Ellis Communications, Inc.

10 Important Keys to Writing An Excellent Press Release

Public relations should be a critical element of every financial advisor’s marketing plan.  But one of the most basic forms of PR – the press release – is a mystery to many advisors.

 “The words ‘press release’ scare most people to death,” says Martin R. Baird, president of Annapolis, Md.-based Advisor Marketing and author of The 7 Deadly Sins of Advisor Marketing.  “But a well-written press release can result in publicity that, in turn, can generate business for advisors.”

Baird offers the following 10 tips on how to write a press release.

Tip No. 1.  Do You Really Have News?  A press release must have newsworthy information or it won’t be used by the media.  “You’re not trying to sell people something in your release, you’re trying to inform them,” Baird says.  “If the release does pertain to your services or products, then it must explain how they benefit the reader and there still must be a news angle.”

Tip No. 2.  Gather Your Information.  Gather all information pertinent to your announcement.  “Pull out any information that answers the following questions:  who, what, where and when,” Baird explains.  “These are the essential facts.”

Tip No. 3.  Put the Important Stuff at the Top.  The essential facts go in the first two paragraphs.  “There are two reasons for this,” Baird notes.  “First, the editor will scan the first two paragraphs looking for the news angle and will throw the release away if there isn’t one.  Second, most newspaper readers are like editors – they scan the headline and the first paragraph or so, deciding if they want to read further.”

Tip No. 4.  Revisit Your Remaining Information.  The rest of the release will include the remaining information and you use those facts to flesh out the release.  “There are two additional questions you should ask yourself:  why and how,” Baird adds.  “The answers should be found in this additional information.”

Tip No. 5.  Write A Headline.  Go back to the top of the release and write a headline that captures the essence of the release.  “It’s important to use active, eye-catching words, but you still need the news angle in the head,” Baird says.  “The editor will read the headline first.  In fact, the editor might make his or her decision about keeping or tossing the release based on the headline alone.”

Tip No. 6.  Give Contact and Release Date Information.  “Under the headline, type in the release date and who the media should contact if they have questions,” Baird says.  “The release date typically is the date you send the release to the media.”

Tip No. 7.  Play Editor.  You now have a rough draft of your release.  “If the release is more than three pages, find a way to cut it down to three or less without deleting important information,” Baird points out.  “Go over the release again to make sure it’s well written.  Double-check spelling, grammar and all the important facts.”

Tip No. 8.  Find Your Own Editor.  Everyone should have their work checked by someone else.  “Find someone who’s a good editor and have them read it,” Baird suggests.  “A good editor will spot problems you miss.”

Tip No. 9.  Don’t Fudge On the Letterhead.  Don’t send your release out on plain white paper.  “Put your release on letterhead,” Baird says.  “Your standard office letterhead might suffice or you could create your own news release letterhead.  At the top above the headline, there should be a standard heading that identifies this piece as a press release.”

Tip No. 10.  Learn from the Pros.  Analyze actual news stories to see how news writing is done.  “The best press release is one written in standard news style,” Baird says.  “It’s written as if it will be the actual published newspaper story.  The less editing a journalist has to do to your release the better.  In fact, some smaller newspapers will publish your release ‘as is’ if it’s written that way.”

Advisor Marketing provides a variety of services to financial advisors to help them improve their marketing methods and increase revenues, including seminars and conference speaking engagements on such topics as referrals, marketing, client communication and transitioning to fee.  The company also provides a service that tests multiple variables of a marketing campaign simultaneously so advisors will quickly know which elements of a marketing effort offer the best opportunity for success before they launch the campaign.

The company’s Web site, www.advisormarketing.com,  is the premiere Internet-based source for marketing advice, information and tools for self-driven, success-oriented financial advisors who are demanding information that helps them market their practice, meet the needs of their clients and increase sales. 

Advisor Marketing may be reached at 480-991-6420.