Simply put, the humble press release is a fabulous way to generate exposure for your business while generating brand awareness and bringing more traffic through to your website. They’re a great tool in a marketing strategy that you should be using – or at the very least, thinking about.

A well-written PR with targeted distribution isn’t a static thing: it also has potential inside it. That potential includes being picked up by industry and niche-relevant websites, blogs, and general press sites.

They allow you to become an authoritative voice in your industry and show that you’re a leader in your field – whatever field that might be. Used the right way, there’s simply no denying that press releases should be a part of your marketing strategy, no matter where your business is right now.

It Needs To Be Newsworthy

So, you might be wondering exactly what you can write about. It’s a common question, especially from people who have never written or distributed a press release before.

The answer is pretty simple: you can write about anything you like. The only real rule is that it has to be newsworthy and engaging. If your press release is boring, not many people are going to want to read it, after all!

So, what does “newsworthy” mean, exactly? Here are a few examples:

  • Your business won an award
  • Your business has hired a new executive
  • Your industry/niche has seen change

Those are just some broad ideas – there are many more, of course. The story itself isn’t so important, just whether it is newsworthy enough to get published, and hopefully interesting enough that audiences will read it and the story will be picked up by various media outlets.

Follow The Correct Format For Press Releases

Press releases have their own format, which can be a little tricky if you’ve never written one before. However, it’s really not that difficult once you understand the basics.

In order to keep people interested and engaged, you want to have a formal – but not too stiff – writing style that is also informative. The primary focus should be clearly explaining what your news is.

Beyond this, a great headline helps when it comes to persuading people to click on your press release and read it, along with a summarized subtitle that explains what they can expect when they open it.

Use Quotes to Humanize Your Press Release

In the main body, you will want to include quotes. The industry standard is two – ideally one from someone in the company, and another from someone related to the story somehow. Customers, clients, and industry experts are all good choices.

The reason quotes are a great addition to a press is because they add a human dimension to it. Most news isn’t that compelling – and a quote can really add a little extra interest. A secondary reason is that it gives journalists good quotes to use should they want to follow up o the story.

Always Proofread Before Distribution

The last thing your professional press release needs is a clanger of a typo in it. These are the kind of clangers that will make you wince when they’re published, and by that time there is usually nothing you can do about it – just accept the fact that your business now looks a little less professional than you would like.

Proofreading is best done after a day or two so that your eyes aren’t so familiar with the text. You can also ask a colleague or friend to give it a quick look over. This stage is really about making sure that this is the best release it can be before you distribute it. Don’t skip it – it may be tedious, but it saves you and your business many blushes further down the road. Remember – your press release is a reflection of your business. Don’t let grammar damage it!

Choose A Good Distributor

When it comes to distribution, there are a lot of options out there, both free and paid. While both will work, it’s better to use a paid service such as PRWeb, for example.

Why?

Paid distribution services offer a much wider exposure, and often gives you a lot more options, such as including anchored text links (hyperlinks) to your site and anywhere else you would like readers to potentially visit.

While your PR distribution takes care of the broader release, you may also like to consider your own distribution via your social media channels, your website, and even local, often starved for news, media.

Writing a press release can be a little daunting at first, but it’s not difficult. Likely the most challenging part of the process for you will be creating the newsworthy story – don’t forget, you can also outsource this to professionals too!