Internet Coaching Library > Site Links > Press
Releases
How to Write a Great Press Release
by Enrique De
Argaez
Many marketing experts
recommend using press releases for generating targeted traffic to
websites. This strategy has become increasingly popular lately
and a number of new firms offering optimized press release
services for individuals or firms wanting to get the word out
about their web sites, newsletters, products or services have
sprouted online.
You can use a professional service or write your own press
releases. Either way, PR can be a very effective marketing tool
if constructed properly. Distributing a powerful optimized press
release can often drive targeted traffic to your web site and
save you a lot of money.
The secret behind writing a great and effective press release is
to plan and review your press release carefully before publishing
it.
Poorly constructed or planned press releases are just a waste of
your time and resources. Plan the message of your press release
for the purpose it was meant for and for the target market you
aim for:
1 - To create brand awareness for your website or products.
2 - To add additional subscribers to your newsletter or
ezine.
3 - To promote a new product or service you have developed.
4 - To get publicity for an affiliate product you are
marketing.
Whatever the purpose of your press release, after you develop
the idea or plan you can then get down to the business of writing
it.
The first thing to do is sketch out a rough draft of your press
release to see how it flows. Check to see if it provides the
needed information to get the message out and verify that it has
been properly formatted. Yes, there is a right way to do
all this.
All great press releases have a certain format that they follow.
Search for press releases online and read the best ones you find.
This is free and a good practice. To be successful and get your
press release published you have to write like the pros, format
your press release correctly, and send it out to your target
media. You can do it yourself, if you have the time and like to
write, or you can hire the service if you have the money and lack
the knowledge.
The number one most important aspect of your press release is
your headline. The wrong title will limit the
effectiveness of your release. A good headline is critical to get
it published by the press and read by the target public.
The press release headline is what the search engines are going
to pick up first. So make sure you use it advantageously. List
any key points here, using your keywords in a catchy
headline so that it will grab your publishers and your readers
attention.
Planning is essential in all phases of marketing with press
releases. If you are promoting a new site include the URL in the
headline. If promoting a product or service then include some
keywords in the headline. Read all the press releases that stand
out, copy the best ones as samples, and criticize them, make a
list of what is right and that is wrong and why. All press
releases can be judged in a scale of 1 to 5, with five being the
highest. Give them a rating.
Practice makes perfect so just copy and print the press releases
you choose as samples to learn from them. Afterwards take them
apart, and analyze them. Do reengineering: take them apart and
put them back together again till you master the way good press
releases are put together and the critical elements they all
have:
a - The format.
b - The heading.
c - The body text.
d - The closing.
e - The contact info.
f - The keyword placing.
Some press release services use a summary box. Write a catchy
one-paragraph recap of your press release using some of your
targeted keywords.
Avoid spammy text when optimizing press releases but it is
important to include your targeted keywords in the first and
last paragraphs. Procure a keyword exposure of approximately
2-3% saturation. If promoting a web site, mention the URL around
three times within the press release for the maximum benefit.
To get the most benefits from your press releases, even when it
is your first time around, try making them great by:
A - Planning correctly.
B - Setting a purpose and a target.
C - Using the established format and structure of the best
samples.
D - Practice rewriting sample press releases and reengineering
them.
At our website we feature many useful press release resources to
help you write great press releases, please visit Press Release Coaching,
after you finish reading this article.
With most press release services you can submit your press
release for free or via paid inclusion. Paying for inclusion
gives you the benefit of faster indexing into the search engine
news services and natural search engine result pages. Remember
that with paid for service you get more exposure.
Normally your release will be picked up by Google news within a
few hours after its release. From there on it will normally show
up in the natural search results within a few days or a week.
Press releases are very effective marketing tools that you can
use for promoting your web site or affiliate products, however it
must be done correctly. Practice makes perfect.
By using press releases, you will be able to create a steady
flow of targeted visitors to your web site and affiliate
programs at the same time generating dozens of back links to your
web site.
So get to it right now and write a few press releases yourself.
Once you see what they can do for you, you won't stop writing
press releases. Schedule your press releases for the year and
plan in advance an integrated "press release marketing
campaign".
You can also automate the process of writing and distributing
your own Press Releases. With this easy to use program you
can:
1. Effortlessly flood your website with more backlinks --
Upwards of 100s, if you use it effectively.
2. Get any page you want visited by the major search engine
spiders (including Google) in 3 days or less!
3. Gain significantly higher search engine rankings in 7
days!
4. Enjoy up to thousands of targeted visitors (from your unique
content) pouring into any website you want (this alone could
equal a nice affiliate pay-check).
5. Also get possible contacts from the media for HUGE
promotional opportunities.
About the Author:
Enrique de Argaez is the webmaster of several
multilingual Internet websites and author of four newsletters. He
is active in Internet World Marketing, and Internet Market
Research. Visit his main English website at http://www.internetworldstats.com
.
