Writing Press Releases That Get Noticed

Among the various foolproof methods used to boost
traffic to your site (ezine advertising, and search
engine submitting, to name a couple) one method seems
to be forgotten about by many new Internet marketers.
That method is writing press releases.

Press releases are a way to get your business exposed
to more and more would be customers. They are written
as a news article and submitted to editors who would
then print them or follow up with you for a story.

An example of a successful press release can be found
at http://www.allprobizops.com/successrelease.html.
Take a moment to read through that article and then
take a closer look.

You'll find that this press release, just like any
good news article, answers some basic questions for
the reader. Not only that, there is a specific formula
involved in constructing the piece.

Here are the questions:

Who…will bring or brought about the event?

What…is going to happen or has happened?

Where…will or did this take place?

When…will or did the event occur?

Why…will or did it occur?

How…will or did it happen?

Now, here is the formula. If you plan to write a
great press release you must know and understand how
to build it:

First is the headline. Choose the words carefully to
convey several things at once to the reader. They must
be brief and to the point. You say what the news is
about in ten words or less.

The words of your headline must be exciting and
dynamic. Don't be afraid to make a bold claim your
headline, say for example, "Thousands of People Reap
Thousands in New Internet Business." Just be sure –
very sure – you back this up with proven facts in your
article.

The next component in the formula is the opening. This
is where, in no more than two sentences, you capsulate
your information – tell what the article is going to
be about in bite size. Answer the "who, what, when,
where, why, and how" questions as briefly as possible.
Save details for later.

Analyze this part of your press release carefully. To
be successful the article must be able to peak the
readers' attention at this point. In other words, if
they read nothing further, they have all the
information they need to take action.

Now, shape the third element, the body. Elaborate on
your opening. Add descriptions and benefits, quotes
and testimonials. Be sure all of your quotes begin and
end with quotation marks and give credit and
credentials to the persons you quote.

For instance, instead of ending a quote with, "says
Barbara Smith," end it with "says Barbara Smith, six
figure online entrepreneur and highly praised lecturer
on small business on the World Wide Web. Isn't the
second way much more powerful and convincing (provided
of course, it's true)? That's giving credit AND
credentials.

Finally, close your press release with a short call to
action. Use a sentence to summarize, then tell your
readers how they may get more information. Don't go
for the jugular here, though; wait for a follow up
contact to make your final sale. But do use action
producing words like "get" and "now" ("Get more
information "now" by phoning [your name] at [your
phone number]).

A few final words are important now. Let me combine
them with an exercise to help you remember the five
"w's" and one "h" of successful news writing. Make
sure you thoroughly consider these questions as you
plan and write your release:

Who…will benefit from reading your press release?

What…do you want them to know?

When…is your information available?

Where…can they find more information?

Why…is your information valuable in the lives of your
readers?

How…is your information unique? It's going to be
submerged in a sea of press releases your intended
publisher will have to review.

These are the best means I know to get your press
release published once it's submitted to an editor.

P.S. More on this topic can be found by reading Dr.
Randall Hansen's Guide to Writing Successful Press
Releases at
http://www.stetson.edu/~rhansen/prguide.html.

P.P.S. Directories to find places to submit your press
release can be found near the end of the same web
page.