Anatomy of an Effective Press Release
Writing a press release is not hard. It just takes a little thought and know-how to put it together. Below is a press release I wrote several years ago that delivered publication in three different newspapers, a live interview, and a packed house for each event.
After the release, I will review each important element in detail.
Here it is:
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For more information call Katryna Johnson at 614-753-5979
“How to Start a Successful Small Business” Seminar Series to Begin
Approximately 2,500 individuals start new businesses every day in Ohio. And 90% of them will fail within the first two years. There is a recipe for a successful small business start-up which will be revealed in detail during four sessions: How to Start a Successful Small Business; Tracking and Understanding Basic Business Metrics; How to Finance a Successful Small Business; and Marketing & Advertising the Small Business on a Shoestring. Learn how to beat the odds.
Columbus, Ohio (17, September, 2008) – Success Point Consulting announces its fall lineup of events, starting with its popular series, How to Start a Successful Small Business. This series of four sessions takes participants through the process of personal inventory, market research, business plan development, search for financing, establishing business credit, advertising and marketing basics such as copywriting, and how to track and measure vital data to keep a small business on track and growing.
“We have seen such a tremendous need for this information that we are expanding our offerings this year,” said Success Point Consulting CEO Katryna Johnson. Each session runs between 2 ½ to 3 hours and is presented at least three times, on different days and times to accommodate differing schedules.
For a complete list of events and details of days, times, and cost, visit http://SuccessPointConsulting.com/calendar-of-upcoming-events/. All events will be held at The Office Express at Tiller Lane, 2531 Tiller Lane, Columbus, Ohio, 43231.
This is the third year for the series to help start-up small businesses in the Central Ohio area create a foundation for success. Past participants have gone on to start and grow such diverse companies as a website design firm, real estate investing, a day spa, a home staging company, and a dog-sitting service.
The first session, entitled “How to Start a Successful Small Business,” focuses on preparing for small business ownership. We discuss goal-setting, market and idea research, business plan development and start-up budgeting. This session will be presented on September 22, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.; September 23, 2009, 6:30 p.m.; October 1, 2009, 10:00 a.m.; and October 7, 2009, at 1:30 p.m.
The second session, “Tracking and Understanding Basic Business Metrics,” introduces the concepts of Return on Investment (ROI), break-even analysis, tracking and measuring reports, and why data has to be tracked and measured faithfully. This session will be presented on September 29, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.; September 30, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.; October 14, 2009, at 1:30 p.m.; and October 21, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.
The third session, “How to Finance a Successful Small Business,” discusses not only traditional government funding, such as SBA loans, but informs participants on how to pursue venture capital, new funding avenues like peer-to-peer lending, and how to establish business credit. This seminar will be presented on September 24, 2009, at 10:00 a.m.; October 7, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.; and October 13, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.
The fourth and final session, “Marketing & Advertising the Small Business on a Shoestring,” guides attendees through a process to choose the right marketing mix for their small business from the myriad of possibilities, both offline and online. This seminar will be presented on September 30, 2009, at 1:30 p.m.; October 6, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.; October 14, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.; and October 15, 2009, at 10:00 a.m.
Each session is self-contained and can be taken in any order. Each session is $35 or you can buy an entire 4-session series for $119.
For additional information on the “How to Start a Successful Small Business” seminar series, contact Katryna Johnson or visit www.SuccessPointConsulting.com.
About Success Point Consulting:
Founded by Katryna Johnson, a former attorney, journalist, and marketing executive, Success Point Consulting provides almost 20 years of business, legal, and marketing expertise. Our philosophy is simple: strong planning and strong execution can make any small business more profitable, more viable, and more reliable as an ongoing source of income.
Contact:
Katryna Johnson, President
Success Point Consulting
614-753-5979
http://www.SuccessPointConsulting.com
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So, there it is. Pretty simple, right?
So let’s look at the elements of an effective press release. First of all, remember the purpose of a press release is to make the press and media aware of something newsworthy – something worth reporting. The press is interested in 6 things – who, what, where, when, why, and how. Tell them those six things in an interesting and compelling way and you’ll get press coverage.
At the top of every press release should be the name of who has produced this press release and the most effective contact method. Sometimes this will be a media agency, sometimes it’s the business owner, sometimes it’s the administrative assistant in charge of handling queries. Whoever is listed should be fully prepared and authorized to answer all questions from the press and media. When submitting using online distribution channels, this information will usually be typed in a separate box.
The second element is the headline. Press release headlines should be straightforward and tell the reporter exactly what is going on. Why is this news? In the example above, it is news because the event “is about to begin.” It is clearly an announcement of a future event. Your headline is critical for both online and offline purposes. For an online release, if at all possible, you want to include a keyword or phrase in your headline to make it more searchable.
The third element is the “benefit summary.” If the reporter reads nothing else but the benefit summary, they would still be able to understand why their readers or audience would be interested in knowing about this topic. The benefit summary should be no more than 6 sentences. The idea is to quickly grab the reporter’s attention and get them curious to know more.
The fourth element is the location. This indicates to the reporter where this release originated. You will not include this information on your online press release in exactly this format, but your location will be published.
The fifth element is the date of when the press release is appropriate for distribution. In a press release sent to an online news agency, you should put it in parentheses. You will not include the date here when using online distribution channels.
The sixth element is the body of your press release. Again, focus on the who, what, where, when, why and how. Use short paragraphs and compact sentences. Remember the pyramid rules of journalistic writing. Depending on space, journalistic articles are cut from the bottom, so your most important information needs to be in the first paragraph and the least important should be in the last paragraph. Press releases are not flowery. They should be straightforward and fact-filled.
The seventh element is a quote from an authority. You can quote yourself, or quote a client, or quote a national study. But you should include at least one quote because it gives credibility to your information.
The eighth element is the “contact for more information.” It is absolutely critical that you include a way for a reporter or reader to contact you, preferably a couple ways. Include your email, your phone number, your Skype Id, and definitely a link to your website or blog.
Finally, the ninth element is background information on the company or companies involved in the press release. If the company is a non-profit, this is where they relate their mission. If it a publicly traded corporation, this is where they will list the Wall Street abbreviation and list their CEO and maybe board of directors. There should be contact information for the companies, which may or may not be the same contact as stated at the top of the release.
So there you have it. Write out your press releases and start letting the press and media know what is happening in your company.
Go here for a list of online press release distribution websites.