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WORD FOR THE DAY “practice” (n.) 1. “habitual or customary performance; operation; 2. habit; custom; 3. repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency;” (v.) 1. to exercise oneself by repeated performance in order to acquire skill; 2. to do something habitually or as a practice.” (dictionary dot com)

10 writing practices improve your press release 

Toot your horn. Get your important information out to the print and electronic media via a press release. A press release can raise awareness of your name and brand, position you as a leader in your industry, and also put a “face” to what could otherwise come across as an impersonal business entity. However, it’s important that you do it right. Steve Waganer, an SEO specialist who works for Comet Search Engine Marketing, notes, “It is not enough just to write press releases and publish them on the web; you must know the correct way of writing a press release to be noticed on the web.”1. Here are eight prompts to improve your press release.

1. Make it newsworthy. Is your release actually advertising-in-disguise, or is there meat on the bone? Publicize a worthy cause, and describe how your company participated in it through volunteer activity or a sponsorship. Expand on the results of a survey your company recently conducted. Or, take some new national data relevant to your business, and give it your company spin. This comes in handy if you’ve added a new service, and your release sounds like advertising. For example, a dentist may have added sedation dentistry to its services. Can the information be tied into an article on odontophobia, fear of dentists, and some just-published statistics about the number of nationwide sufferers? (See http://www.medicalartsdental.com/, click "Press Release")

2. Be specific and creative with your headline. Remember, there are plenty of other businesses vying for editors’ and readers’ attention. A data-specific example would be, “ABC Transport hiring 250 temporary technicians this July.” It is stronger than “ABC Transport hiring.” Can it be more creative? How about, “ABC Transport trumpets July hire of 250 temporary technicians.” You can use devices such as alliteration (in this case, the repetition of the “t” words) and even rhyme to call attention to your headline. How about “Outsourcing Resource in HR is Super” to publicize a new company called “Super Consulting Services, LLC”? (See the release at: http://www.wordingforyou.com/Blog/WORD-FOR-THE-DAY--/Outsourcing-Good-word-Good-practice/)

3. Put contact information at the top of the release.  Name, title, phone number, email address, and website address are necessary so an editor or reporter can interview you for more information.

4. Make the first sentence of your release memorable. Describe the news first, and then, tell who announced it. Weak: “John Smith announced today the merger of ABC Transport with XYZ.” How about “The merger is on. No one is happier than ABC Transport’s CEO John Smith, unless it’s XYZ founder Don White.” Remember, the editor will take your information and rewrite it, or a reader will forward your story to his/her network. Your job is to write an interesting piece.

5. Don’t editorialize with adjectives and embellishments. This includes words such as “great,” “quality,” “unsurpassed,” “notable,” and the like. Remember, the news requires facts. “Specifics sell,” just as they do with advertising. Let your specifics convince the editor that your piece is relevant to readers.

6. Insert key words and links into your release. “Inserting key terms back-linked to pages on your Web site can not only trigger an action from the reader – such as visiting the site to learn more or purchasing or scheduling a service – it also helps build the SEO power needed to ensure that your Web site and online pages have prominence in online search results,” says Eric Richard of Startup Nation, a free Internet entrepreneurial site, located at http://www.startupnation.com.2.

7. Use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. An error implies all sorts of bad things about you, including ignorance, laziness, and lack of motivation. You should have resources on hand – a dictionary, “Elements of Style,” and an extra pair of eyes to proof your work. Remember, your words leave an impression about you and your company.

8. Write and send your release to the appropriate person. Send staff additions, promotions, awards, and “moving or expanding” stories to the Business News Editor. Releases can be sent to a reporter responsible for a topic area, e.g., Education, Religion, Food, Health, Recreation, Sports, etc.

9. Distribute it to your social media network also. Post to your website home page, and send it to LinkedIn, Facebook, and FourSquare accounts. Share your release with bloggers in your industry. Send it to an article distribution service. What’s new today as opposed to “yesterday” is that people on the Internet might actually be searching for the information contained in your press release.

10. Hire a professional writer. You may subscribe to a release service or a PR company. You certainly can designate an employee in-house to handle your public relations and Web activity. Or, you can outsource your writing to a professional writer-for-hire.

So, if you’ve decided to be more proactive about publishing press releases, way to go. Use these recommendations for your next release, and you should see an improvement and, with luck, generate some response.

Sources:

1. “What is the Importance of a Press Release?” by Steve Waganer, Comet Search Engine Marketing, © 2006, < http://www.cometsearchenginemarketing.com/what_is_the_importance_of_press_release.html >

2. “Modern PR Tactics: Blending The Old & The New,” by Eric Richard, StartUp Nation, © 2011 < http://www.startupnation.com/business-articles/9715/1/modern-pr-tactics-blending-old-new-htm >