Five Steps to More Effective Press Releases

Guest post by: Henry Stimpson
Become an Author

Free PDF Download
Getting the Best Bang for Your Buck with Wire Services News Releases - By Henry Stimpson

Make it a real news story. What’s truly new or different here? Does your news indicate an industry trend? Does your product or service help people save or make money or improve their lives? The news media won’t run free advertisements lightly disguised as news releases. Superlatives and fluff just hide the real news editors and reporters are hungry for. Feed them real meat and they’ll bite!

2. Customize your releases according to your audience. Let’s say you have a new service or product that’s of interest to both your distributors and your customers. An effective release for the trade publications will read differently than the version for consumer media.

3. Make the writing clean and easy to understand at first glance. So many companies are so eager to stress that their product or service is so state-of-the art that they pack in so many adjectives that the poor editor has no idea what it’s about. Never make readers strain to get your meaning. Use easy words. Simplify and dramatize, especially in the lead paragraphs. More technical, difficult information can be brought in lower down in the story.

4. Maintain well-tended, up-to-date mailing lists that include everyone who’s relevant. Make sure to include freelance writers on your lists and maintain separate lists of consumer and trade media.

5. Supplement your own lists with distribution via Business Wire, PR Newswire or a similar service. For a reasonable price, these services will distribute your release to both consumer and trade media—and, perhaps most important, to thousands of Web sites worldwide. That means that many people can read your release before the traditional print media pick it up.

5 Topics You Probably Didn’t Realize Can Be in a Press Release

Home Business Expert: Importance Of Press Releases

NEWS RELEASE QUIZ 

5 Benefits of Publishing a Press Release

Learn How to Write a Press Release Correctly

Press Releases - The Two Most Common Mistakes

The press release is not dead – it’s not even sick

The Press Release aka Tell Me Your Story In One Page Or Less

Press Releases Aren't Dead

Press Releases: Building Links and Traffic Effectively

Be Your Own Publicist: How to Write Savvy Online Press Releases

Launching Your Own PR Campaign

Home Based Businesses Benefit From Press Releases

5 Tips For Successful Online Press Releases

Writing An Attention Getting Press Release

Recipe for a Good Press Release

Getting The Word Out About Your Business With Press Releases

How To Write A News-Worthy Press Release

Using Press Releases To Boost Your Website Ranking

How To Use A Press Release For SEO

Home > Public-Relations > Henry Stimpson > Five Steps to More Effective Press Releases > Google +

Free PDF Download
Getting the Best Bang for Your Buck with Wire Services News Releases - By Henry Stimpson

About the Author: Henry Stimpson

RSS for Henry's articles - Visit Henry's website
Henry Stimpson, APR, is a public relations professional, writer and communicator with a 30-year record of getting results for clients in financial services, professional services, insurance, law, high-tech, healthcare, medical devices and other industries.

He founded Stimpson Communications - http://www.stimpsoncommunications.com - in 1984. The firm’s clients have been covered in The New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe, USA Today and Fortune, leading trades in various industries, television and radio, and the Web.

Previously, he was a spokesman, writer and editor with Commercial Union Insurance Companies and an account executive with Schneider Parker Jakuc Public Relations in Boston. He received his master's degree from Simmons College and his bachelor’s degree from Boston University. Henry holds the Public Relations Society of America’s APR designation.

He’s ghostwritten hundreds of articles for clients and has also written on PR, investing and marketing for Boston Business Journal, The Boston Globe, The National Underwriter, Insurance Times, Independent Agent, Professional Agent, Human Resource Executive, Mass High Tech, PR Week, Risk & Insurance, Financial Planning, Financial Services Times, Fidelity Focus, Fidelity Stages and others. He can be reached at henry@stimpsoncommunications.com.

Click here to visit Henry's website.

More from Henry Stimpson
ProfNet Changes the MediaRelations Game
Put It in Writing Powerful Tools for Attracting Press Coverage
You Can Quote Me
Getting the Most Bang for Your PR Buck With an Outsourced Pro
Getting the Best Bang for Your Buck with Wire Services News Releases

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Share this post and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Five Steps to More Effective Press Releases

Related Articles

Related Forum Posts

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.


Name:
Email: