5 Tips for Modern News Release Distribution

1.  Write a Compelling Headline

The headline is, in many ways, the most important part of a news release. It's the single biggest factor that determines if a potential reader will actually read your release. It should be brief and to the point, and express the essence of what the release is announcing. It should contain language that grabs interest, but without hyperbole.

2. Put the key information in the first few sentences of the first paragraph.  

If the reader is not given the information that the headline promises upfront, the likelihood of them getting past the first paragraph drops like a stone. Use the first paragraph to announce the news; then use any subsequent paragraphs to provide context and background. Keep the release brief. If it's more than one page, it's too long. Additional information can be provided using hyperlinks.

3. Include Hyperlinks.

Conventional wisdom is that a news release should contain between 1 and 3 hyperlinks. I lean towards using 3, with the first linking to a page on the issuer's website that relates directly to the announcement. The second should be used to link to a profile page (see Tip #5), either on the website or on LinkedIn. The third should link to a relevant page on the issuer's website or other web property that is deeper within the site than most people would ordinarily go. This is an opportunity to expose important content that is generally not seen by many eyeballs.

4. Use Multimedia.

Engagement with news releases increases dramatically when it is accompanied by an image, video or graphic. This serves to draw the eye of the reader to your news release because it stands out among the plain text avalanche that journalists and other interested stakeholders receive every day. Be sure to always use a logo. Along with multimedia, the logo provides two opportunities to catch the eye of the reader.

NOTE: The use of both hyperlinks and multimedia also enhances SEO performance.

5.  Include an Authoritative Quote.

The quote should be from a key executive or leader, or from a subject matter expert that either works for or is affiliated with the issuer. The quote should not contain bland, boilerplate pablum, as it's a chance to express a key position, opinion or fact coming directly from the (figurative) horse's mouth.