How to Write the Perfect Press Release

How to Write the Perfect Press Release

When it comes to driving targeted traffic towards your website, the press release is still a hugely effective method. But the usage and popularity of this promotional tool has been on the decline in recent years, not because they're any less effective, but because people simply don't know how to write them.

They're considered a bit "old school", and out-of-date, but the fact is, a well-written press release extolling the virtues of your new product or website will drum up a significant amount of business.

What I've done in the past is submit mine to online public relations agencies, like the following:

prweb.com

prleap.com

prnewswire.com

However, these sites can cost money (which isn't ideal if you're just starting out). So, if you're a little tight for cash, you'll be pleased to know there are quite a few sites that will allow you to submit yours for absolutely nothing!

My favourite PR submission websites are:

free-press-release.com

prfree.com

If your press release has original and interesting content, sites such as these will add it onto a variety of different websites and then create links back to your site to boost your traffic levels.

PRFree.com, for example, offers distributions to Google News, Yahoo! Search, Reuters and Lycos News, but there are many more free options available to you so take a look yourself when you come to writing your own.

Your objective is to get your press release onto as many sites as you can so that it generates as many incoming links as possible back to your site, so be sure to include your website link in the content.

Oh, and when you do get to this stage, don't worry too much about whether you'll receive calls from national newspapers or magazines asking you for quotes! It won't happen (unless your product is absolutely amazing, of course!).

So then, how should you go about writing a press release?

Well to begin with, you must remember that it's nothing more than an announcement about a particular product or service, so they're usually only around a few paragraphs to a page in length.

And crucially, it must read like news, NOT an advert!

I normally construct mine in four parts:

i) Title

ii) Summary

iii) Main body

iv) Call to Action

So let's briefly discuss these four parts now...

i) Title

The title you give to any online advertisement is absolutely crucial when attempting to attract targeted visitors. It's no use ANYONE and everyone reading what you've got to say. Instead, we want "targeted" prospects. That is, people who would be interested in what you have to offer.

Consequently, the title needs to contain the primary keywords that we want it to be indexed under by Google and the other search engines.

To help with this end, make sure you categorize it correctly when submitting your press release, so the right target market gets to read about it.

ii) Summary

The next part of your press release is what's called the summary, as it essentially summarises what it's all about. It's essentially a headline so it needs to be eye-catching, intriguing and around 2-5 lines long.

Ideally, it should include the main benefit of the product or service, and some trigger words (such as "proven", "first", "only" for instance) to pull the reader into the main body copy and make them eager for more information.

iii) Main Body

The third part of your press release should contain all of the information about your product, such as features, price and the remaining benefits etc.

The main body need only be a few paragraphs, and certainly no more than a page in length. Its aim is to provide people with enough information without giving them too much detail. That way, they'll be interested enough to click on your website link.

Remember, make sure that you write it in the third person, and in an objective and independent style as press release sites and PR agencies aren't looking for advertisements, they're looking for good, original content. To save time, you could always re-write one of your articles and submit it as a press release, if it's relevant.

iv) Call to Action

The sole intention of your press release is to make the reader click on your website link, otherwise the entire exercise is worthless. So make sure you include a "Call to Action" at the bottom of the page, instructing the reader to do exactly that.

As I do with articles, I normally scatter at least three additional links to my website throughout the press release, just in case the visitor doesn't read all the way down.

And that's all there is to it!

Oh, and don't forget, ALWAYS proofread your press release at least three times before you submit it. A press release with poor grammar and sloppy spelling will reflect badly on your company.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/press-releases-articles/how-to-write-the-perfect-press-release-4915295.html

Nick Cobb is a freelance copywriter, online marketing consultant and the founder and Managing Director of Write For You Ltd, a copywriting agency based in London, England. His principal website; My Freelance Copywriter provides a wide range of copywriting services to domestic and international businesses, both large and small. Alternatively, go here for an order-grabbing, profit-pulling sales letter