Press Release 101
Here are three great sites for posting your Press Release.
PR Fire – PR Fire is the best for press releases in Google search results (make sure you have targeted keywords and phrases – but don’t over-use them. Keeping it clear and reader friendly is the 1st priority). PR Fire is also good for results appearing on Google News, which aggregates all news online for some strong exposure. Its free service includes a normal press release, but the paid option includes writing your press release for you, making it search engine friendly, and corporate packages to help spread your news. For more pricing details, you can email info@prfire.co.uk for more pricing details.
Open PR – Open PR is also a solid option for Google News, and is the only one that doesn’t require creating an account, so it’s the fastest, simplest one. However, you’re limited to three press releases a day, from 8 am to 6 pm, and give no paid or additional services. If looked for a simple, fast and free press release option, Open PR is the best choice.
Online PR News – Online PR News is rated as the most likely to get on Google news, so it’s a better choice if you don’t have the specific keyword focus for your releases. The free post option includes SEO optimization, $22 makes it sharable through social media, $79 lets you include multimedia and interactive elements, and $349 gets your press release sent to print, broadcast, and online outlets for maximum visibility.
Other Paid Options:
PR Newswire – PR Newswire is a very established paid option, with the greatest amount of options and success for $249 a year ($195 if you pay with a credit card, or $99 for non-profits). It distributes press releases to credible media authorities (journalists, bloggers, and important figures in a target audience), and also optimizes your releases using SEO, social media, and multimedia such as photo and video.
PRWeb – PRWeb has good results for sending releases in Google News, but due to a past of receiving spam press releases, it does poorly on regular Google and Bing searches. The cheapest option is $99 per press release, and the most expensive is $499 per release. It also has a useful option for sending releases to premium and premier outlets through the Associated Press, which costs $249 per release.
Ok, I know where to post the press release….how do I put the darn thing together?
Anatomy of a press release, all the different elements see here: – http://www.mediacollege.com/journalism/press-release/format.html
- Start off the press release with these first lines: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE or HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL (time), depending on if you want to public to see it now or later on. Make sure it’s at the very top and in all capitals.
- For your headline, make it as straightforward as possible. Try not to use slang, phrases, or any words with multiple meanings that can confuse the reader. Concentrate on key words that are the focus of the article, and keep it to the point.
- In the first body paragraph, include the city, state/country, and date in italics. Then in the same paragraph, go right into the content of the press release.
- In the rest of the press release, put all the important details here. Write in short paragraphs, no more than a few sentences each, and give each one a main focus. Start with the most important paragraphs, with work your way down to the least important ones. You can includes quotes in your paragraphs too, just make sure you’re not repeating details.
- Make the last paragraph any important background information on the individual(s) or organization(s) you mentioned in the press release, and keep it a few sentences too.
- After your last paragraph, list the contact information for someone involved that can answer any related questions. Be sure to include at least a name, location, email, and full address.
- If the final press release is longer than one page, put -more- at the bottom before going to the second page. Always aim to make it no longer than one page, since longer press releases are less likely to be read.
- At the very end of the release, finish it with ENDS or ###.