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The Parts of a Press Release

admin — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Editor’s often spend hours sifting through hundreds of press releases, and believe me, a number of them are ignored. Why? Incomplete and disorganized information. Making yours stand out, or at least not get thrown in the “circular file”, is the key.

There are 5 critical components to a well written press release:

1. Contact Information: Make sure you have your company name, and the name and number of the person you want the editor to contact.

2. Release Date: This is the date that you want the information to be released, if the timing is not important, just state “For Immediate Release”.

3. Headline: Make it an attention grabber so the editor will want to continue reading on.

4. Body: This is what you want the media to know about your event, product or service. This should be short, sweet and to the point.

5. Response Information: Very important information for the reader so they can contact you for more details.

Last, but not least, get a proof reader! Having a second set of eyes look over what you’ve written before you hit “send” is very helpful and can save you from any embarrassing revisions you may have to re-send.

How Public Relations is Like Advertising

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Anyone can see how public relations is like advertising, but most of us just never think about it. The public relations expert does almost all of the same things in their job as an advertising agent. They both conduct public opinion polls and surveys to gather data about their product, or the person being considered. They both analyze the image of their product and try to find new ways to persuade the public opinion about it, either positively or negatively. They both are involved with the media image, television ads and the campaign that will offer their improved version of their product. They both are in charge of dealing with anything bad in the press about their product and if it is a person, then this is an even more important part of the job. Public relations is a very difficult job, especially if you are trying to improve the public image of someone who has bad tendencies with the public. Like an advertising agency, the public relations person is trying to be a promoter for the live events and the public appearances of their boss. It is easy to see how public relations is like advertising and less fun.

How a Press Release is Like a New Article

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Ideally a press release becomes a news article. This happens two ways. In the best case it gets a publisher’s attention so much that he or she assigns a staff writer to cover the story. More often publishers decide to print the release as received.

Publishers always need material to fill gaps in their copy. A publishable press release should be short, about 300 words, or just enough to fit onto one page. This makes it easy to fax as well as include as an e-mail attachment rather than just text in an e-mail.Confused? Here ‘s a little help . It also should have a byline, even if a pseudonym, so that it appears as a legitimate news article rather than a promotion or advertisement.

The most important feature a press release needs is pertinence to the publisher’s interests. Local newspapers need material clearly directed toward local interests. Larger publications seek press releases directed toward overall themes.

This means adjusting content for some recipients so that no other outlet receives an identical release. When publishers receive a press release marked as unique content, specifically tailored for their publication, it automatically advances in their priorities for print. Following these guidelines means more work, but instantly magnifies the chances of a press release becoming a news article, and gaining intended exposure.

3 Things Every Press Release Should Have

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If all you know about PR comes from watching romantic comedies on Directstartv you’ve got another thing coming when it comes to writing a press release. Here are three things any good press release should have:

The Date: This part is crucial. A press release means nothing if it’s not in context and the date is all that really does that for a story no one can place otherwise. It’s also nice to have to make a record of your writing that’s easily organized.

Opening Sentence: The first paragraph of any press release should have everything the reader needs to know. If there are any facts to give out, give them here and use the following few paragraphs just to fill out the story a bit more and give additional detail.

Contact Information: What’s the use in a press release if people don’t know who sent it? List yourself or your agency at the bottom so readers with questions can get in touch with you and hopefully begin to spread the word about your story.

Why a Good Press Release is Important

admin — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s world, Publicity is important especially with a good press release. With a good press release, it could make for great advertising for other people reading your material.
The more publicity and credibility your press release receives is the more attention it will have with many companies to enhance and increase their profits with your story. In this case, everyone will profit and benefit from this.
The most important thing to keep in mind when creating your story and the number one thing to keep in mind is to try to make your press release informative and newsworthiness.Didn’t catch that? This explains it.
The reason why you should do this is because this method will attract many companies to gain interest in your story as well as the public eye. Since many people look out for current events in the news, this will automatically give you even more publicity as well as more effective attention.
Some of the other things to keep in mind as a publisher is to make sure that you keep your story practical by pointing out and advertising real and true facts about your company. Be sure to also tie in your story with real fact and don’t fabricate it. And last but not least, avoid using exclamation marks. This will only hurt your press release.

Why Journalists Like to Use Press Releases

admin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The journalistic use of Press Releases are what enable Journalists to obtain the permission of the common citizen to allow television news networks to use their likeness. These forms are vital to the news media as it allows them to make use of a citizen’s observation or opinion on a particular news topic. These forms also serve as a waiver to exempt the news program of any and all legal problems that may result in the use of a citizen’s likeness in a news story or investigation. These forms therefore allow the news media to progress with the coverage of a main event without any problems whatsoever from those who took part in the media coverage.
The use of press releases also are helpful as they serve as a window into the minds and thoughts of the average citizen. While most news organizations can provide information to the people, it is important to know how the people think and feel about a current event that affects the lives and attitudes of the general public. Without these press releases, Journalists would be limited in their abilities to obtain information from the common citizen as it is their thoughts that shape journalism.

Press Releases Are Really Just Free Publicity

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

One of the hardest parts of reaching potential clientele for a new business or product is the problem of publicity. What good is a product or service if no one in the target audience knows that it exists? A common and thrifty means of obtaining publicity is through press releases, which provide an equally effective means of gaining attention.

A good press release does for free what expensive advertising is meant to do. Press releases touch on the point without the extraneous fluff that some over-the-top ads have in bulk. A press release tends to establish the who, what, where, and when, which is really all that some goods and services need to attract clientele. Since a press release needs to be relatively concise, the truly important details that might actually interest the target population feature more heavily than advertising tactics, which can actually be distracting or downright annoying.

There are organizations and services that create press releases for various purposes, but most individuals with basic typing and language skills can generate a decent press release. Fancy advertisements and custom graphic designs can drain publicity funds for a small enterprise, so generating free publicity via a press release can save a lot of money.

The Types of Companies That Use Press Releases

admin — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Writing a press release is fun and a great way to promote your business or a new product line. There are several type of businesses that use press releases. If you are a writer, you can find jobs through freelance writing services to create copy and press releases for different companies and make extra money in your off time. Press releases are used by the city to promote events, public meetings, new businesses and much more. Writing for the city is a great job.

Other types of businesses that use press releases are schools announcing school events, time tables and public news regarding business and finance planning. Authors use press releases for announcing a new book title they have completed and is for sale right now. Others are grocery stores regarding new hours, new businesses ready for clients and customers, movie stars regarding new releases, toy stores about new products and sales, groups and clubs about new members and those recently elected to new positions.

Other types of press release information come in the form of announcing weddings, births, deaths, divorces and foreclosures. Sometimes it is good news and sometimes it is the bad news of the times we live in. They are a continuing source of information for citizens and the community.