How to Write a Successful Press Release for a Small Business

Need to write a press release for your small business? In order for your business to succeed you need to know the right way to write a press release. A great press release will bring more customers and business to your small business.

Here are some tips and guidelines to follow to write a successful press release for your small business.

Know your Target Audience

Who are you trying to reach? What type of press do you want to read and publish your press release? What type of small business are you running and trying to promote with your press release? Asking yourself who you want to reach will help you understand how to write a successful press release for your small business.

 

What makes it Interesting and Newsworthy?

Basically, why should anyone care about your business? Ask yourself this question before writing your press release. When writing your press release, ask yourself, is it newsworthy? Is it interesting enough for people to actually want to read it? If you can answer these questions while writing it then you know you are writing a successful press release.

Think and Write Like a Journalist

When writing your press release, write it like a news article. The parts to a successful press release include a descriptive headline, a lead paragraph and the body of the press release. The headline should be short, yet descriptive. It should grab the reader’s attention. The lead paragraph should answer the 5 “w’s” such as the who, what, when, where and why.

Every news article or, in this case, press release should have the 5 “w’s” included in it to answer all of the questions the reader is asking while reading it. The rest of the press release, for example, the following paragraphs, should include personality in them. This means to add quotes from relevant articles and news stories. Cite your sources when it comes to adding facts. Also, it is best to write in the third person.

Short and Sweet and Simply Formatted

When writing your press release, make sure to get all of your information in one page. Don’t get wordy and go overboard. Keep it short and simple and to the point. If it is too long, it will get tossed into the garbage. Publishers are just as busy as writers and business owners and they will just scan the press release like employers do with resumes and cover letters. If you want your press release read and published, don’t get too chatty. Also, if you are submitting the press release through email, paste it into the body of the email. Don’t attach it. Keep it simply formatted in plain text. There is no need for anything fancy added to it.

Include Contact Information and Company Bio

Make sure you include all necessary contact information and your company bio at the end of the press release. This includes company name, phone number, company address, email address and website url. Include a short company bio as well.

Avoid Common Pitfalls

Make sure to keep in mind this is a press release. It is not a speech or a sales pitch and it is not a presentation for your business. Don’t use flowery language. Also, don’t add information that is not needed such as the history of the company. Keep it simple and straight to the point and you will do fine with it.

Getting the Press Release Published and Noticed

Now that you have written a great press release, you will need to get it published and noticed. In order to get it published, you must first know your target and submit it to those publications. For example, make sure the publications you are submitting to are relevant to the topic of the press release. You will also need to make sure it has proper spelling, punctuation and grammar and that it is newsworthy.

In order to get the press release noticed and read to bring more business your way, you need to ensure it is short and to the point and that the headline will grab the attention of the readers.