"89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases"

Lesson #8:  Contact information

Today, we're starting Week #2, and we'll concentrate on the 6 parts of a press release.

There are probably hundreds of different formats for releases, but the sample release you see below, which I wrote, is my favorite because it's so simple.

The first part of a press release is the contact information, which I've highlighted for you in yellow. In some cases, you'll want to include more than one contact person. You should  include the contact information for the publicist, who journalists can call for more information, as well as contact info for other people in your company such as sales reps, who someone can contact if they want to ask a question about what you're selling.

Contact information should include name, shipping address (why make people hunt for it?), phone, email address and website URL. Notice that the email address and website URL links are live.

Remember the phrase "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE"? We used to include it on our press releases. But now that we're posting them online, we don't have to include it anymore. Most journalists wouldn't honor our request to wait several days before passing our information along to their audiences. Besides, you wouldn't be posting the release online if you didn't want people to see it yet, right?


CONTACT: Joan Stewart at 262-284-7451 (days) or 414-284-2222 (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 keep valuable employees and lure other qualified workers away from the competition 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, and employee nap 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 choice 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

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Opportunity #8: Books you have written

If you have written a printed book or an ebook, write and post a press release online. Dawn Josephson offers the best advice you'll get anywhere on how to write a press release for a new book. 

She explains it in "How to Create Eye-opening Promo Pieces That Sell Books." I use her guidelines when working with authors who are in The Publicity Hound Mentor Program. They follow Dawn's advice and write their own copy, and I serve as their personal writing coach and critique it. 

P.S. If you're an author, don't miss my "Special Report #40: 42 Publicity Tips for Authors and Small Publishers." It includes lots of fun and effective ideas on how to generate publicity for your book. This can keep you busy for months. If your book came out several years ago and you're not marketing it anymore, you've given up way too early!


Tomorrow: The second part of the press release that's
                     the most  important

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 distribution services, 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