How (And Why) To Write A Press Release

By Ron Manera, Senior Editor

The most overlooked source of free promotion for small to medium-sized companies? Press Releases. Those little info blurbs that strengthen your brand and inform your market can be powerful tools if employed effectively.

With a press release, your company can inform the world of a new hire, promotions, a key person retiring, a new product, a merger or acquisition, a new office or a thousand other events positive and timely. But even more important: Getting your company name out in front of tens of thousands of your prospects and customers, (even competitors) often, and at little or no cost.

As an editor of a couple of insurance industry specific journals, I am on the receiving end of dozens of press releases daily - all wishing a free ride in one of my next issues. I welcome press releases because they often provide valuable content to my readers.

Because of space and relevancy limitations, I can’t run them all. As a matter of fact, only a small percentage of the PRs I review make it into the magazines. How do I decide what to run?

I look first for relevancy. Is the information in the press release something likely to be interesting or valuable to my subscribers? I can discard 80% of the PRs I review simply because the content is not focused on my audience.

Next, I look for length, style and format. Will the original PR take up two pages requiring radical editing for size? Can I easily move the content into my publication without extensive reformatting? Are there bulleted paragraphs or multiple hyperlinks to contend with?

I look for a news-style press release. When I receive a PR that is 80% promotional and 20% news, I’m likely to pass it up. I don’t charge for news - I do charge for advertising. I suspect most editors rely on criteria much like mine when reviewing incoming press releases for publication. Up The Odds Your Press Release Will Be Printed And Effective

Table of Contents Here are eight tips to increase your odds of actually making it to the show:

1. Give me a compelling headline! Hint: Write your headline last after you review your entire PR. A good headline will not only get my attention, but that of my readers. 2. Don’t open with “ABC Company announced today...” because the PR may not appear for another 30 days. Include the actual date. 3. Keep your copy succinct! 375-450 words max. That’s an entire page, so you have plenty of room to cover your subject. I’m not going to give you more space - so if you run long, you are asking me to trim your copy and you may not like what I remove. 4. Learn to write like a journalist: Who, What, When, Why & Where. List those 5 categories out on a worksheet and work from it as you script your PR. To the ultimate reader, it should not read as if it were written by your marketing department but as if we sent a reporter out to cover your news story.

While larger operations use paid services like Businesswire, PRweb, PRNewsire and others to distribute their press releases, smaller companies can maintain a list of media outlets that make more sense for their target market. I review PRs from the big distribution houses all the time - but I am more likely to notice one emailed directly to me.

5. Important! Don’t make your PR into an advertisement. First, it will lesson the chance I include your piece, (remember, I charge for advertising) but just as important, it will lack credibility to the readers if it just looks like a puff piece. It’s okay to sound enthused about the topic and your company, but the ideal PR will look as if your company made the news because of some newsworthy event. 6. Give me at least one quote, e.g. “Frank’s extensive experience in restaurant risks will bring a new depth to our commercial insurance department,” said John Smith, CEO... 7. If appropriate, include an image, especially if the PR involves personnel or a mention or quote from a company officer. I often include company logos when they are made available. 8. About (Your Company) It’s good to include a short “About ABC Company” at the end of your PR. Keep it short and within the word limit for the entire piece. Include contact info for “further information.” 9. Make certain to place a copy of each PR on your company website under your NEWS tab. The practice will make your site more relevant to search engines and more valuable to visitors. N ow that you’ve created the perfect press release, where should you send it? In the insurance business, include every trade journal that covers your region. If you are introducing a new restaurant program, for example, you may wish to include some of the trade journals in that industry. If you are a local retail agent, by all means include local print media, especially neighborhood newsletters or city-wide newspapers.

Build your list in a spreadsheet database so you can one-click mail-merge a personalized copy to each media outlet.

Make it a habit! Find the best copywriter in your office and assign them the task of churning out one press release each month. You’ll be building your brand and status within your industry.

Where to send at TUI? Send directly to me, Ron Manera at ron@insurmedia.com.