Small Business Marketing Tips: Writing a Press Release

When it comes to small business marketing, one way to self-promote your business is through increased media exposure. To do this you need what’s called a press release or a news release.

A press release is basically a statement that is written for news media; newspapers, magazines, television networks, radio stations, or online news outlets and trade publications.  As the phrase suggests, the written statement is a news article. 

For example, an announcement of a new product, results of a survey you ran on your website, a new service you offer, or big client acquisition is all examples of a newsworthy statement -- an overview of your company or the latest tips you offered in your e-mail newsletter is not.

 Getting Started:  A Check-list for Writing a Press Release

Journalists and media outlets are not looking to buy from you, so things like how great your customer service is, or lower prices in your Web shop is not going to be of interest.  In writing your press release, you have to get past being the sales person and offer real news content.

One of the best ways to get started with writing a press release is to study professionally created press releases. You can do this by reading press releases on sites like Business Wire and PR Newswire.

What you will notice as you read through press releases on these two sites are;

A press release is written in the third-personMost are a page in length, or shorterMost use an eye-catching one-sentence headline A sub-heading is used to offer an "angle" for a storyThe first paragraph always provides the location and date of the releaseThe 5Ws of writing (who, what, when, where and why) are covered in the first paragraph. Most also contain the element of "how" where applicableSecond, third and subsequent paragraphs contain details, key summaries, and quotes from company execs, customers or an expert.  These paragraphs are used to validate the claims made in the first paragraph.The final paragraph contains background information about the company and any disclaimers.Contact details are provided at the end of the release. This is important to include if you want a media outlet to be able to contact you for further information.The release ends with the following characters: ###

It is also important to note that each release contains only news and facts, and you will also need to make sure that you use proper grammar and punctuation.  When writing a press release, you basically should pretend to be writing a news summary yourself, and provide the details of the news and factual statements that will encourage a reporter or news outlet to include your news in their publication.

If you generate interest from the media, some may use the release ‘as-is’ or with slight modifications. The press release may also be used in developing a larger story.

Getting Your Press Release to Media Outlets

The headline of your press release is crucial to the success of your press release campaign. It should be strong and compelling -- not sensational.  Media outlets and writers may never look past a headline in deciding if the release is of interest.

When you have the press release ready, one of the best ways to start distribution is to compile a contact list of journalists and news departments  from your local news media and online media that write news and features for your target consumer-base.  Submitting the release to blog authors and trade publications will also be of benefit.

There are also a number of free press release sites where, after registering on the site, you can add your press release to the site for free. Other options include hiring a public relations (PR) firm to handle the final editing of the press release and distribution for you.

Be Ready for Inquiries, Or Lack Thereof

Be sure you are available at any time to respond immediately to any e-mail or phone briefing requests. Many journalists are on tight deadlines and if you are unavailable, they may very well move on to another press release to meet a deadline.

It is important to remember that you may receive little or no inquiries to your release -- media outlets are busy places and journalists often sort through hundreds of press releases each day to find their next story. You may also find that some blogs or online publications may mention the release, using the information you provided without contacting you.

To see what success your press release had, if any, Google some of the key phrases and your company name in the days following the release to see if any online publications made a mention of your news.

You should also archive your news releases on your own website for added exposure in Internet search results. This section of your website should be online before your press release is distributed, and you can also offer media assets (a press kit) such as a product image and company logo for interested media outlets to download and use with your release. You can also include company or product and service backgrounders in this section of your site to offer additional information.

Vangie Beal is a veteran online seller and frequent contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com. She is also managing editor of Webopedia.com. You can tweet with her online @AuroraGG.

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