The Down and Dirty on Press Releases

rnPress Releases could be the most important part of your advertising life.rnAs publicity is the good side of advertising. rnAll because your being verified by a third party. rnAnd to take advantage of this wonderful way to stand out, you have to keep these questions in mind. 1. Is there anything "new" in my story?rn2. Is there anything unusual or unexpected about it?rn3. Would this be of interest to anyone outside my business?rn4. Will anyone actually care? The key is to be realistic. Now let’s get to the good stuff. The Down and Dirty of Press Releases The Optimal Length - about 300 to 400 words (the length of a short news item). • 3 or 4 short paragraphs and a few quotes. The Headlinern• Should be an eye-catching and genuine headline that contains the important keywords of your release. The Openingrn• Start the release with the date and location, as well a lead sentence that concisely summarizes the release and where you think it might fit in the publication you're pitching to. While answering the "Five W's": Who, What, Where, When, and Why.rno Ensure it is no more than around 15-20 words The Body • In the Body, use as many concrete facts as you can, and avoid embellishment. Use sub-headings and bullet points to make information easy to digest, particularly if you're including figures or statistics. The Ending • Include your company's contact information at the bottom. Provide access to more information. • End with "###" to signal the end of the release. See pictures and details. The Edit • Remember to revise the press release so that it is lean, clear, and to-the-point. The Tipsrn• Paste your press release into the Email as well as a busy journalist may not bother to an open an attachmentrn• In the email you send, create a conversation – rno For example-  I have an idea about this restaurant I know well" and "I think it'd be a good idea, but I'd like to hear what you think." • Quotes should be used to provide insight and opinion and sound like a real person said them. • Another trick is to imagine your story is going to be covered on a TV or radio program. A presenter generally has around 5-6 seconds to introduce each item.