By James Pruitt – Senior Staff Writer

Congratulations on your news release. News releases in themselves show interest in your product or services. Whatever the news source, the publisher of the news source clearly feels confident in your business idea. These news sources could be local newspapers, free publications, or newspapers. Engaging the interest of these publications is an outstanding business strategy.

A first-hand blog can and should provide the vanguard marketing strategy of a new business. That supermarket newsletter may validate your product, demonstrate interest, and spread the word about your offerings. However, a business blog allows a business to express itself, through a diverse range of media, without resorting to an intermediary.

Your business has hit the news, whatever that news source may be. Here, we flesh out how to exploit that story in your blog.

• Transforming a News Release into Web-Friendly Format:

Blogs differ from news releases in the web-based content, which allows the business owners more direct control.  Blogs allow various channels for the owners’ creativity, such as graphics, personal interaction, and other multimedia.  This enables the owner to develop the company’s brand. A cold news release can provide the information “meat” of the blog, demonstrating the successes of the company itself. However, the graphics and other media of the blog demonstrate the character and personality of the company itself.

• The Headline:

With a blog post you control the headline. A news outlet prefaces information about your company with a line they feel will grab their readers’ attention. However, in your blog post, your own marketing spin prevails. Generally, readers may ignore large blocks of text absent a catchy, attention-grabbing hook at the beginning. Whatever the targeted viewers’ interests, the headline should grab that reader and drag them into the deep end. The headline should cater to their interests and leave them salivating for more.

• Formatting:

The web offers endless opportunities for multimedia presentation. Use them. Business promotions are not news stories. Viewers know they have no responsibility to “close-read” your content and tend to dismiss content from private companies. It is on you to make the content fun, and to use your own artistic sensibilities to draw in the viewer. The informational “meat” that may go into a news release must be presented in an entertaining manner, else face consignment to the vortex of discarded advertising content we see all around us.

• Images:

News releases are informational and lack images. Your blog provides an opportunity to color this information as you see fit. Feel free to celebrate your news release on your blog with appropriate graphics. Your company’s image will brighten as a result.

• Include Details, but Keep them Relevant:

The initial news story hopefully draws readers to your business blog. The news source may or may not have included assumptions or questionable statements, hopefully positive. One strategy is to expound on your own perspective on these statements, and clarify any misunderstandings, as well as address any questions. The news is hearsay, and media is not always 100% accurate. However, news statements that require clarification may be opportunities. In a business blog, owners can expand on these statements to educate readers about their company.

• Sources:

For the news release itself, you are the source. However, remain mindful of the legitimacy of any of your blog content. Business owners should never venture claims absent tracing the sources.

Connect to Other Content:

On a related note, part of the magic of the web is the ability to link. Once your news release hits your blog, feel free to link to the news source itself. Also feel free to link to any of your other articles, as well as any source that provides information or resources that supports that article. Just use care in the choice of associated content.

In conclusion, successful news releases in themselves provide ample opportunities to promote your business. However, business owners may color and amplify this opportunity by spinning that news information on their blog. Whether the publication is local or widespread, blogging allows the new business to pounce on the opportunity to put their newfound publicity to the best possible use.

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By Debbie Gregory.

You may not know it but press releases are still an effective marketing tool for small businesses. Press releases are released online through news services and press release services. This means that your press release will not only be seen by journalists or bloggers, they can also turn up in general search results by the public.

Below are the key elements of every press release as well as a few tips to help you write a good one:

Headline

Make sure that your headline is attention-grabbing, while also immediately conveying what the release is about. Your headline should be no more than 100 characters long as shorter headlines are easier to share on social media platforms and more of it will show in search results online. Utilizing pertinent keywords in the headline will also help it show up in searches.

Subheading

Your subheading is a short summary of the main idea of the press release. The subhead should add a bit more information and expands on the headline itself.

Date

Adding the current date along with the city and state where your business is located will help journalists looking in your area for local businesses find you as well as ensure they aren’t using outdated releases.

First Paragraph

The first paragraph of your release should briefly explain the most important information in your release. Make sure to include the five W’s (Who, What, When, Where and Why) as well as your company name. People today have short attention spans, and most won’t read beyond the first paragraph, so you need to make sure what they do read grabs their attention.

Body Copy

This is where you can explain your announcement in greater detail. Make sure to break it up into paragraphs for easy reading by the consumer. Use informal language, as the body copy should sound natural, and include any relevant keywords.

Quotes

It is always a good idea to include a quote or two from your company’s key people (the president, CEO, or the company’s authority on the subject matter). Always include that person’s full name and title.

Extra Flair

If possible, include things like photos, infographics, videos, and other visual elements that a journalist can use to help differentiate your release from others. Include photos of the product, person, or event that your release is covering. You should also make high-resolution photos available for any journalists that would like them (this can be done by posting them to your own site and including links for download in the press release).

Call to Action

Near the end of your press release always be sure to include a call to action. This is something you want the reader to do once they have finished reading your release – maybe visit your website, learn more about your new product, reserve tickets for an upcoming event, etc. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to contact you. Make sure to include a link to your website as well as a phone number the reader can call.

Boilerplate

A boilerplate refers to a brief paragraph about your business that you include at the end of every press release. This should short paragraph should include your full business name, a short bit about what it does, when it was founded, and any other important information that you want a reader to know. Keep it short and sweet.

Media Contact

The media contact is someone at your business who is available to quickly respond to inquiries from the press release. List multiple ways to contact your spokesperson (phone, email, social handles, etc.).

To sum up:

• Press releases should be no more than two pages in length.
• Start with an eye-catching headline and subheading.
• Include quotes from key personnel in your company.
• Spice it up with enticing visuals.
• Include links when appropriate.
• Use relevant keywords but don’t go overboard.
• Make it very easy for the reader to contact you.