14 Strategies for Writing a More Effective Press Release
Press releases can be very beneficial to your community and local businesses. You can get good coverage with trade journals, magazines and other publications. Press releases are a very affordable option to tell your story. They can give you more visibility, establish you as an industry expert and feature your successes. This can attract the attention of investors. An on-line newsroom is an excellent way for investors to browse your advancements and accomplishments. Recommended strategies include the following:
- Make sure your information is newsworthy. Only use facts. The headline is more important than ever because of the short attention span of readers. It’s worth your time to have a headline that will create curiosity, tell the reader what is in it for them, i.e. an emotional connection, provide new information, or a solution to a problem.
- Search engines don’t like numbers or symbols in headlines, so keep it simple.
- Headlines shouldn’t exceed 22 words. Many experts agree the first 10 words of a press release are the most important.
- The press release should be released early to get the most exposure during the day’s news cycle.
- Avoid acronyms, technical jargon or adjectives.
- Provide contact information which includes an individual name, address, phone, fax, email and website address.
- Think about timing. Early in the day, early in the week may not be the case as much as it used to because of media technologies that are available 24/7. Think about getting the information to your intended audience in the most effective way at the most effective time.
- Videos, charts, logos or photos are always good to use and can increase your click-through rates significantly. You can get more visibility by optimizing photos or videos through various search engines as they read captions or descriptions.
- Bullets or other ways to emphasize key points make it easier for those that quickly skim the news.
- If your headline is 22 words or less, Google News can index it by several key words so there is a better chance of reaching more readers.
- Make sure your press release is at least 125 words long to maximize your chances of inclusion.
- Your press release can also reach more people if you include sharing links, such as Twitter or e-mail to a friend.
- Hyperlinks in press release text can increase the reader’s understanding of your subject matter.
- Include a quote explaining the issue or event followed by credentials showing the quoted person’s expertise.