Sending your press release doesn't have to be complicated, but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel complex, especially if you're just learning how to send a press release. The first step in posting a press release is to gather all the pertinent information about the press release. This includes who it's being sent to, what its purpose is (i.e. announcing a new product, awarding a scholarship, etc.), and why this press release should be of interest to the media.
Once you have the pertinent information gathered it's time to create a press release template. This template is what you'll use when writing your press release. If you're just getting started with creating press releases there are a few elements that must be included in every single one. The first element is your contact information – more specifically your name, email address, and telephone number.
The second element to include in every single one of your press releases is the date it was written and distributed along with the name of the person who wrote it. The third element you must include is the name of the person and organization distributing the press release. The fourth element to include in your press release is the actual content.
This could be a direct quote from a person or organization that has been quoted in past publications, but it can also be a compliment you are giving a specific organization or person and why it deserved this particular honor.
After gathering all of the information about your press release it's time to start writing it. The only way to learn how to write good news releases is by writing bad ones, so start with writing one poorly and then move up from there as practice. Once you've written a few press releases it's time to distribute them.
One of the best and easiest ways is through the use of a mailing list. This is where you create an email list of all the media contacts in your area. Then, each time you have a new press release it can be automatically emailed to these contacts so they know exactly when and why they should cover your newest story.
If you don't want to go through all of that trouble there are also press release services available online where you simply fill out the basic information about your press release and they distribute it for you. The only problem is that these services are very expensive and can be tough to figure out on your own if you're a newbie.
Once you've posted a press release it's easy to check up on its progress. Most press releases have a unique URL that can be tracked for the purpose of tracking press release distribution efforts. If the URL doesn't work the news release hasn't been distributed, so keep following up until it finally has.
