"89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases"

Lesson #11:  The body copy

The fourth part of a press release is the body copy, which might constitute up to 90 percent of your entire press release. I've highlighted all the body copy in yellow below.

In Week 6, you'll learn more about how to keep information in the body of the press release organized and easy to read, and how to write the release in such a way so that it encourages people to buy from you. This is where you include not only key facts about products and services, but benefits.

Notice that at the end, I included the world "END" and set it off with dashes. I did this because if somebody prints your press release, and there's nothing at the bottom, they won't be left wondering if the release continues onto another page that perhaps didn't come out of the printer.

If you learned PR back in the 1970s and 1980s, you might have been taught to put "30" at the end of your press release. It's an old typesetter's mark that signified the end of the story. And it's another old rule that's obsolete. "END" is far better.     

In the old days, we were supposed to limit press releases to only a page because journalists were too busy to read more than that. Today, however, we can write press releases of up to about 500 words, or two pages, because most people who will find them on the Internet won't be busy journalists. They'll be consumers, and they'll be curious about our products and services.

Also, way back when, we always used double-line spacing so that copyeditors would have room to pencil-edit our copy. Thanks to computers, we don't have to do that anymore. Single line-spacing is fine.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 CONTACT: Joan Stewart at 262-284-7451 (days) or 262-284-2222 (evenings)
 3434 County KK
 Port Washington, WI 53074
 jstewart@publicityhound.com 
 http://www.PublicityHound.com 

Employee Recruitment, Retention Booklets
Offer Helpful Tips During Labor Shortage

Finding and keeping workers is easier with these 220 ideas
that include onsite day care centers, espresso bars,
 employee nap rooms

PORT WASHINGTON, Wisconsin -- July 1, 2006 -- Employers struggling with the worst labor shortage in three decades can find dozens of ideas for finding and keeping workers in the booklets “113 Tips for Finding Valuable Employees” and “107 Tips for Keeping Valuable Employees.”

Proactive companies that want to lure the best workers, then keep them, are using recruiting and retention strategies that would have been unheard of 20 years ago. They include offering employees flexible work schedules, career counseling, onsite day care centers, espresso bars in the company cafeteria, employee nap rooms and even lactation rooms.

The two 16-page booklets were written by Joan Stewart, a publicity expert and management consultant who is also known as The Publicity Hound.

The booklets are $5 each. Order at http://www.PublicityHound.com/publicity-products/tips.html or by sending your business card and a check (U.S. funds only) payable to The Publicity Hound to 3434 County KK, Port Washington, WI 53074. Or call 262-284-7451.

– END –

Permission to Reprint:

Journalists, newsletter publishers, bloggers and others: You may reprint any 10 tips of your choosing from each of the two booklets as long as you include ordering information. Email me at JStewart@PublicityHound.com for all the tips.

Need an illustration? GIF images of both booklets are available at http://www.publicityhound.com/images/113tips.gif  and http://www.publicityhound.com/images/107tips.gif

*     *     *    

Opportunity #11: Your personal birthday or company
                                birthday

In the old days, you'd almost never send a press release announcing your birthday. But now that we're writing press releases to attract the attention of people who do research on the Internet, I can think of lots of reasons to let them know about such a momentous occasion.

Why not tell them you're giving them a free gift in honor of your birthday. It can be an ebook, special report or podcast at your website. I was born in 1952, and on my 52nd birthday, I gave people who subscribe to my electronic newsletter 52 percent off on any products they bought from me that day. The promotion resulted in about $800 in additional sales. Or, you can sponsor a fun contest that ties into your birthday. You'll read more about contests tomorrow.

P.S. Special reports are great give-aways. They're usually written on very narrow topics, and include in-depth information. I like to say mine are on "topics an inch wide, with content a mile deep." If you don't want to give them away, sell them. I received so many emails from Publicity Hounds asking me how I've written my 50 special reports that I finally wrote "Special Report #20--How to Write & Market Profitable Special Reports." Read about it here.

Tomorrow: Tell 'em what to do

 

Need help with publicity?
The Publicity Hound's Resources List includes products and vendors that can help with many aspects of your publicity campaign. You'll find press release writers, publicists, audio experts, ghostwriters and more.  

***Have you missed previous lessons in this tutorial?
      You can find them below:

Lesson 1     Lesson 2     Lesson 3     Lesson 4     Lesson 5     Lesson 6      Lesson 7     Lesson 8     Lesson 9     Lesson 10