How to write press releases effectively for home businesses

It’s one thing knowing that getting a press release published in a magazine or newspaper can create an enormous amount of publicity for your home business, but it’s another thing entirely knowing how to do it so you get the results that you want.

Melissa Talago runs Peekaboo, a communications and marketing consultancy specialising in the mother & baby market.  She has kindly shared with me some great tips on how to write an effective press release, which I just know many of you would love to read and take action on.

Over to you, Melissa:

Press releases are the most basic tool for getting your news out to journalists. They follow a very specific format and written well, can secure press interest with very little follow up or selling in by you. However, I keep seeing 'press releases' that are nothing more than product fact sheets or advertorials.

 So here is a quick overview on how to write a good press release:

1. Make sure you are writing it for the audience. A journalist isn't interested in helping you to promote your business. They're interested in things that will be of interest to their readers.
   
2. The headline. This needs to capture the journalist's attention yet still say what the release is about - and it needs to be short. This can be a challenge! Lots of people rely on clever puns, but leave that to the red top papers. If your headline alone can't fully explain what the release is about, use a sub-head underneath it (I normally do this in italics). This will give a bit more information to encourage the journalist to read on.
   
3. The intro paragraph or press release lead. This is the MOST critical paragraph and if the journalist reads nothing else, he should know what your story is about from the information contained in this vital paragraph. It should cover the four Ws and H - Who, What, When, Where and How. There's no space for hype - just facts. You should include the date and ideally the city where the release is generated from. 
   
   Here are two examples of made up intro paragraphs that show the difference between a good and poor intro:
   
   Poor intro: Reading, 9 May 2008 - Mummysonline, the leading website for parents committed to helping parents do their best, has conducted a poll with its 50,000 members. The aim was to determine what mums really want and the findings made for interesting reading with some surprising results.
    
   Good intro: Reading, 9 May 2008 - British mums want a full night's sleep - and more sex. That's according to a recent poll conducted with more than 50,000 members of Mummysonline.co.uk, a parenting website. The survey asked mums to spill the beans and reveal what they really desired.
    
   Notice that it's the news that comes first, not the bit about the company.
   
4. You now get into the body of the release. The second and third paragraphs add more detail to the introduction, explaining why the reader should care, more findings, more colour - and usually include a quote or insights from either a company spokesperson, a third party expert or customer to add human interest.
   
5. The final paragraph should contain details of pricing, where products can be bought or additional information found. Then write ENDS to signal that it's the end of the release. 
   
6. You then add a sentence or two about the company and what you do. This paragraph is known as the "boilerplate" - an old newspaper term meaning a block of standard text that's used over and over again. It's text that you might use at the bottom of all your releases. 
   
7. You then add a Notes for Editors section offering them further information, images or interviews. Remember to always include your contact details.

Some key things to remember:

• Don't use hype phrases - like innovative, unique, state of the art or breakthrough
• Don't use too many adjectives
• Always write from a journalist's perspective. Never use 'I' or 'We' unless it's in a quote
• Shorter is better - if you can say it in two pages, good. If you can say it in one, even better.
• Make your quotes sound like something a normal person would say and make sure they add something new - not just repeating what the release has already said
• Remember to hyperlink key words and phrases back to your website. This makes them more suitable for online news sites and helps get them picked up by search engines.

If you'd like to see samples of press releases, look at the news section of Melissa’s website.
 
For more information about Peekaboo Communications, visit www.peekaboocoms.co.uk

Comments

[Alice Elliott]

Absolutely fantastic article - the most clear and concise one on PR I have read for a long time. Has really inspired me to get out there and start doing it...