The most effective way to write a press release for the web

Today there are scores of free press release distribution websites. They are an effective way of reaching new customers as well as gaining some important backlinks in the process.

But there are thousands of press releases being published across the internet in any one day, so what can you do to effectively make sure your item stands out from the crowd?

Firstly, make sure that your title is noticeable by being factual and straight to the point. Try not to use abstract marketing speak or wording that is too general.

A title is important as often that is the first thing that an internet user will see in their RSS reader or on the search engine results.

This is an example of a bad title from a recent addition to Press Release 001: 'Success Story Of Louise & Steve'.

What type of success? Who are Louise and Steve? This titles tells the reader nothing about the content.

Think of the title for a press release as acting as an introduction and try to make it as short as possible and not longer than one line.

Add keywords to your title. This is important as it will help in Search Engine Optimization.

For instance: 'A new way to shed your weight and flatten your tummy!' The internet is saturated with health related products. This title is so vague as to be useless. In fact, it is concerned with a colon detox drug so it should include the word detox.

If you are unsure about what keywords to concentrate on then use Google's Adwords Keywords Tools as a tool to help you.

Do not capitalize your title – there is no need for this as a well worded title will do the job fine.

As for the body itself, always write in short paragraphs. Never use more than two or there sentences for one paragraph. This is because readers only skim read an item in their browser and so short, snappy paragraphs make it more likely that your item will be read thoroughly.

Don't forget to check for spelling and grammar mistakes before you submit an item. It is recommended to ask somebody else to read over your press release for this as two pairs of eyes are better than one for this job.

Make sure you place a quote in from either yourself or from a named individual in your company.

It adds a personal touch to what is a very bland writing style. Remember, press releases are not about imaginative, flowery language – they are formulaic and plain.

Press releases on the internet do work. They will bring you more traffic and more customers to your website, but make sure that you are familiar with the best methods of writing one before you hand it over to distribution services

Part two coming soon...