by Michael B. Perini, ABC
perini & associates
If you stay with these ideas you will have a better success rate for your news or press release being distributed online, printed in the newspaper and mentioned on radio and TV.
A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy. Typically, they are mailed, faxed or e-mailed to assignment editors at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, or television networks.
Remember to include: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How in all the releases. If you answer these basic questions, your news/press release will provide all the information that the editor, who decides to publish the release, and the reader will need.
- Who did the event or Who said what
- What was said and What was done
- Where did the event take place or Where else can this idea be found
- When did or will the event occur
- Why did this event happen or why is this news important
- How did this happen
One final thought. Search Engine Optimization or SEO is paramount for businesses that choose to make themselves known via the internet. “Keyword research” and keyword selection are extremely important parts of the overall SEO process. Remember, choosing keywords that people might not use to find your sight and your products/services will not get the expected traffic. Here are three steps to follow:
1. Keyword Tools. These tools help with choosing appropriate keywords to match content. We like Google Adwords.
2. Competitor Research. Take a look at what your competitors are doing. Simply choose a keyword, type it into Google and make a list of your competitors and the title, description and keywords they use in their tags.
3. Plan Keywords. Once you have completed your research use the keywords in headlines, summary paragraphs and the body of the release.