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Any free help writing Press Release?

by mikehende
8 replies
Hey guys, is there any forum where I can get assistance with writing a PR please? I am not able to find anything on the net.
#free #press #release #writing
  • Profile picture of the author PaulSch
    This took about 1 second to find.

    A complete guide to writing an effective press release

    or did you want someone to write it for you?
    Signature

    Get FREE Access To Over 180 Webmaster Training Videos here. Did I mention they are totally free?
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  • Profile picture of the author mikehende
    Thanks, tutorials I got, was looking for a forum where maybe someone might help me adjust [re-write] one I have written.
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  • Profile picture of the author drewgood
    I hope I don't sound like a downer with this response, and I really hope you find what you need...
    but anyone doing it for free most likely would not have the expertise or experience to ensure that you're getting a quality edit on whatever you wrote. At least, I've not yet seen that in the world of press releases.
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    Originally Posted by mikehende View Post

    Hey guys, is there any forum where I can get assistance with writing a PR please? I am not able to find anything on the net.
    0.

    Well, I have had great success, BUT, like a resume, I don't believe in an off the shelf or one size fits all solution.

    The general NEWS STORY remains the same, for the most part, but who it goes to and HOW I make it relevant to the media plays a part. Sure, it is more work, and some (very few) shotgun blasts get rewritten and published, but most end up in the trash.

    For a new golf shop I was opening, I used the story, with pics, but when I sent it to the Stow paper, it said Stow Resident to Teach Golf, but in
    Cuyahoga Falls, it was Falls High Grad to Teach Golf,
    Or Akron U Alumini
    Or Summit County Pro Brings California Golf to Ohio etc, blah, blah blah.

    Know who the business editor is of these weeklies, send it to that person with a twist on it which makes her want to tell your story for HER readers.

    But before you go off and start, what is your story?
    Who would be interested?
    Why would anyone want to read it?
    What is NEWS WORTHY about it?
    You could spend hundreds, maybe thousands sending a blast out, and maybe it will get some traction, but to build your business, it should only be a part of your "get my message" out there.

    I'd be glad to critique what you've done, BUT, advise you read a few of my posts first, not one to pull punches or blow smoke, fair enough?

    GordonJ

    PS One secret is to get one, then send it out to neighboring papers, or use it as an ad...make multiple copies and send it down the line. A decent story will get told over and over again. A "here is my business, come spend money" gets what it deserves as will you.

    Here is one of the stories from one of my press releases, it is very close to what I sent in.

    http://www.angelfire.com/biz/gjbiz/swingrite.html

    Had this been an ad, it would have cost over 500 bux for a one time insertion, I used this in the shop, sent it out all over Northeast Ohio, got radio and TV interviews and the same story was published in almost all Summit County weeklies. It would have cost THOUSANDS to buy that kind of coverage.
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    • Profile picture of the author splitTest
      Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

      0.

      Well, I have had great success, BUT, like a resume, I don't believe in an off the shelf or one size fits all solution.

      The general NEWS STORY remains the same, for the most part, but who it goes to and HOW I make it relevant to the media plays a part. Sure, it is more work, and some (very few) shotgun blasts get rewritten and published, but most end up in the trash.

      For a new golf shop I was opening, I used the story, with pics, but when I sent it to the Stow paper, it said Stow Resident to Teach Golf, but in
      Cuyahoga Falls, it was Falls High Grad to Teach Golf,
      Or Akron U Alumini
      Or Summit County Pro Brings California Golf to Ohio etc, blah, blah blah.

      Know who the business editor is of these weeklies, send it to that person with a twist on it which makes her want to tell your story for HER readers.

      But before you go off and start, what is your story?
      Who would be interested?
      Why would anyone want to read it?
      What is NEWS WORTHY about it?
      You could spend hundreds, maybe thousands sending a blast out, and maybe it will get some traction, but to build your business, it should only be a part of your "get my message" out there.

      I'd be glad to critique what you've done, BUT, advise you read a few of my posts first, not one to pull punches or blow smoke, fair enough?

      GordonJ

      PS One secret is to get one, then send it out to neighboring papers, or use it as an ad...make multiple copies and send it down the line. A decent story will get told over and over again. A "here is my business, come spend money" gets what it deserves as will you.

      Here is one of the stories from one of my press releases, it is very close to what I sent in.

      Gordon Jay Alexander

      Had this been an ad, it would have cost over 500 bux for a one time insertion, I used this in the shop, sent it out all over Northeast Ohio, got radio and TV interviews and the same story was published in almost all Summit County weeklies. It would have cost THOUSANDS to buy that kind of coverage.
      Great stuff, Gordon. In fact, your responses are consistently great. You're one of the few here who impress me as the real deal (unlike the multitude merely trying to sell writing as some "biz op" or "get rich quick" scheme). Just wanted to give you that thumbs up.

      I'm surprised you haven't bored of this place already.
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      • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
        Originally Posted by splitTest View Post

        Great stuff, Gordon. In fact, your responses are consistently great. You're one of the few here who impress me as the real deal (unlike the multitude merely trying to sell writing as some "biz op" or "get rich quick" scheme). Just wanted to give you that thumbs up.

        I'm surprised you haven't bored of this place already.
        Well, there are many others here, despite the state of the forum, you can count on for useful actionable advice, and they are appreciated and known, all 21 of them.

        I'm retired, but the FUN, watching the kitties at the big sand box, chasing all those different colored lasers, never boring.

        GordonJ
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    • Profile picture of the author mikehende
      Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

      I'd be glad to critique what you've done, BUT, advise you read a few of my posts first, not one to pull punches or blow smoke, fair enough?

      GordonJ
      Aprreciate this offer Grrdon, I am almost done with my draft, will pm you with it by in a little while, thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
    There is a basic structure but like most copywriting there is always an emphasis on a good headline.

    In print media the headline does tend to be more constrained than with online media and so it always pays to study the best print media headlines to see what works concisely.

    Sure there is the rest of the PR but if they don't get stopped by the headline the rest won't necessarily get read.

    My personal best success was a PR with a headline "No Aussies at Boomerang World Cup"

    Subhead was "Despite Foster's sponsoring the Americans and Qantas flying in the Swiss team for Free"

    Got me a prime time National News interview for over 3 and a half minutes at 6.12pm and by 6.30pm I'd secured $25K from one sponsor. The following night we BOTH went on the same news and did the obligatory oversize check handover.

    But the OP and Gordon's post reminded me to look to the best News story headlines and study them because they do somewhat hold part of the key.

    A famous older headline from a UK paper came to mind and it was when a football team from the highlands of Scotland "Caledonians" or the "Caleys" for short defeated Celtic back in the eighties.

    The headline read something like. . .

    "Super Caleys are Bombastic Celtic is Atrocious"

    In any press release you need to find that hook and rhythm.

    Best regards,

    Ozi
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