Go Old School When Writing

There are many ways in which online press releases differ from their traditional contemporaries. Old style press releases are simply too dry to work in their traditional form online. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the writing.

The principles of old-fashioned press release writing are fairly simple. Start with a catchy lead, and follow it up with a concise, punchy first paragraph. The first paragraph should also answer the who, what, how and why of the story. Include the 'when' only if your press release is for limited release, as you don't want it to seem outdated.

Like news stories, online press releases should be written in the third person in most circumstances. This helps to present the information as news which is established fact. A press release which sounds like it comes from a third party invokes a sense of authority, rather than a company advertising their services. In some instances, a press release written in the friendly tone of the first person will serve you better, but these are rarer.

Support this sense of authority by providing sources for anything that can be seen as opinion. The source can be from within your company, even yourself. This method also helps to break up the text.

Although the style of press releases has changed for the net, the formulation of content follows these basic rules. Of course, there are plenty of old-fashioned press releases out there that aren't good for the internet. The marketing industry has presented many examples of bad press releases both online and offline over the years, pushing marketing principles and forgetting about basic good writing. This is why it's always a good idea to get a professional internet marketing writer on board when formulating your press releases.