How to Write a Press Release for Display on Your Site

By Kevin Nunley
http://www.DrNunley.com

Lately I have encountered a number of people who are enjoying incredible publicity for their businesses, products and services, all thanks to their press releases. The interesting thing is, much of their publicity didn't come from sending out press releases to media around the world. Nope, all they did was put their release up on their website.

But isn't the whole point of a press release that it be released? Not necessarily--not if you consider the astounding results site owners are receiving simply by putting their press releases up on their sites.

Recently, I heard from a client who was being written up in the "Wall Street Journal" after a journalist found his press release through a search engine. This client had sent out his release and received plenty of publicity from all kinds of media, but even he was surprised when a journalist called him after finding the site on his own.

When he posted the release on his site, my client hadn't really thought that many people would take notice of it. But all it took was one curious journalist to get him a write up in one of the most widely read publications in the country.

This is not the only such story I've become acquainted with. It seems that every week I hear similar stories from others who've received write-ups in publications as popular as "The Washington Post" and "Family Circle Magazine." Each time, journalists looking for stories sought them out, not the other way around.

But isn't the idea that journalist might seek out your story contradictory to everything people claim about getting publicity? I mean, we always hear that editors are too busy searching through the mountain of press releases they receive each day to even read more than the first sentence, much less seek out stories. This may be true of the majority of editors, but there are thousands of journalists in the country who are always seeking the next big story. They don't sit back and wait for something newsworthy to fall into their lap because their livelihood often depends on their ability to find stories and news people want.

If you put a press release on your website and even a single journalist comes across it and decides it is perfect for a story they want to write, you could get your site publicized in one of the country's most widely read newspapers or magazines. Doesn't that make it all worth it, even if a million other people come to your site and don't look twice at your release?

There are a couple of things you can do to draw as many eyes as possible to your press release. Here are a couple of techniques that have worked for many of my clients, as well as myself:

*Post a link to your press release from your home page so search engines and journalists can find it. You don't have to publish your release on the home page of your site, but always make it easy for people to find.

*Register your press release page with Google, AltaVista and Alltheweb.com. That way journalists and other interested parties can be directed right to your release. It will be the first thing they notice!

Now all you have to do is write the press release. Luckily, writing a release for your site is not much different than writing one to send out to media. The good thing about your site release is that you will probably have more than 2 seconds to grab the reader's attention. They will be paying more attention to your release because they chose to seek it out. You didn't send it to them; they came to you.

However, you should still aim to get your point across as quickly as possible. Here are some guaranteed tips to help you write a release that is newsworthy and grabs attention:

1. Give the most intriguing aspect of the release in the headline. This is what the reader will see first. If it doesn't interest them, they probably won't continue reading. Give information that is new or shocking, and don't be afraid to drop a few names. Tell the most important feature of a new product. Just be sure that whatever your headline says will make people
sit up and take notice.
2. Use the first paragraph to answer all the important questions like who, what, where, when, why & how. These are story basics that journalists need to know right away before they can tell if they want to use your story or not. Remember, these are busy people who may be planning to look at a hundred releases that day. Make yours stand out with its professionalism.

3. This story is for readers, not for the editor or journalist. Editors and journalists understand this. They want to find stories that their readers are interested in, even if they themselves are not overly enthusiastic. Understand why your story would be of interest to readers, and then make that apparent in your release.

4. Avoid the hype. Hype works better in sales letters and classified ads. But journalists and editors do not have time for hype. This doesn't mean you can't write your release with excitement, but don't go overboard. Don't use big words and adjectives, and always, always stick to the facts.

5. Focus on benefits: What problems do you solve for your customers or website visitors? Readers love to read about things that can make their lives easier, so make a point of giving advice, tips and information that is helpful to your audience.

6. Back up your claims with facts and statistics. Editors and journalists love facts and stats, probably even more than readers. Your release will be much more substantial with a little info to back up your statements. So even if you don't have any hard numbers and facts, go out and find some.

Kevin Nunley provides marketing advice and copy writing for businesses and organizations. Read all his money-saving marketing tips at http://DrNunley.com/. Reach him at kev-@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.

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