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Newsletter Fundamentals

Press releases are widely used as an effective vehicle for disseminating late-breaking news to the community and media. Unfortunately, too many businesses overlook press releases, believing that money, contacts or influence are required to receive media coverage. But press releases can be produced at minimal cost to provide the results your company needs.

Three steps are involved in generating press releases:

• Develop a Story
• Generate the Release
• Distribute It

OUT THERE PRODUCTIONS has provided the following information for those who need help preparing press releases. If you require further assistance, contact us. We can prepare press releases for your organization that will capture the attention of editors and generate coverage for your event.

The Anatomy of a Press Release

A press release is a brief document, generally one page in length, that announces news about your company, product or service to media professionals. The goal of any press release is to incite the editor's interest so they'll publish your information, resulting in media coverage: it's as simple as that.

Whether your press release generates the required results is dependent on the information you present regarding your event, how effectively this message is conveyed, and whether it's received by the right editors and publications.

When to Generate a Press Release

Several types of newsworthy events warrant a press release:

• A new product or service (incidentally, this includes a web site)
• A new customer
• A large order
• Mergers, takeovers or acquisitions
• A special event
• Community development efforts

All of these are prime opportunities to spark interest in your company's products or services.

Still unsure whether you should generate a press release? If your customers will be significantly impacted by the event, or issuing information will generate additional sales or revenue, you want to consider preparing a press release.

Don't be misled into believing that bad news should be quietly avoided. Issuing a press release that details a layoff or poor quarterly earnings allows you to gain control of what's said, thereby eliminating the media's need to speculate. Particularly with these types of releases, timing is everything: the old saying that bad news travels faster is true, and you'll want to prepare (and issue) the press release before passing out the pink slips or making the numbers public.

Focus on One Theme

Don't try to say too much in your press release. Target one objective and stick with it. This doesn't mean that other items can't be mentioned, however (for example, linking high quarterly earnings with a recently announced product). Just make sure that what's mentioned in the press release is relevant to the objective.

Know the Difference between News and Advertising

Press releases are for news only: not advertising. Stick with the facts. Overt sales pitches are not acceptable in press releases, and should be avoided at all costs.

Properly Format the Press Release

News editors are accustomed to a particular format for press releases. Become familiar this layout and adhere to it. This will ensure that your press release won't end up in the trash simply because you dared to be different. Most good business guides, and some great dictionaries, will provide information on formatting a standard press release.

Guidelines for preparing a press release that will be electronically distributed via e-mail are slightly different:

• Make sure the 'Subject' area of the e-mail contains the Headline. This should be limited to seven words or less so the message is not truncated by the e-mail application. Aim for the highest impact in your wording.
• The first heading should be the words 'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE' in all caps.
• Insert a blank line, then provide the company's name and address.
• Insert a blank line, then the word 'CONTACT:'
• On the next line, provide the contact person's name, title (if they are an employee of the company) phone number (including an extension) and e-mail address. These should be the direct line to the person with whom a reporter would speak regarding the news release.
• Insert two blank lines, and provide your headline. This should be no more than ten words split onto a maximum of two lines. The headline should be typed in all caps. Be clever and to the point.
• Insert two blank lines, then the type body of your release. Begin the body with the city location and state abbreviation followed by the date. Limit the body length to no more than 350 words. Format each line for a maximum width of 80 characters. Insert a blank line between paragraphs. And avoid HTML tags or bold type. When the body is complete, insert one blank line and provide the the company's name, phone number and web site (or e-mail) address. Use '-30-' (a news symbol) to indicate the end of your release.

DID YOU KNOW: The '30' is a standard closing that most likely originated during the 1800's, when telegraph operators tapped "XXX" at the end of a transmission, which is the Roman numeral for 30. At least, that's what is believed... Since, 30 has been an editorial standard that indicates 'end.' It ensures that there's nothing further.

Develop a Strong Headline

There's more than one way to say 'ACME Products Announces Blah Blah Blah...' Consider whether your company's name needs to be on the headline. If it won't provide either impact or value, don't include it. (You can add the company name throughout the text of the release.) Focus on the event, and make sure the headline effectively captures the message you want to convey.

Writing the Press Release

Begin the press release with the news story you've chosen, then expand on that for four to five brief paragraphs. Provide one or two quotes from a knowledgeable source that will lend credibility to the information being presented. Present statistics or facts that support the claims being made, if possible.

Following this, include a paragraph that overviews your company (what you do, how long you've been in business, areas of expertise, etc.). Limit this to summary to three or four sentences. If the editor requires more information, they can always contact the individual identified at the top of your press release.

Close with a brief (one to two sentence) paragraph repeating the major contact information (including the web site address and phone number).

All in all, the release should not be longer than 350 words... in fact, less is better. Be thorough, but be brief. Remember that the objective is to entice the editor.

Submitting the Press Release

All press releases contain time-critical information that becomes old, outdated or irrelevant after a certain date. Check with the publications you've selected well before distribution for timing. Use the following guidelines:

• Daily Publications: submit at least one week in advance.
• Weekly Publications: submit one month in advance.
• Monthly Magazines: submit two months in advance.

For special sections like holiday events or calendar listings, submit at least two months in advance for any type of publication.

Who receives the press release depends on what your customers read and the information conveyed in the press release. Research the trade journals, community publications and Internet distribution services for your options.

About online press release services... OUT THERE PRODUCTIONS works with several of the best news dissemination services available. If you have questions about how to issue your release, please contact us: we can help!

Following Up

Once the press release is issued, make a note of the date and have a hardcopy on hand for when editors call. You may receive correspondence the day the release is sent, or sometimes as far out as one month.

Better still, don't wait for these calls. Follow up on your press release by contacting those to whom it was sent. Ask if editors need additional information and inquire about the timeline for publication. If the list of publicationsyou've issued to is extensive, select only the critical publications for follow-up.

Prepare for these calls by rehearsing possible responses to questions. Remind yourself of the message you want to be delivered. Plan how you'll respond if you're asked questions you'd rather not answer.

If you need help with your news releases, please contact us.

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