How To Write A Killer Press Release:

Learn the  "proper format" secrets of a Press Release that gets noticed!

The Press Release Heading:

The first section of this template is the upper left corner. In this corner you'll only put one of two phrases. If the story you are sending to the media does not have any time value, you'll put the words "For Immediate Release" in the upper left corner.

If the information in the release has time value, however, so you'll simply use the words "For Release..." followed by the time frame you have. 

Here's an example; if the information in your press release pertains to Christmas, you'll write "For Release On or Before Christmas Day" or "For Release During the Christmas Season." This tells the media people not to use the release after Christmas.

The upper right corner will always have the same wording. On the first line you'll write "For Further Information Contact:"

Contact Information:

• To be placed either in the upper right hand corner of the press release or immediately below the heading. Make sure the contact information is as complete as possible. Give the Press as many avenues to contact you as you can.

On the next line you'll put the name and direct telephone number of a real person. You can't use the name of an organization, club, company or anything else similar. Only use the name of a real, live person as the contact. 

When you write the phone number, be sure it's a number that rings directly at the actual contacts desk. Media people aren't going to search for you. Don't make it hard for them to give you free publicity. They want a direct phone number - GIVE IT TO THEM.  

The Headline:

• Next comes your headline. The headline is truly 90% of your release. The headline does almost all of the work in attracting attention to you. Spend 90+% of your time working on a powerful headline. Write 15 or 20 headlines, then walk away for a while. When you come back you can choose the best one with a fresh mind.

• Begin with the basic heading, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. If your announcement is time sensitive, you can indicate a specific date, such as FOR RELEASE ON May 30, 1999

Let me give you a few examples of successful headlines that have gotten the attention of the media. A book about dating and relationships was released and called " How to Be Outrageously Successful With the Opposite Sex". The title of the book has been a great headline on its own. I also wrote another release for the book that had as its headline the boastful claim, "I Can Help Anyone Find the Love of Their Life in 90 Days or Less." The media went wild over that headline.

So, one technique to use to write riveting headlines is to make a bold, boastful claim. Be sure you can back up the claim. But, don't be afraid to make it. Lots of media people will try to disprove what you claim. Let them! This is a goldmine for you. You'll get lots of media cover just by being bold and outrageous!

After you write the headline, start on the body copy of the release. The body copy should have three parts. 

Headline Part 2:

• The headline of your press release will be located right under your contact information. Your Headline is very important, so take some time here. This is the first piece of your release that any reporter will read, so you need to catch their attention right away. Be creative and think of a brief headline that would give someone a reason to wan to keep reading. Take your time and create a good hook.

Dateline:

• At the beginning of your first paragraph, indicate the date of the release and the location from which it originates. Follow the dateline with a period or hyphen and then begin writing the body of your press release. ( See Sample Press Release )

The Body of the Press Release:

• Summary, Credentials and The Close:

Your Summary:

• This is the first section of your announcement, so give it lots of attention. Describe the pertinent details of your news event. Be clear and concise and do not hype your announcement excessively, the Press want to know the facts and 'just the facts.'

• The first part is called the summary. In just the first few lines of the release, you tell your entire story. There is no need to give all the details. That part comes later. Make sure to give just give a concise summary of what you are going to talk about. Your goal is that If someone read just those few lines, they'd have a good idea of what your point is going to be.
  
  The next paragraph is the actual first paragraph of the release I sent out for the dating book... the one with the headline, "I Can Help Anyone Find the Love of Their Life in 90 Days or Less." Read it and tell me what you think.

• "These incredibly powerful words come from Paul Hartunian, the nation's leading authority on dating and romance and the author of the smash hit book, How to Be Outrageously Successful With the Opposite Sex."

Now, combine those words with the wording of the headline. Isn't that enough to tell you what my story is about? You may not know all the details, but they'll follow. The headline and first section are enough to give you a good idea of what I'm going to be talking about. If you can't sum up your story in three or four sentences, you don't know how to say what's on your mind. Keep working on it until you can get your whole story into one short paragraph. 

In this section, you want to convey the professional background of your company. Do not do self-promotion, but highlight the qualities of your business.Credentialization and QuotationIn this section you insert quotes that pertain to your issue. At the end of the quote, you put one or more of your credentials. For example, "Millions of single men and women are wasting their lives in singles bars," says Paul Hartunian, author of the book, How to Be Outrageously Successful With the Opposite Sex.

Or "I don't care what product, service, cause or issue you represent. You can easily get $1 million worth of publicity...free" claims Paul Hartunian, author of the home study course, How to Get $1 Million Worth of Publicity...FREE! Never leave a quote dangling without come credential to back up the person quoted.

When you use quotes you should quote yourself as often as possible. And don't just end your quote with "says Bill Phillips." Be sure to use credentialization. By that I mean, who is Bill Phillips and what does he have to do with this story?

So, a good quote would be, "All of my indicators show that the stock market will take a major fall by February," says Bill Phillips, a nationally recognized authority on the stock market.

OK, so you're not a nationally recognized authority on the stock market. What are you?Are you "a highly trained and experienced plumber?"

Maybe "a real estate agent with over 20 years experience and $10 million in sales?"

How about "a Doctor respected in the community for over two generations?"

Do you see how adding credentials adds so much more power to your quote than writing "says Bill Phillips?"

"Paul and his book have received critical acclaim from the media, singles publications and single men and women from around the country. He's appeared on the Phil Donahue Show, the Jenny Jones Show and To Tell the Truth. He's been interviewed by over 1,000 radio and TV talk shows, newspapers and magazines. By the end of your interview, you'll be convinced that Paul has the answers. He's an excellent interview who will thrill you and your audience.

BOOK EARLY! During Valentine's season 1994, Paul did over 170 interviews! Over 100 had to be denied. There was just no more time!"

The close is much like closing a sale. Instead of just ending your announcement, give the Press a reason to contact you for further information. The Press expect you to ask them to contact you, so do not be shy in doing so. Do not hard sell here, but let them know you're motivated to continue with them.

The end of a press release is signaled by one of two symbols, centered on the page below your final paragraph. The two standard symbols indicating the end of a press release are: ### or -30-