Writing a good press release is an excellent way to gain exposure for your company and improve your sales. Press releases are an excellent way to market your company without having to pay money for the exposure. A press release is simply a prepared statement for the media that is sent via fax, email, mail, or wire communication. The press release is used by the media to report on important or useful information for the public. A press release can include anything the writer wants. As long as the press release is useful, accurate, interesting, and exciting, it will be read by journalists and possibly turned into a news story.

The best day to send a press release is on a slow news day or toward the middle or end of the week. Most press releases are written using the same standard format because journalists receive numerous press releases a day. The best press releases are written using a journalistic style. If an editor reads a press release and runs it in the magazine or newspapers `as is', then it is a good press release. Most press releases only include small bits on information, causing the editor and reporter to pick and choose what information they want to report on so the overall message of your press release could be altered and portrayed in a completely different light.

When you begin writing a press release, you need to make sure you have company letterhead to print it on. Since it is not always feasible to print the press release on company letterhead, you need to at least include a company logo. At the top of the press release you need to include the company name, web site, phone number, and physical address. In the center of the page, you need to type "PRESS RELEASE" in all caps and in bold. Directly underneath the press release wording will be the name of the contact person. Some press releases are urgent and time sensitive, for a press release of this nature you need to include the wording "IMMEDIATE RELEASE" on the left margin directly above the title in all caps.

The headline or title is the next important aspect of the press release. The best way to write the headline or title is after you have written the rest of the press release; this way you can use keywords from the press release to compose a good title. The title needs to be centered and in bold lettering. The title will be the single most important wording on the entire page because that will capture the attention of the journalist. A title needs to be short, but attention-grabbing and make the journalist want to continue reading.

 The body of the press release comes next. The body of the press release will start with date and the city for which the press release originated from. The body of the press release will address the following: who, what, when, why, where, and how. The body of the press release needs to be brief, but at the same time it needs to provide enough information for the journalist so they do not need to call the company for an explanation. The first paragraph will be important as it explains what the rest of the press release is about. The following paragraphs will address the other information including: who, why, where, when, and how. A good press release will have a touch of human interest. A press release that is written strictly for business will be harder for the reporter to create a personal touch on the story. The final paragraph will include information about the summary of the press release and will include contact information. At the end of every press release, you need to close it with 3 # symbols centered below the last sentence.

A well written press release will go a long way for distributing your information to several markets. If a journalist likes a press release and publishes it, it will be distributed over the internet, email, and other network feeds. Whenever a company writes a press release, they need to publish it on their web site before they send it out to journalists. Some reporters like to have the URL handy for their article in case they want to provide a direct link. There are a few important things to remember when writing a press release, here are a few tips to help you get started:

First, determine what "news" you want to send out. Put yourself in the journalist's shoes and determine what makes this information a story and why it is interesting to them. A press release is used to inform the world about your news, but if it is not interesting to anyone but you, a journalist will not pick it up. A press release is a great form of marketing, but it should never be used as an avenue to make a sale. A press release needs to be written after a journalistic standard versus after an advertisement.

Second, the headline and opening paragraph need to grab the attention of the reporter and must be strong. Since the headline is the very first thing a reporter will read, it needs to grab their attention and give them a reason to continue reading. A weak headline will be tossed aside and won't be picked up as a news story. Some journalists will use a press release in a larger story. A well written press release will be able to adjust to a small story or a large story. No matter how it is used, be sure the press release is written after a manner that you want published.

Third, try to include information that gives the press release a human feeling. Real life examples are a great way to catch a reporter's attention and cause them to consider publishing your story. Some companies report information about their successes or failures in a press release when they are promoting a new product or design. Showing the flaws of the past the company has overcome to get to this level shows the media they have human interest at heart.

 Fourth, never ever fabricate anything in your press release. It is extremely important to avoid fluff and to tell the truth. Since journalists are naturally skeptical, they will check references on your press release and if they think your story is too good to be true, it probably is. A company can damage their reputation by sending out a press release to the media just to get a story in return. If you don't have anything to talk about, don't send out a press release. If you are really excited about a new product or service, you still need to think like a journalist and don't fill up the press release with exclamation points and other words that sell the new product or service.

Fifth, timing is everything with a press release. Always look at current events and determine if you have something to add. For example, there could be several news stories about an outbreak in car break-ins. If you are an auto insurance company or you sell auto alarm systems, now is the time to send a press release. Journalists may consider using your company as an expert in a follow-up story if you have good information to add.

Sixth, avoid using jargon and only use a few words to describe things. Instead of writing 3 sentences about a product, try to sum it up in 1 or 2 sentences. Wordiness will distract from the message in the press release and will cause a reporter to overlook the facts. Speak plainly and if you must use jargon, define it in the press release or look for another word that can work in its place. Never use an exclamation point in a press release as it will only damage your credibility and cause a journalist to tire of your hype over the company, product, or service.

Following the above steps will help you write a good press release and submit it to the news media. If you send out a press release via email, avoid attaching it as a .PDF document since this requires readers to download a specific program to read it. Word documents are another bad idea because people can alter the press release from its original format.

When you are writing a press release, take enough time to do it write. If you write the press release and notice it sounds too much like an advertisement, revise it or set it aside. If you begin writing and notice you can only write a few sentences, chances are you do not have a newsworthy press release so you might as well wait to send it out until you have more information. Like anything else you want to publish or be read by others, make sure you are using proper grammar. Errors in grammar will impact your credibility and may cause journalists to reject your press release.