As a small business owner you don't have the resources to hire a public relations agency, but you still want to get your name out there. A good way of doing this is to send out well-written press releases to various publications when you have something of interest to air. Here are some pointers on writing an effective press release that will hopefully not end up in the trash!

Introduction
Firstly, make sure that your document is clearly a press release. Use a company letterhead and write "Press Release", as well as the date and your contact details. Here you will also mention the release date, if not for immediate release. Below this write a catchy heading that sums up what the press release is about. Remember that any editor will receive hundreds of press releases every day, so start with a clever sentence to grab their attention. Include in your first paragraph the who, where, what and why of your release, so that the person reading it can immediately grasp the interest of the release. Keep in mind the publication that you are aiming your release at, and adapt your style of writing accordingly.

The main body
Here is where you will be able to enlarge on the story, having paraphrased it in the introduction. You can go into more detail and mention important information, such as how your new product will benefit consumers or how it was developed. Avoid jumbling information all over the place - try and find the focal point of your press release and use this as your main topic, keeping other information brief. Don't waffle on unnecessarily -keep your press release as short as possible, while conveying all the important information. Most editors scan press releases for items of interest, and if yours is too long and has lots of irrelevant information, it won't stand out.

Closing
Use the last paragraph to mention important company information not related to the current release, such as how long it has been around, and other important facts and figures. At the end of the release add the sentence "For more information contact…" and write the words "END" in capitals at the very end of the release, to indicate that there are no further pages. While you should aim to keep your release under a page, if there is another one following, write "MORE" at the end of page one.

Where possible attach a photograph with your release - this gives a human element to the story and helps an editor to remember you. Make sure that you write your name on the back of the photograph so that it does not get mixed up. Send your press release to all publications that may be interested in your company, but don't waste people's time by sending it to a totally irrelevant publication! Where possible find out who the relevant person is and save time by addressing it to them personally (for example the IT Editor of the Cape Times opposed to the Cape Times in general). This will make sure that your release gets into the right hands, increasing its chances of being published!

Remember - keep to the point and make sure that all contact information is displayed. Good luck!

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