The Main Things To Consider When Writing Press Releases

Author: andy2007

Letterhead

Create a company letterhead for the press release. Use either standard letter (8″ x 11”) or legal (8″ x 14″) paper for the purpose. The name of the organization, address, telephone number, fax and e-mail should be clearly visible at the top left of the letterhead. The words “Press Release” should be located at the top right. Ensure the name and contact information (address, telephone / fax number and e-mail address) of the person dealing with the press release, are also included. This gives journalists a specific contact point, if requiring further details.

Content and Structure

A conspicuous headline should catch the attention of the reader. It must present a stimulating idea, in appropriate language, which encourages the reader to continue with the remainder of the piece. The first subheading of your press release, if necessary, should follow. Give more information designed to hold the interest and encourage a desire to read further. However, don’t reveal all the interesting information at this stage.

The Body of the Press Release

The main part of your writing should contain a brief synopsis of the topic. Use short, clear, snappy sentences that are easy to comprehend. Build up the attention-grabbing features of your piece to a thrilling climax. Finish off with quotes from people who have encountered products or services. This adds trustworthiness and corroborates claims. Generally, “###”, indicates to journalists the end of the release. If your release is longer than one page, write “MORE” at the bottom of the first page, and repeat the title and date on the second page.

Conclusion

Constructing a press release is not as complicated as it may sound. Most press releases are at most two pages long. Standard press release format is appropriate for virtually any purpose. It is crucial to have a striking, eye-catching headline. Focus on facts and be succinct when detailing product advantages. Also avoid using unoriginal phrases to generate interest; if anything, they are likely to have the opposite effect. A well-presented, attention-grabbing press release is far more likely to be noticed by the media, and to have the desired effect on the audience at which it is directed.

Source: Free Articles

About the Author

Andy Edwards is a freelance researcher and writer specialising in consumer, finance and business subjects. For further information and a definition of press release see dictionary.co.uk, the People’s Dictionary which aims to track the change in the English language – and allows you to to be part of it. Dictionary.co.uk is owned by ValueClick, one of the world`s largest online marketing firms.

How To Divert Massive Traffic To Your Website

Post by: Georgia simpson
Our story.
We were trying our best to drive traffic to one of our websites. We were overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge and skill which took to drive the traffic to our site. We were thinking that if we could have created worth viewing site which is seen by many people and naturally would have resulted in more traffic which is untrue.

We have tried several means how to get FREE traffic and visitors to our website without spending advertising cost since we have learned quite a lot after spending on keywords. Finally we found that good search engine ranking will do the needful. But we explored as to how to get keywords ranked high? The following steps you can follow for every web page.

Step 1: Choose your topic

You can get ideas from all sorts of books, magazines, newspapers, news letters, your competitors’ web sites etc.

Step 2: Keyword research

We were not aware in the beginning the importance of keyword search. This is the step every newcomer to Internet marketing quite often misses out. Before you write a single word, you need to find out what words people are typing into search engines so that your website is too searched in this manner.

One place you can start your keyword research without paying a cent is http://inventory.overture.com and http://www.pixelfast.com/overture/
You can type in various phrases and find out thoroughly how many searches were done in the last month at Overture.

You’ll be surprised to see the related phrases you hadn’t thought of.
For example, for “carinsurance” it tells us there were 2769664 searches at Overture’s network of sites last month. This is a VERY popular topic. You can also see a lot of insurance related phrases.

Step 3: Always Research the competition

Go to google, type out the keywords/phrase you’ve selected from the above, and have a quick look at the top 10 sites listed.
Find out the top 10 sites and study whether those keywords optimized their website.
You can then decide how you can compete with and out ranking them.

Step 4: Write your article.

With your pre-searched key phrase, it’s time to write an article. Also use several synonyms. Search engines like that.

You can put some affiliate links into the article, promoting a product you’re really enthusiastic about.

Step 5: Build your web page

•This page should be very simple without any fancy flashes.
•Remember to put key words into your title, description, keyword list.
•Put key phrased for ALT tag also.
•Use the article you finished from step 4.

Step 6: Link to Other Site

The more links you’ve acquired to your site, the better chance of getting success.
If you want to get more details for the best online website builder, you can visit http://www.best-internet-businesses.com More than half of site builder owners have high ranking in search engines and also http://www.carinsuranceno1.com This site gives reliable business opportunities and promotional tools, in high search engine ranking and also $150 free bonus.

Related Writing Articles

Procrastination Solutions

By: Lael Johnson

I’m assuming that you have encountered some form of procrastination in your life. For those of you who don’t struggle with procrastination. Congratulations!  I find procrastination especially frustrating to handle, when it disguises itself as irritability, confusion and anger, pointing my heart and mind away from where the real causes lie.

Procrastination is a temporary solution to cover or push away intense feelings during the creative process.  Some creatives feel anxiety before starting a project.  Others feel depressed in the middle of creating a project. Still others struggle being unable to finish a project, especially one that comes closest to the realization of part of their artistic vision. They don’t want to face the unknowns of exploring a new project.

Procrastination is a form of self-sabotage.  I call it a short-term last resort. If you let procrastination go, it can take over your life.  In the following exercises, I can increase your awareness of how procrastination may be interfering with your work. Remember to choose  to work one exercise at time.  Take your time when you write. Be patient as you start to react to these two exercises. Let your mind and heart gently guide you toward deeper awareness and desire to change.

TO-DO LISTS:
Lists are easy to write in your journal.  If you can write a laundry list, then you can write a journal list.  Feel free to choose organization tools that work best for you. My preference is to use a combination of my calendar, some goal files (pc), index cards and my memory. When I’m creating lists, I like having access to both flexible tools(cards and memory) and a workable structure ( past lists and some goal files).   Remember to write a clear, easy to read, and detailed to-do list.

CHOOSE  ONE AREA: Choose one urgent “procrastination” area.
To help your focus answer the following questions about your situation:

Purpose: Increasing your awareness of your resistance:
What part of this activity, that I don’t want to do? (answer in specifics)
What am I feeling about working on this activity? (There may be more than one feeling)
What would I rather be doing?
What is so attractive about resisting this activity?

Purpose: Increasing your awareness of your motivation:
What part of doing this creative project do you like?
What are  your feeling about this creative project? (any  feelings)

Summarize your resistance statements and your motivated statements
Look  for any similarities and differences (use this information to answer the next question)
Look for ways to increase your motivational actions and decrease your procrastination actions.

Congratulations! You’ve chosen your new goal.
Start working on it now!!
No more procrastination!

Author Bio
Lael Johnson, owner of Writer’s Eye Advisory Service, offers creativity coaching services and additional writing resources. For more information visit: http://www.writerseye.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com

what do you want?

As a business most want to deliver what the customer wants. For a writer, designer or other creative type how do you deliver when the customer doesn’t know – or doesn’t communicate – what they want?

For example, was recently approached by someone unhappy with other writers. Wanted to do a sample first. Sample was presented and he liked it – wanting a couple tweaks. I’d written as a soft sell of the product. One of the tweaks was “Also we assume everyone knows and uses or wants to use a (product)”. This was duly noted so the soft sell was not implemented in the other four articles presented. A request for feedback on topic was unanswered so four were presented to meet the promised deadline.

Then came the comment “The articles are supposed to point the reader towards desiring a (product). Yours don’t.” They were changed to include this and the project cancelled.

Now I have no problem with if someone’s not happy will make it right. This clearly shows for some there isn’t a right – but instead of looking at, seemingly, several writers there just might be a communication issue within.

As a  business owner communication is vital. Now I can – and will – use the articles elsewhere. But even knowing some people just don’t want to be pleased, it’s aggrevating to have no right resolution possible.

What do you do when what is requested and delivered isn’t really what’s wanted? And from a buyer’s side – do you immediately write it off or figure the person’s time is valuable enough to warrant making it right?

job bid sites

There are many sites for writers, artists and other creative self employed people. The problem is they don’t value this.

A professional of any other type has a set fee. Business consulting folks charge $200+ per  hour and  don’t quibble. So why do the same people setting up sites to make money then expect those writing & designing it to work for nothing?

A few years ago I signed up with several online places. Elance and Guru were two – the latter was higher priced and in a year I think I did two jobs. The rest were  paying rediculously low wages or never awarded to anyone, wasting my time. Many of the same jobs appeared on Elance.

Elance made a big thing about allowing providers to roll over their contacts (bid allowance). So with 38 bids rolling over to the next month it should be +40 right? Otherwise – if the bids are taken away it just starts over and they’re really lost while SAYING they’re not. Saying so doesn’t make it true. Asking about this on their help forum has been met with silence.

I learned long ago trying to contact anyone at Elance was a waste of time. They don’t talk to providers – or at least not writers. There are minimums you’re allowed to bid – $50 – yet bids have been denied for “bid too high”. Does Elance care? No. They got the money for the monthly service.

This morning I received another. Having some time to pick up a few quick projects I bid one with 15 articles and specific things he wanted for $115 – “bid too high”. The only ones seemingly doing well are those who will work for under $5/per hour – which is really free by the time you take out taxes, expenses etc – or those bidding who  employ those making under $5 – “article marketers.” Then buyers come back complaining about content…when they turn down people meeting their requirements!

I know the economy is bad for businesses as well as individuals. I can write blogs and other stuff and get paid nothing…without giving up rights to promotional material.

I’ve tried several sites and all are the same – wanting 50-100 hours of work for under $50. Then there’s the ones you do the work (along with dozens of others working for nothing) and one might get picked. What this means is you can work all week and get nothing for it but give ideas openly to others.

Now to use up another 38 bids for more “bid too high” comments. Fair wages….no way. And it’s likely these same people protest wages given to people in other countries – while supporting a living wage for those right here.

Writing Gadgets

What are your favorite writing gadgets? Things that are an “office on the go” that make things work easier?

I love the portability of my laptop. I can upload photos, burn disks, send email and check in from anywhere. The digital camera – although not a *writing* tool, does allow incredible photos to go with writing articles or blogs.

Others couldn’t get by without a cell phone or blackberry. A couple months ago I purchased a little recorder with the idea it’s compact and can be used for interviews. That hasn’t worked out so well – tendency to turn on and record when bumped, sounds “tinny” to record and hard to hear what is recorded.

Still other things are helpful – what are your favorite gadgets & why?

Firing Employees – or Clients

“I’m sorry your position is being eliminated.” This has been done millions of times during the last year and in today’s political environment businesses are uncertain about adding new employees even if they need them.

For small companies this can be a serious change – when you’re used to seeing someone in the office and they’re not there often their job still needs to be done. The reason could be poor performance or financial but firing people is seldom easy. It also brings in possibilities for getting sued in today’s world where people are desperate or jobs and money.

For this reason documenting, reviews and regular feedback meetings are critical. If you’ve given an employee two years of positive reviews then fire her for ‘poor performance’ you’ve documented yourself into a lawsuit, even if things had changed. On the other hand if it’s financial reasons and the business is doing well that can be a factor too.

Clear communication is important but of course keeping your business afloat is also! Clients are somewhat easier to let go than employees, but still must be done carefully or the word of mouth that has helped you can work against you.

Larger companies subject to other regulations also have issues. Discrimination charges are always a possibility if careful attention isn’t paid to the wording of the termination.

As with most business situations expert consulting and a plan is best laid out before it is needed. If you have a plan you are better prepared to handle it whether it be an employee or a demanding client that costs more than they pay you. In either case, tact and careful handling can leave the terminated party on as positive terms as possible and save you from legal hassles. 

Plan ahead. It pays!

How Much do you Give Away?

Many say they charge for everything – or charge for nothing. What do you give away?

The truth is almost all businesses give away things. In the effort of promotion it can be a good thing. Writers and others don’t charge for blogs, for example. It’s a give away. Business folks may give away advice, professionals give information and tips.

This can for some be a soft sell of information that opens the door to showing how you can help solve their problem. Giving away work can mean taking a chance that the person will be happy with your work. If they’re unhappy you’ve created an unhappy customer that received free work! Make an extra effort to insure they’re happy.

Giving away work might be a donation to a fundraiser, or helping a non-profit that you believe in. Both of these are good ways for new or expanding writers to generate readers…if you do so wisely and have more for them to come to.

Other people “give away” work by not charging what they’re worth. If someone is getting $500 worth of work done for $100 he’s never going to pay you $500. Low cost kings often want things written telling others how to make millions while working from a beach. The reality is you do the work including uploading and they sit on the beach – after all sand ruins a laptop! If you ask for a higher fee they’ll go on to the next one willing to run their business for next to nothing.

The other type wants you to convince hoards of people to buy their product or gimmick while paying you next to nothing to do it. Consider this – if it’s legitimate and going to make them $100,000 in the next week shouldn’t they be able to afford $300 instead of $50?! Why shouldn’t you get that or more for words that generate that $100,000?

Others want an ebook or other item on a hot topic ready to go in a week. If you have the expertise why not do it yourself rather than accept a $200 flat fee someone else gets the credit for?

Consider carefully what you give away. Price fairly and remember like all businesses you have to pay your bills or you won’t be writing long. Persist, write, present yourself as a professional. The businesses who value it and want quality will pay it. The others aren’t worth the effort – not just in my opinion but in the opinion of many writers as well as graphic artists and other creative types.

Know your worth. Give away what you CHOOSE to give away.

Paying Cash Penalized

Why is it in a credit crisis when businesses claim to be in trouble cash is penalized? Why not take what people have NOW rather than what they might have. Even small internet businesses are trained to give something for a dollar then sign customers up for subscriptions – which somehow works only or those good at promising what isn’t really delivered quite as promised.

I’ve looked at several options of cell phone service and wireless ‘on the go’ internet. I find programs that sound good and there’s always a catch, usually connected to getting a credit card! Some won’t even take a check card but want a CREDIT card. Those wanting to pay cash for services get more restrictions, higher fees and more hassles.

In a very strong way we’re penalized for paying with cash. Even satellite providers want credit cards rather than cash for the best deals. Television is NOT a necessity and most advice of getting out of debt the television is the first to go – yet they have penalties where people are obligated to pay whether or not they get the service. In the case of one customer it was whether or not they COULD get it! They were assured they could, signed up and found they couldn’t – but the company held them to a multi-year contract for something they couldn’t provide because the contract was signed!

The quest for a reasonably priced wireless service that will give a good price for up front cash payments is ongoing. Credit payments get unlimited service while cash payments are limited to so many mb used. Shouldn’t that be the other way? Cash in hand you for sure have the money – those customers should get preference!

This has been fodder for talk shows so I know I’m not alone in my thoughts. Yet companies ignore the cash business! They don’t get mine. Yes it’s a pain in the rear sometimes and yes it’d be convenient to have service. Until there are some who appreciate up front payments I’ll do without.

But welcome those interested in dealing with cash payments!

5 books to help your writing

During National Read a New Book Month why not read and learn? Here are some books to get you started – or unstuck!

The Write Brain Workbook – Connie Neubauer has put together 366 exercises that can help you jumpstart your writing whether you write fiction or non-fiction. More than just prompts it gives you starters then ideas to expand, change or tell from a different perspective. For journal or creative writers this can be a gold mine of ideas!

The Writer’s Book of Matches – 1,001 prompts to ignite your fiction. This, too, can be used to start fiction, non-fiction or creative articles and stories. A line, a perspective or a quote can start ideas including some I’ve made use of here in the blog. Sometimes generating an idea or taking an idea another way is the best use of perspective.

Weekly Writes – 52 Weeks of Writing Bliss – Sherry Mo Belle Arrieta has put together a creative way to spend each week on a story with generating the habit of writing daily. Starting habits can be tough and writing daily is important for those serious about writing, whether it is for pay or not.

Page After Page – Heather Sellers offers a great deal of information in a book that is not very big. Tips, tricks, prompts and advice is jam packed in this book. While all of these can create ideas and stress daily writing, this one is perhaps a little “deeper” but all four are worth having to refer to each time you ask “what to write today?” and don’t have a ready answer.

The Writer’s Book of Checklists – Scott Edelstein has created a gem with this! Whether a beginning or intermediate writer or looking for new “places to play” this is a great checklist on a variety of points from writers’ attitude to pricing to fiction and selling as well as many other topics. If you don’t have anyone to brainstorm with get this book! Even if you have a writing buddy it can bring up fodder for ideas. Worth the purchase.

There are many great and useful writing books out there – these are just a few that are reached for time and time again.