Formatting Press release
Writing the right press release is off course a difficult task. This is precisely
the reason why we come cross thousands of inaccurate, badly edited press releases.
Such press releases do not add value to website promotion; rather they have a negative
effect. Therefore writing and formatting a press release correctly is an absolute
must.
So how to format a press release?
Ideally, a press release should have a clear date instruction. So, it should tell
whether it is for the immediate release, for release before or after the date. The
next important thing in the format of the press release is the contact information.
This should be an easy and friendly passage where any interested people would get
all the information on how to contact you. There should be a phone number, email
address, fax number and of course the address of the company. It is important that
you have the correct contact details in the press release for if you don’t have
them, it will not only be an amateurish effort, but the press release is likely
to be rejected as well.
Headline is another important aspect of the press release. It should be very interesting
so that the readers feel interested to read the rest of the content. If your press
release does not have an attractive headline, it might be overlooked by the readers.
Also, apart from making it attractive, it is important that you mention the benefit
of your product or service in the headline. Also, you can make your headline interrogative.
In any way, the headline should be compelling.
Once you give the readers a hint of the story to be dealt with, it is time now to
give them a summary of the story. Generally, this should be placed under the headline.
It is a short paragraph that will contain the main information of the press release.
However, it should not give all the details. The details should be provided in the
body of the press release; which should be simple and to the point. The body of
the press release should not be very lengthy. In fact, anything between 250 and
350 words make a good press release. Of course, the language should be clear and
precise and the content should be thoroughly informative. An
ideal press release will encourage the media for further information.
After the body, you should have the Boiler Plate or About Us. This is the small
space where you can have brief information about your company. It should include
all the information. Finally, it is time to finish your press release. For that,
you can draw a blank line or ####. Anything after this will not be published according
to rules.
Tips and Tricks for Press Releases