I have drug this series on press releases out long enough and want to wrap up this discussion on writing the press release.
I am only going to share a little on this subject because there are more detail’s in the “Lazy Agent Guide” that you can get and read about by subscribing to the website. To do so, click the link at the top of this page.
The body of the press release is broken own into a few paragraphs that have specific purposes.
The goal of the initial paragraph is to explain the problem and tell the reporter why it is important. It pulls in the reader and tells then that the problem effects everyone. You want to address a problem that effects the majority of the people, not just one or two people in your area. The broader the problem, the better chance you have at striking a cord with the reporter.
Here are some examples that I used in my practice successfully (I ran a successful College Funding Consulting practice and used these examples for that niche, but you can change them and adapt them to your niche market):
Most people will agree that filling out the paperwork for college funding is hard enough. It is a daunting task to figure out how to pay for college without going broke or spending your life savings. Most people would like to be certain that their hard earned funds are going to be safely spent on the programs and at the schools that will give them the best bang for their buck.
Notice that I present the problem (college funding is hard work) and explain in the last sentence why it is important (you want the best bang for your buck). You do not have to be extremely creative in your writing. Don’t try to impress a reporter (who makes a living with creative writing) with your fancy writing. More likely then not it will come across as a lame attempt at being clever. Just stick to the facts and follow the structure.
The second paragraph should contain a quote from you and explains the issue in more detail for the reader:
“Almost every client that I meet with that is sending children to college is worried about how they are going to pay for it,” explains Your Name, owner of Your Company. “They’ve either not saved enough money and are worried about how to get the funding or saved some of the money but are still quite a bit short for tuition. That is why we offer free college financial planning workshops where parents can come and ask questions about financial aid.”
Every time you submit a press release, you have to include a quote. It gives the reporter a feel for what you will add to the story. It also gives the reporter a way to write the story if they are not able to get a hold of you. Plus, when there is a quote in the story, it is generally thought of as the choice of the reporter. And people tend to trust reporters.
The last paragraph or two you just wrap up the story idea and maybe provide another quote or two:
Two free seminars are being offered to help parents of college bound kids this month on (date) at (location). We invite any parent of college bound children to attend and learn about the steps in the financial aid process as well as how to get the most amount of money possible for college from the sources that are out there.
Reservations are free, but seating is limited. To reserve your seat, please call (your phone number)
Lastly, end your press release with three # signs, centered on the bottom of the page. This tells the reporter that it is the end. Make sure that the press release fits on one page, and you are ready to get it out to the reporter.
If you consistently send out one release every week or two, it won’t be long before you begin getting calls from reporters and getting the free publicity you want.
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