By now, you probably already know the main benefits of using online press releases to promote your business. If optimized properly, an online press release can rank highly in the search engines and build your collection of back links. Additionally, a well-written press release can increase brand awareness and even earn your company some trust from your target audience.

Unfortunately, online press releases seem to have gone the way of eZine articles. What I mean by that is too many companies are focusing on the quantity of the press releases they issue, rather than the quality. As a result, their web presence consists of a surplus of poorly-written press releases that take up space.

The good news is writing effective online press releases is pretty simple. All you have to do is follow these easy tips.

• Find a newsworthy angle—The entire point of a press release is to inform readers about a piece of news related to your company. It’s not about making a sale. So, if you want your press release to actually get read and to maybe even get picked up by bigger media outlets, you have to find a newsworthy angle. Maybe your company just published an interesting study. Maybe you just added a new service or product. Almost every company has something newsworthy going on; you just have to dig to find the right angle.

• Write a compelling headline—If your headline isn’t interesting, your press release will never get any clicks. Press release headlines need to immediately let the reader know what the story is about, and it should be compelling enough to make them click. Be careful not to make your headline too salesy or like marketing hype.

• Summarize the press release in the subhead—Just below the headline, you need to include a subhead. This should be descriptive and designed to hook the reader in. The subhead should complement and expound upon the headline.

• Get to the point—The first paragraph of your press release should cover the who, what, when, where, and how of the story. It should be written in such a way that someone could read just the first paragraph of your press release and know what it’s about. Save the tiny details for later on in the story.

• Be neutral—While the ultimate purpose of a press release is to promote your company and your products, don’t treat it like an advertisement. Press releases that are too salesy are ineffective, and many press release websites won’t even publish them. Stick to the facts, and use neutral language.

• Use keyword-rich links throughout—Some press release distribution websites allow you to place a few links throughout the body of your story. Take full advantage of these links by making them keyword rich and pointing them to different pages on your website (don’t make every link to your homepage!).

• Optimize the press release—One of the top benefits of using online press releases to promote your business is their propensity for grabbing high search engine rankings. To get maximum search engine exposure, optimize the headline, subhead, and body of your press release. Just be sure not to stuff keywords as this can make your press release look unprofessional and even cause it to get ignored by Google.

Do you use online press release to promote your business? Share your experiences in the replies.

Pitch letters are letters personally written to individual journalists, writers, or editors (and more recently website owners and bloggers) that pitch a specific story idea to them for coverage.

Differences Between Pitch Letters and Press Releases

Pitch letters and press releases both pitch a potential story to members of the media. However, there are a few key differences:

1. Pitch letters aren’t mass-distributed like press releases. They’re personally addressing individual editors or writers.

2. Pitch letters can be used in cases not newsworthy enough to warrant a press release (such as trying to solicit reviews for a book or product that’s no longer brand new).

3. Pitch letters are generally shorter than press releases, because it’s just a pitch saying why something should be covered, as opposed a press release which has to give more background details.

4. Pitch letters are less likely to get lost in the huge pile of press releases that some journalists receive daily.

5. Pitch letters are more tailored to the needs of certain publications, from their target audience to their editorial calendars.

6. Pitch letters can be more promotional in nature than a press release can be. For example, if a company unveils a new product and sends a review copy to a journalist, the accompanying pitch letter would detail features and specs, rather than simply promoting the news angle of it being new.

Pitch Letter Follow-Ups

In most cases, following up with a journalist or editor after sending a pitch letter is appropriate, although some journalists dislike the follow-up process. The best way to follow up about a pitch letter is through a simple phone call. The idea is to offer additional information, without turning the call into its own sales pitch. If the story idea is turned down, there’s no need to try to pressure someone to cover it, but it’s perfectly acceptable to try to find out why the story idea wasn’t appealing, so the pitch letter can be re-worked before sending it to additional media outlets. Never re-send the pitch letter to a journalist that already rejected the story, even if it’s re-drafted with a somewhat different angle.

Press releases are the most common form of PR writing. Sometimes called news releases or media releases, press releases are a media relations tool used to pitch a newsworthy story about a business, website, or person to journalists and other members of the media. Press releases aren’t designed to be published as-is. Instead, the purpose of a press release is to inspire a journalist to research the story further or conduct an interview to write a unique news story.

What a Press Release Looks Like

Press releases generally fall in the 300-600 word range, and rarely exceed one print page if being distributed through fax or mail. The growing popularity of online press release distribution allows for greater flexibility in press release length, as well as the addenda that can be attached to press releases for distribution (such as photos, company logos, or other supporting documents).

While sometimes confused with more general articles, press releases should be written in a more journalistic style called the reverse pyramid, where the most newsworthy information is presented first. Press releases are kicked off with a headline, which is a catchy title designed to explain the general news angle while grabbing journalists’ attention. Press releases are dated, and also contain the hometown of the issuing person, company, or organization.

The Press Release Process

1. Do something newsworthy enough to be of interest to journalists and / or bloggers.

2. Come up with a catchy and concise headline.

3. Write a brief summary of the news, if using online press release distribution methods.

4. Write the body of the press release.

5. Write a boilerplate to close the press release (a background paragraph about the issuing person or organization).

6. Distribute the press release online or offline to journalists, newswires, or press release distribution sites.

7. Respond to any media calls or emails requesting further information.