Defining a “Release”
First, everyone has heard of a press release, which is usually written for traditional media outlets like newspapers. On the other hand, news releases generally target digital news-sharing platforms, including online newspapers. With the advent of the cyber age, the terms are often used interchangeably.
Better yet, the term “media release” encompasses both and is written for traditional and new media sources. With today’s online community driving information, it’s perfectly appropriate to launch “media releases” at news editors, journalists, bloggers and Tweeters on local, state and national levels.
It’s helpful when your release appears on news and company websites, because it gains direct readership authority, as well as providing valuable backlinks to your own website. Your release can appear on Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social sites to enhance marketing and promotional opportunities, as well.
Professional and Experienced Press Release Writer
You need a well-written release that “information gatherers” will want to share. And that’s when a press release writer — or better yet, a media release writer — comes in handy.
I’m a press release writer, news release writer and media release writer depending on the client’s goals and target audience. I follow best practices within industry standards and attend to the nine components in a press release:
- Letterhead/Logo
- Contact Information
- “For Immediate Release”
- Headline and sub-headline
- Dateline
- Body
- Quote
- Boilerplate
- ###
Most Importantly…
The most crucial element is the writing itself. Is the release cluttered and hard to read? Does it emphasize the wrong angle? Is it boring or a chore to navigate? My job is to craft and compile “news others can use” and “news others want to read.” After all, releases are supposed to be interesting and easily digestible so that your event, announcement or other useful information is passed along by the news community.
Your release can be sent to your contacts, or you can choose to use services such as PR Web for deployment.