Recently I’ve been browsing through releases with a very specific goal in mind. What goal? Finding badly written (or not so well written) press releases to pitch their owners about my writing services.
The way I do it is by sending them a nicely detailed email that explain to them how they could make their press release much better, and by offering them my service to do it for them if they wish to hire someone.
This is a great approach I’ve learned about to get clients, because those people/companies donβt have money issues and some will be more than willing to pay someone, who they can tell, knows about writing a press release.
While some press release sites have a free service, the companies Iβm pitching do not use free accounts. Those guysΒ know that in order to take full benefits from a press release, you need to have a paid account that offers all the bells and whistles, so your press release can be found by many more potential customers and bring you considerable revenue.
Some companies will actually pay quite a bit of money to release their business news, so my guess is that they donβt want to waste that money with a badly written press release.
Answers to Some Basis Press Release Questions
I do receive questions about press releases on a regular basis, so even though I’ve already written a post about how to write a good press release, I thought it was time to do it again a little differently while adding some info about press release sites and what they can do for you.
In this post I am going to name a handful of press release sites by detailing what they offer to you and your business as well as giving you a few tips to write press releases that will get read. Now if you have a comfortable enough budget to pay for your press release, you may want to hire someone like me to write it for you. I promise you wonβt regret it!
But to start, here are some tips to help you write a good press release.
Why would I give you tips if Iβm promoting my services to write it for you, you might ask?
Because, I know for a fact that itβs not because I’ll give you tips that, a) youβll want to do it yourself, b) that youβll be doing it right, anyway, and c) this blogβs goal is to help the reader, which never prevented potential clients to reach out to me anyway.
So, now that you know, letβs see few quick tips to help you write better press releases.
The Basics Important Points of the Press Release
Why is it that important to write good press release? Well, because a press release that is well constructed can generate thousands to million dollars in revenue. Iβm not saying this, expert do. Β Because of that fact, companiesΒ have no problem paying $150 to $200 for a simple 400 -500 word press release (based upon my free estimate).Β Which by the way, may increase, in the near future.
What is a press release, exactly?
A press release is different than a typical article or blog post. A press release is more like a statement about your company or service that is prepared for distribution to the news media, so it’s written in the news content form, and it needs to include the following detailsβ¦
The Headline
Which is the very first line of text of your valuable press release. In a press release, the headline is super important and should even be written in a journalist style such as the eye catching newspaper headlines.
Usually 80 to 100 characters is ideal with the proper first letter of each word capitalized. Itβs well worth it to spend some extra time to think about a very catchy headline, not only to catch the usually readerβs eye, but journalists, because when your press release catches the eye of a journalist, that a good promise of an incredible income.
Summary
The summary of your press release should be a resume of the whole press release with a strong highlight about your product or service. It should be the next best attention grabbing piece of your release after the headline.Β The summary should ideally be a 4-5 line paragraph.
The Dateline
In some press releases, this may be added automatically, so based on what press release platform youβre using you may or may not have to add this manually. But if you do, just known that the dateline should contain: City, State, Day, Month, Year (in this order), and the most important information/name you want to release. All total between 15-25 words.
The Body
The body of your press release is where you want to include the typical who, what, where and why of your business. The more skilled you will be at describing those the more attractive your press release will be.Β This is the most important piece of your release (the plat de consistence) after the reader has decided to read on beyond the headline and summary.
A good press release body length should be 400-600 words maximum. Keep in mind that press releases are no articles or blog posts and itβs not recommended to write long running press releases.
Another big difference is that they need to be written in the third person.Β For example, instead of using we, us and our, you need to be using they, them and theirs.
The boilerplate
The boilerplate or (about) section, what is called the βresource boxβ in article marketing is where you are going to provide your background information, about your company, service or organization, and service details. The boilerplate is also a good place to add the URL of your company which I see many people not doing.
Contact Information
The contact information section is where you include your name, title, company name, telephone number, email and website. This is the place where, you obviously donβt want to have a Gmail or Yahoo email address as it would take your credibility away.
5 Good Press Releases Worth Checking Out
PRLog
PRLog is a press release that allows you to post your press release for free and advertise it on your own if you donβt want to spend extra money. However, they are in partnership with Newswire where they will promote your release for about $350 per release which include a premium distribution.
PRWeb
This is not a free site they have 5 different packages: Basic at $99 per release. Standard at $159 per release. Advance at $249 per release. Premium at $359 per release. And Financial at $499 per release.
Most people publishing there are medium to large companies, but anyone can.
PRLeap
This not a free site either, but more affordable than PRWeb.Β They also have a standard plan starting at $99 per release just like PRWeb, but they do have a monthly plan at $79 per release. Their 3rd plan is $699 for the year for 12 releases.
1888PressRelease
This site allows you to publish your press release for free, but if you want them to advertise it their packages go from $25 to $249 per releases. Only the two most expensive packages they have offer a widespread campaign while the others are limited to Google News.
OnlinePRNews
This one has 4 packages going from free to $389 for a release that includes over 5,300 submissions and over 150 syndications.
I hope that this post was helpful for both those who want to try to write their own press release and those who would rather have someone else do it for them.
Please, leave your comment below.
Hi Sylviane,
When it comes to a press release, one has to have a professional one. I am sure it is worth the money to have someone do a professional job for you. Heck I would!
It is a certain form of writing that is quite an art to it. As you explained above how you outlined a good press release, it cannot be written haphazardly.
This is great information, even if one hires someone to write one so they know what to look for.
-Donna
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Hi Donna,
I hope you’re well. I’ve been off line for a little while and trying to catch up.
Yes, I think this post is a good guide for those who want to hire a writer to write their press releae while they want to be informed on what to look for.
Thank you for coming and have a great rest of the day.
Absolutely Donna. This is exactly what came to my mind when I read Sylviane’s post.
If I am doing a press release, I better do it right. In today’s social media dominated online world, bad news travels much faster than a good news. Therefore, it’s absolutely critical to get all our ducks in a row.
It is an important thing and paying some money to hire a professional, should be a top priority.
Thanks Sylviane for sharing!
Regards,
Kumar
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Hi Sylviane,
Thanks for sharing these tips for writing a press release. But I’m with Donna. I think it’s too important to leave it up to me to draft and would rather pay to have one professionally written.
I haven’t seen many around in the “Mom Blog” community but I have seen “About Me” pages that have some of the same sections you mention here like a catchy headline and informative body. Could they be the same thing?
Thanks again for sharing these valuable tips! Hope you’re having a great day!
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Hi Corina,
An about me page shouldn’t be like a press release at all, so I hope that we’re not talking about that kind of “about me?”
I’m sure most of those companies do have someone writing for them and some actually find the idea interesting that’s why I’ve been pitching them when I see that they have lousy press releases.
Thanks for coming π
Hi Sylviane,
I have never been giving press release a serious consideration but I think I should start doing so after going through this piece. Its impressive to learn about the basics of good press release. The boon here for me is the list of websites where I can access samples of good Press release.
I shared this comment in kingged.com – the content syndication and social marketing website where this post was found.
Sunday – kingged.com contributor
http://kingged.com/step-step-write-good-press-release/
Hi Sunday,
I’m glad this post made you want to try writing a press releases. If you need any help with tips, let me know.
Thanks for coming by.
If you are a newbie, creating a good press release is your target. You Google it and read different articles and samples, then you get one and serve it as a guide. However, understanding it is the most important before crafting yours.
The questions were answered the very relevant information that is needed. My take is that make your press release clean, crisp, and applicable to your audience with the help of the tips above.
Your post has been shared on Kingged.com, IM social bookmarking site, enabling me to find this good piece.
Hi Metz,
Yes, one can always look at good press release and copy, but again they need to know what a good press release is in order to do that. So I hope this post is helpful in this case.
Thank you for coming and commenting here.
A well constructed press release can make thousands to million dollar income. This is the good fact that everyone should know.
Well, as what Iβve read here, writing a press release is different from writing a blog post or an article. It is more likely in the form of news content because a press release is a statement about your company or service, and it is prepared for distribution to the news media.
So, I think the tips shared above would be a good definitive guide for everyone to write a good press release.
Thanks for the shared knowledge! π
Best,
Ann07
By the way, I found this post shared on Kingged.com
Hi Ann
Yes, indeed, a press release is different than any other type of content, because it’s basically a news statement about your company or product. It’s not an article to teach something like a blog post, for example.
Thank you for coming by.
Stopping by from Corina’s I’m Every Woman Weekly. Great tips for anyone writing a press release. It’s been a few years since I’ve had to do one, but will file this for possible future need!
Hi Carol and welcome here.
I’m glad you enjoyed this post, and nice meeting you.
That’s an awesome idea, Sylviane! You’re targeting people who want what you’re offering and could certainly use some help getting it done. It’s good that you also offer your suggestions because I get a lot of cold emails that just say generic things like “I can help you with SEO”. Great, what does that mean? Nothing!
I don’t really write press releases but I know they work for a lot of people so it’s a great service to provide. And I’ve read your posts about them so you know what you’re talking about! Do you include links to any of your article in those emails? That might be cool, too.
Hi Carol,
So nice to see you. I haven’t been at your place in a couple of weeks, but yet I’ve been slaking on blog comments recently, due to lots of things happening here and there.
Yes, the email that I send to pitch companies are pretty specific, and tailor made, even though I have a handful of templates, it’s always adjusted for each person as they all are different from one another. That’s what takes time. Yes, I do include links to my articles, which I thought was a good thing to do, and I’m glad you’ve just confirmed that to me.
Thank you so much for coming by.
Hey Sylviane,
I’m back!
The first thing I wanted to know is do press releases still work as well and they always have? As you know I’ve never used them before mainly because we were taught to back when I was in network marketing but it wasn’t my company or product so I felt that there were way too many people writing press releases about the same thing. Maybe I’m not sure exactly how this all works now…
I’m asking because you know I’m creating my own product so not sure if this would benefit me or not but you’d be the best person to answer that question for me. I guess you have to promote them like any other piece of content? I would say they are a totally different audience right!
I know this post was on the different sites and what’s needed to write one but I would definitely leave that up to someone else.
Thanks for the help with this and keeping my fingers crossed as I hit submit.
~Adrienne
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Hi Adrienne, and sorry for such late reply to your comment.
Yes, people spend hundreds of dollars for a press releases, so I know they work, but they work if you get the whole package, meaning let press releases site advertise your release, because they have way more ways to do that than we do. That’s why it’s rather expensive to publish a press release.
Now, you can also publish it for free, but there is no comparison to the paid service.
The reasons why I pitch companies through press releases is that I know that if they are paying 350 dollars to have their release promoted, they want it to be well written for sure. So by letting them know what’s wrong they get the message.
I hope I answer your question.
That most definitely did answer my question Sylviane, thank you so much.
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Glad to hear that, Adrienne.
Hi Sylviane,
Very nice post. Many great advices you have given us on crafting press release that bring desired result. Thank you !
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Excellent tips about Writing PR. These tips will be so helpful when am ready to write one.
Hi Sylviane,
That strategy of yours to pitch your writing services in front of businesses is what impressed me. That’s a good method of bagging some clients! π
Talking about the article, I found it very informative. I’m not much into writing press releases and making use of them. This has been because I never felt the need to use any in my case. This prevented me from digging more about that topic and researching about it more
.But hey, new information is always valuable, isn’t it? So, I decided to give it a read. Now, in future, if I’m tasked to draft a press release, I have a basic idea about how to get it done.
I found the link to this article on Kingged.Arun
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Hey Sylviane,I\’ve never been into writing Press releases because I\’m not yet to that level of promotion via press. Recently , my mom was taking about Press releases to one of her friend and I found her saying couple of interesting tips including almost all the tips you listed. Apart from that she also said about including quotes and providing access to more information. You\’ve crafted this post with clarity. The news media is already flooded with lots of journalists with great potential and so It is very important to have some great ideas to stand out from the big noise.I think I can even shout out a press release after following your and my moms tips. Thanks π Tweeted ! :D- Sourav
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Hi Sylviane!
Sorry I haven’t been around lately. Got a few mishaps with my sites and had to focus a LOT of time on them π
Anyhoo, you’ve got everything on point on Press Releases. This is something that I do too. The common misconception of a press release is that it’s just like every other article that anyone can mash up a few lines about a product et voila, a press release!
It takes real talent and hard work in making a suitable PR for a company. There is a strong(er) underlying psychology of luring in potential customers compared to a generic article or blog post. It contains not a how-to of a product, but rather an attention-grabbing introduction, a detailed explanation of what it is, and how people can avail it. A well-written press release can help your new brand skyrocket to the top of consumer product list.
Pricing is also another point. Huge difference compared to a regular 500-1000 word article. A top-quality PR can really run up to $500 for 500 words.
Thanks for your tips on how to bag clients for PR. I usually get them through word of mouth/referrals from previous clients. I haven’t been able to do sales pitch for my PR services because I do have quite a bit on my plate recently. But hey, if ever I get extra time for promoting more of my PR services, I’ll definitely try what you do through emailing clients.
Hope you enjoy your weekend and Happy Mom’s day!
All the best,Micah
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Hey Sylviane,
A Press release sounds similar to a blog, but on a much smaller scale. When i use to use IBOtoolbox, they had a press release section. I use to fill this section out thinking that it was a section to write my latest blog post in. I didn’t know there was a difference between a blog post and a press release.
I definitely have to thank you for explaining the difference between a press release and an article and blog post. I do have to agree with the first couple of comments about leaving a press release up to the experts. It looks like it would be very beneficial for those of us that have home business as well as brick and mortar businesses.
I do have a question though. Would a press release fall under sales copy?
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Hi Sylviane,
Firstly, i love the technique you shared regarding how you get contract of press release writing from companies… (Nice Tip)
I Agree with you that a “eye catching headlines.” will go along way in writing a quality & effective press release. Writing about the Who, what, where and why of your business is very key. Omitting such aspect will definitely turns the Press release to another thing.
The list of 5 different press release website are very cool.To be sincere all the tips you share are very important and they should not be ignore.
Have a nice day
I found the link to this post on Kingged and i have also kingged it on kingged.com
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Hi Sylviane,
Although I read this post, it seems I didn’t leave a comment. I searched for my name and was amazed to find I didn’t. We discussed it and I called you to write a press release from this article. So sorry I didn’t follow up with an comment. Probably got too excited! π
Anyway, this was a great article and started me on my way to getting a press release done. Thanks.
Barbara
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I must thank you for the efforts you’ve put in fingering the keyboard of your pc for every post in this blog. I really hope to see and read the same high-grade content from you later on when I visit here again in 4 days time. In fact, your creative writing abilities have motivated me to get down to work harder and wiser in my own blog Oracleblogger.com.