delivers the essential news: third-quarter e-commerce spending was up 9 percent over the previous year.
- Summary – Keep it short and to the point. Include your business name and the main purpose of the release. In the example below, comScore is promoting its webinar in the summary – that’s the main purpose of this press release.
- Dateline – Use the standard format for location and date, as shown below.
- Lead paragraph – Answer the questions who, what, when, where, why and how. Someone should be able to read your headline, summary and first paragraph and have the whole story.
- Body – The body should contain objective information that supports your first paragraph. The ideal length is 300 to 800 words.
- About – Provide a brief description of your company and a link to your website.
- Contact details – Include your company name and the correct person to contact for more information. Also include the appropriate telephone number, email address and your website address. It’s also a good idea to include links to your company’s Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts where you interact with customers.
Note the headline, summary, dateline and lead paragraph:
Note the brief company description and complete contact information:
Guidelines for Creating an Effective Press Release
- The headline and summary of a press release should entice people to read the full release and describe the content accurately.
- Use your business, brand or product name prominently throughout the release, especially within the first few paragraphs. Search engines pay particular attention to the first 250 words of a web page, so your business name and important keywords need to be in this portion of the release.
- Stay neutral and objective – don’t use overly promotional or flowery language that will turn a journalist off. Beware of technical language that could confuse readers, unless you’re interested in reaching only a very narrow audience that understands this language.
- Tying your news to real-world examples and current events can be very effective. Show readers how your products, services or information could help in these situations.
- Don’t hype your product or service. Stick to the facts – it’s better for your business brand and reputation.
- Entice people to visit your website. Link to the web page where you want people to land with a call to action that includes relevant keywords.
- It sounds obvious, but make sure your press release is free of grammar and spelling mistakes.
Remember, regular press releases are just one part of a smart company's overall strategy for creating and maintaining a strong online presence. Don't neglect other ways to build your company's brand - explore other online marketing ideas and choose what's right for your business.