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The 10 Commandments of Press Releases

Posted on | September 4, 2008 | No Comments

I’ve seen a lot of conversation lately on assorted Yahoo Groups about press releases and marketing, so I’ve been keeping an eye open for more information about press release writing and publicity. I hope you find this helpful! If you do, please comment and/or tell your friends!

One thing I’d like to comment on in particular is #2. If you are not confident in your writing skills, or if you can’t write objectively, please hire a writer. This is true of your website content, too. Not everybody has mastered every skill necessary to run a business…that’s why we outsource! That’s why I have an accountant and an auto mechanic and that’s why you hired me to build and market your website. My copywriter is Chuck Nussman, of Words To The Wise. I recommend him very highly and would be happy to make an introduction if you’re looking for writing help. And now, on with the article!

The 10 Commandments of Press Releases
By Bill Stoller (c) 2007

In baseball, it’s said that you know an umpire is top-notch when you never notice his presence. If he’s doing his job, he won’t call attention to himself in any way. It’s much the same for the writer of a press release. When the recipient of a release focuses only on its content — and not on its creation — the writer has succeeded. With that in mind, here’s The 10 Commandments of Press Releases:

1. Thou Shalt Be Professional.

No goofy fonts, rainbow paper or silly gimmicks. Even lighthearted press releases represent a communication between one professional and another.

2. Thou Shalt Not Be Promotional.

If you can’t get enough objective distance from your company to write a press release that’s not filled with hype and puffery, hire someone to write it for you.

Read Bill’s other 8 commandment of press releases…

Category: publicity

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