- This first one is basic - use your business logo whenever possible and don’t miss out on an opportunity to build brand recognition. Make sure that your business’ logo is on all of its press releases, preferably near at the top, so the viewers don’t miss seeing it.
- Ensure that the press release includes real news. The press release needs to draw positive attention to your business.
- Be cognizant of where the key elements of your message are located in the press release. The main point of the press release should be included in the headline, subheading and in the first paragraph. Most viewers only read the first couple of paragraphs of press releases and for search engine indexing purposes, remember that the most relevant content should be in the beginning of the press release.
- Create a specific headline, typically not more than 20 words, that includes a clear and to-the-point message about the press release. Remember that search engines and other types of software and crawler programs can’t usually read any hidden meanings, puns or marketing slogans, therefore clean and understandable headlines perform best when trying to maximize the popularity and ranking of the press release. Just remember, some people are more inclined to read further into catchy headlines. This isn’t a catch-22, but be sure to use reason and logic when creating a headline to enhance the potential viewing audience.
- Another valuable component of a press release is the sub-headline. Subheads offer the press release creator the ability to provide additional information to viewers when they are deciding if they want to continue reading the press release. Also, in regard to search engine optimization or “SEO,” this is a wonderful spot to include keywords and keyword phrases that may have been left out of the primary headline.
- Provide links in the beginning of the press release and continue to include them frequently. Appropriate links, in the form of anchor-text and hyperlinks, assist search engines as they index the press release by associating the content of the press release with other related content sources and sites. This strategy provides additional context to readers of the press release. Always link the first mention of a brand or product name that is being discussed to the appropriate landing page on the business’ website. Also, be sure to create links for the names in a press release to individual biographies or the person’s LinkedIn profile page.
- Probably something that doesn’t need to be mentioned, but just in case, be sure to provide accurate contact information. Don’t get caught in a situation where numerous people or businesses want to contact your organization but you forgot to include it or you never changed the information after the company changed addresses, phone numbers or points of contact. Seriously, it happens. Ensure that your readers have the necessary information to contact your business. This includes point of contact, address, phone number(s), fax number, emails, social media links, website, and any other means of communication that you have available for individuals or business to reach you.
- Don’t forget to format. Not unlike other media outlets, the presentation of the information is crucial. Be sure to use things like underlining, bullets, and bold or italic font to help convey any and all important parts of the press release. If the press release is standard font and includes limited formatting, separate content so the reader can move through the press release in manageable pieces. Remember college textbooks? Same concept. Make key words and phrases stand out so that busy readers or those who don’t have a lot of time can still understand the message, even with limited exposure.
- This doesn’t apply to most; however, in the event that the business is publicly traded, provide the specific exchange, the company’s ticker or stock symbol, and its International Securities Identifier Number. By including these pieces of information, the press release will become easier to find in a multitude of news networks and databases.
- Finally, use multimedia. Whether it is a reader, consumer or journalist, most people prefer to look at something with supporting media, such as pictures, videos or audio clips. Studies have shown that press releases with multimedia are more likely to be viewed.
