Grab The Reader's Attention and KEEP IT! This is what a press release should do. The fundamental purpose of this kind of publication is to get the news out there and to get it noticed. This means adopting a rather specific way of writing, yet applying some innovation and novelty to the story. If the story is the same as any other in the media at that moment then it's old news and therefore non-news.

Now it might seem simple to just write an eye-catching headline and pack it full of sensationalist scandal and information, but there is one drawback to that and it's the audience. You see, press releases tend to be read, and only read, by journalists. These journalists then take their 'favourite' or most news-worthy publications and report them themselves in whatever media format they work in. So there you have it. You're ultimately writing to catch the eye of a journalist and these people are incredibly dismissive. This is why Press Release headlines are the part of the release which you should be spending 60-70% of your time creating. Try not to use puns as the less-favored daily newspapers do and definitely try not to make it sound like sales copy.

Alliteration in Press Release headlines is OK, but the best way to get onto a winner is to have a story that IS news. Sometimes that's just not possible but if you're announcing the launch of a unique company, or an unusual event then draw in on it. If someone's asked you to write a press release for them with no story then ask if there are any innocent secrets or potential news-worthy events that you can use.

Before you start writing your first Press Release, check out some samples. You'll soon find that there's a universal layout with the company and contact details on the top left of the page, the phrase 'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE' or 'EMBARGOED FOR [date]' on the top right (this basically informs the reader of when the news is relevant). After this comes the release, with a bold, centered headline and centered subheading. You can capitalize each word but it's not necessary and can look unprofessional. After this comes the actual release; begin with the city, country and date, followed by a colon.

The release itself should also take a rather specific form. If possible try not to mention the company in question until the second or third paragraph. The first should be outlining the whole release, but leaving out the explanatory information which comes in the following paragraphs. Remember that if the journalist has read this far then you're in with a big chance and your first paragraph is of paramount importance. Dive right in and announce the news, for instance:

"Yahoo revenue is predicted to drop this week as search engine rivals celebrate their grand opening in Frankfurt, Germany. The company claim to be bringing users bigger and better chances for file sharing and social networking than ever thought possible before."

Okay so the company might not have a patch on Yahoo, but whose to say it's not a possibility? It's certainly no lie and you've got the journalist believing the company is a very successful one. From here the next paragraph should include some more details (such as exactly how they're enhancing file sharing etc.) and including a quote around halfway through. Quotes are 100 times better when they're broken up. So rather than:

"In today's market social networking and file sharing are paramount. Our company understands what young people are looking for and we can offer those things from each and every search" says company CEO Stephen Roswell.

You should say:

"In today's market social networking and file sharing are paramount" says company CEO Stephen Roswell, "Our company understands what young people are looking for and we can offer those things from each and every search".

Sounds much better, right?

The next paragraph should include some company information such as how long they've been running, whether they're a merger, how many offices they have, what areas the staff specialise in etc. Remember to keep this short and only choose the most interesting/impressive bits. Journalists don't want to know the company founder's favorite flavor of soup.

Lastly comes the summarizing, concluding paragraph (better known as the boilerplate). This essentially explains everything that's been said in the whole press release but in one or two sentences. It can, if you like, be a re-write of the introducing paragraph, but try and end with an interesting point for the reader to ponder. End with '###' centered, to signify the end of the release. After this, on the left, there should be the company name with the country beneath it and then centered the website URL if there is one.

Of course, writing good quality Press Releases gets easier with time and practice. Mine certainly aren't perfect yet but I enjoy the criticisms and feedback I get from clients (be prepared for a LOT and don't be offended!). The most important thing to remember when writing a Press Release is the audience who you're writing for and how to win points with them.