The press release is the most common form of communications with the media. It is written under very strict guidelines, and it must be considered more press worthy than marketing oriented or it will never get published. For many companies, mention of their products or services in a trade magazine or online publication lends them greater credibility than they could gain elsewhere. They can then parlay this with highlights in their flyers, brochures, sales letters, or use in other elements of their marketing campaigns.

Most people do not know that many of the stories they read in the paper or hear on radio are submitted by outsiders for media release. Journalists or reporters simply can't keep up with every possible story, and they look to the world at large to help them. In order to improve your chances of publication, press releases must be written according to a very strict format which helps journalists convert them to the form they require.

Here are some hints about writing a press release.

1. Use press release format. Press releases are organized to be easily identifiable and written in a way that makes them easy for reporters and editors to revise. There are a series of basic formatting rules that dictate how the piece must be written. Here are some of them.
• Place the company name, contact information, and phone number prominently at the top of the page.
• Write "For Immediate Release" or "Release Date" a few spaces under the company name.
• The release must be typed and double spaced allowing for easy edits.
• If the release runs more than one page, write the word "MORE" at the bottom of each page (except the last one).
• Type the symbol ### on the last page to indicate the end.
2. Organize news releases in an "inverted pyramid." A press release will usually include a headline, a lead, and the body of the story. Each serves its part. Headlines must be short and present the most important point in the story. The lead is the first paragraph and it should tell the whole story in a nutshell. Each paragraph following the lead (the body) should be less and less important to the story so the editor knows that she can cut parts from the bottom up to save space and still keep the story in tact.
3. Play up news aspects; play down sales aspects of the release. No editor will publish your news release if she thinks it is sales oriented instead of news oriented. You must stress the newsworthy elements of the story and minimize the marketing. The marketing value is inherent with the mention of your company or organization in the story and cannot be emphasized in the story itself.
4. Make your headline attention getting and relevant. Headlines are the display that makes your story worth reading, and they should never exceed two lines. They should summarize the story itself as well as prompt the reader to press on. For example, your headline might read: "Electrician Chases Bear from Front Porch" if the story involves the unexpected arrival of an ursine guest at a home under construction.
5. Write like a reporter. Answer the five Ws (who, what, when, where, and why) and the one H (how). Write in the third person and make your language simple and direct. Do not use $50 words like "ursine" unless you intend to turn your audience off. Simple, direct language is the stock in trade of the reporter.