In this series of posts we’ll try to cover the main aspects of writing, formatting and effectively distributing a press release and the power of this strategy to get backlinks and qualified traffic to your business.

Let’s start by the beginning.

WHAT IS A PRESS RELEASE?

Press releases are simply announcements that are written in the form of an article. They contain all of the traditional elements that a news story would have: the “who, what, where, when, why” elements, also known as the Five W’s. They are written in the style of a news story, and always in the third person – never in the style of “I am pleased to announce…”, but instead, “Smith Enterprises Is Pleased To Announce…” We will get into the format later.

Originally, they were sent to newspapers, television stations, and radio stations, in the hopes that these media outlets would pick them up and use them. Newspapers and other media outlets use press releases to inform on events that are taking place that are of interest to their readership.

Reporters and editors recognize that press releases are promotional, but sometimes they also contain news that is interesting or useful to local readers, and that is what reporters and editors are looking for when they scan through press releases.

Newspaper press releases would announce anything from the opening of a new store, to a sale, to the promotion of an employee. Depending on the subject of the press release, a newspaper might run it in different sections of the paper. An announcement about an Easter Egg Hunt at a local church could end up in the community events section, the religion section, or the lifestyle section. An announcement about a law firm promoting an associate to partner would end up in the business section. If a new store was opening in town, that could make the news section, or the business section.

In our next post we’ll discuss how free press release sites work. Stay Tuned