How to Write Effective Online Press Releases

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.