The Best Practices For Your Business Press Releases

For today’s businesses, reaching the public and gaining positive publicity are essential. Though the internet has given companies numerous ways to do so, press releases are among the most effective. These time-tested publications can generate greater media coverage while increasing brand visibility and credibility.

Of course, they must be written properly to serve their intended purposes. That means following best practices. Read the following guidelines before you write a press release for a business to ensure it’s as effective as possible.

Table of Contents

Start With a Strong Headline and Subheadline

First off, be sure to start the release with a concise, attention-worthy headline that directly conveys the message you want to send. Use strong verbs, highlight the most significant point of the release, and make its importance immediately clear. Follow that with an informative, but fairly brief, subheadline that provides additional details. That’ll encourage people to keep reading.

Add a Dateline

Datelines are also important. They include the date and location of the press release. This information helps to establish relevance and proves the release is current. If there’s no dateline or it’s from some time ago, people may decide the release isn’t significant enough to continue reading.

Create an Effective Lead and Follow-Up Paragraphs

From there, the first paragraph, or the lead, comes into play. That’s the paragraph that states the most important information. It should contain the who, what, when, where, and why of the release. Then, follow it up with additional paragraphs that provide further details. This practice prevents the most crucial information from getting lost in the mix. Don’t hesitate to use statistics, case studies, and other types of relevant information to give the story more credence. Be sure to use quotes from key people within the company to add a human touch to the release.

Optimize for SEO and Humans

Just like other content, particularly pieces that are published online, press releases should be optimized for both search engines and human readers. Use relevant keywords, and be sure they’re worked into the content naturally. That’ll increase visibility. Tailor the release for the business’s target audience as well. It should include text that provides value to readers.

Conciseness Is Key

Also, remember that conciseness is key in press releases. Avoid using unnecessary details, flowery language, and other elements that don’t add any real value to the release. These pieces should be relatively short, and they should get straight to the point. There’s plenty of room for extra details, more in-depth information, and personality in other types of content.

Additional Considerations

In addition to those factors, add a brief boilerplate to the end of the release that informs readers about the company. After that, be sure to include the media contact’s name and email address as well as the business’s website and phone number. Providing media contact information at the end of the release facilitates inquiries and further adds credence to the release. Proofread the release thoroughly and edit as needed. Errors in a press release detract from a company’s credibility.

Once the press release is ready to be published, work with a reputable distribution service to ensure it reaches the right channels and its intended audience. Don’t overlook the importance of following up on the release. Consider using analytics tools to monitor its results after the fact. That can aid in honing future releases.

Making the Most of Press Releases

Press releases can draw attention to businesses and help to build their credibility. For maximum effectiveness, though, press release best practices should be followed. By keeping these points in mind, you can boost public interest and increase your online visibility while spreading the word about your business’s important events and developments.