How to Write a Media Release

by Marisa D'Vari

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Published on this site: January 2004 - See more articles from this month

A media release is often called a press release, but it's the same thing: a written form of communication.

In the film King Solomon's Mines, Stewart Granger knew lunch was ready when African drums began to roll.

Of course, it took him a few moments to realize that he was to be the main dish!

Throughout history, every culture has developed their own means of communication.

Africans had the drums. Ancient foot messengers risked death if they dared deliver bad news.

Today, we have the media release/press release.

Secrets of Media Release / Press Release Headlines

Magazines are colorful, fun, informative, and always feature attention-grabbing headlines for impulse purchases.

You've spent hundreds of hours of hard work and energy on developing your product or service, and you want your media release (press release) to be actually read (not tossed in the trash!)

How can you guarantee your media release will be read?

First, offer information directly in your press release that can immediately be put to good use! (in other words, delve deeper than boring news).

Then, make the information easy to digest and absorb.

Finally, use your media release to motivate them to buy!

How to Write a Media Release Tip Sheet

• Remember, a release is "skimmed" rather than read;
  
  
• It's okay to use bolded text to grab interest;
  
  
• Tabloid style headlines: your key to success The Media Release Breakdown

1. A media release, as with all the forms you'll be creating in our time together, is really an item to be skimmed;
   
   
2. Create "skim worthy" items;
   
   
3. A "tabloid-style" headline is key to success;
   
   
4. Keep the headline short! It's designed to incite curiosity, not tell the "whole story."
   
   
5. If necessary, add a subhead to partially explain, but primarily incite more curiosity;
   
   
6. The first sentence following the head or sub head should be sharp and selling and paint a visual "word picture" that tells the reader what you're promoting in an instant! Be sure to seamlessly weave key information here, such as the five "w's" of journalism (who, what, when, why, and how).
   
   
7. Bullets are an effective way to present your information, as they are easy to skim. Use bullets to list the key points of what you're promoting.

Get into the habit of creating media releases to telegraph information on a regular basis, but take care to only send the releases to the media who need and use this type of information.

Become accustomed to the media your target market reads and watches and listens to, and develop a strong feel for what kinds of subjects these reporters/interviewers usually cover.

Work towards writing this targeted group of key media people introductory letters, introducing yourself and your product or service. The more "touch oriented"the relationship, the more your targeted group of media will use what you have to say.

Marisa D'Vari is the author of Media Magic. Free Articles and Tips like this can be found at www.TopPRSecrets.com, where you can sign up for her free, twice monthly ezine. Marisa can be reached at
mailto: [email protected].