Writing Press Releases In The Age Of SEO
The press release is a format which is most strongly associated with traditional media formats such as newspapers, radio and television. However, press releases have found new life and new purpose on the World Wide Web. If you’re in the internet marketing business (or really, any business, since the emergence of the web as a marketplace has made almost every business owner an internet marketer by necessity), writing press releases for the web can build backlinks to your site, generate traffic and of course, lead to coverage in traditional media and by websites which cover your industry.
The rules of writing press releases for print are still very much applicable to press releases written for online release. The format is still the same and the basics of writing a PR for the web are the same. If you’re not familiar with the format at all, keep reading for a brief rundown of how press releases are written and how to get the most out of your releases by using SEO.
A press release always begins with a headline (actually, the media contact details sometimes come before this, though this may also be placed after the body of the release). Your headline needs to be strong and compelling, conveying the main idea of the press release in a single sentence. As you write your headline, what you’re doing is trying to tell the whole story in the shortest possible form. You may want to write a few alternate headlines and choose the best from them before you finalize and submit your release.
Think of a strong, eye-catching headline. It is the first thing that people will see and will decide whether they read on or throw your press release into the trash pile.
Next, put as much information as possible into the first paragraph. Busy clients or potential customers may not have time to peruse your masterpiece. So, make your first paragraph an intriguing summary, one that makes your reader want to read on (or skip to the bottom and call your contact person). Begin this paragraph with the date and location of the subject of your press release.
The way to make subjective statements in a PR is with attributions. These are quotes from a company spokesperson which can convey a more personal point of view again though, it’s a mistake to make this an outright sales pitch. However, attributions are a valuable way of putting a more personal spin on your release, something which does have an effect on readers and with a online PR, your readers include potential customers as well as members of the media.
This is how expert publicists get away with hype–they stick it in the mouths of the experts. Well, not really, the creators and executives in charge don’t need any help building up their product, service, news story, etc. All you have to do is ask those in charge, “what should the public know about…” Then, grab a pen or tape recorder. Tack these quotes in amongst the facts and there you have it.
The end of the press release is the important information. Provide current contact information for the person who can answer any question about the material in the press release.
Incorporating press release into your online business plan will make a huge difference in your business, and it will all begin with writing an article.
