PR Friend Press Releases

Arming yourself with the basics can help you blog and write press releases better

Blogging and press releases are two of the many things you can use in marketing your business. Before you get started on them, though, you need to consider several factors.

Things to remember about blogging

• Setting up your blog. Make sure that your blogging software works with your web host if you intend to integrate the blog unto your existing site. If your software bogs down, there is the risk that it’s going to take your entire site with it. You don’t want that.

Another thing to remember during the blog set up stage is that you want a unique blog. Templates are easy to use, sure, but it might be better to give your blog a distinct personality. Incorporate your company colors and logo for branding.

• Learning how to use a blog. Blogging is fairly simple to learn but you should have access to user-friendly content management functionalities that provides you the most convenient means of publishing online. If you feel that you don’t have as much time as you would like to devote to handling content, then you can assign this task to another person in the company. However, you can’t just pick out anyone who knows how to come up with content. You need someone who can write in a professional tone and understands how your business works, as well as what products and services you are offering. If you feel that you don’t have the resources to pull it off successfully on your own, then consider hiring outside help from a marketing firm that can write content for you.

• Actual blogging. Once you’ve gotten used to blogging, you can now post content regularly. When making posts, pick at the most three key phrases and then use them in linking three different pages from your site. If you feel the need to capitalize certain words for emphasis, try to limit them. Too many keywords or links make your post annoying to read. Your readers might skip what you have to say even though you have a perfectly good post full of information.

• What to blog about. It is best that you stick to news and information that is relevant to your company. These may be new products and services, upcoming events, hiring opportunities, awards, or spotlights on clients or employees. Take note, though, that you aren’t limited to these things. Anything that can be considered news in your company can make for a good post in your blog.

Press release basics

The first thing you have to know about press releases is that you have to be objective and news-worthy – they should be able to make enough noise without having to ever use hard-sell, superlative words.

In general, you must be able to provide the “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, and “how” of the topic as early as possible. Try to be as detailed as you can, but using the fewest words you can. If you can finish the entire press release in a page, that’s good. Do not go beyond two pages, or the editors may just brush your press release aside because it is too long. Make sure you have all the parts covered – the headline, subhead, lead, body, boilerplate, and contact information. You can also use quotes (one or two should be enough) to give your press releases perspective and credibility.

What now?
After blog content or press releases have been made, publishing is your next step. Luckily, there are press release distribution services you can go to for help like, PRfriend.Com. Aside from increasing your chances of getting published at top newswires, PRfriend.Com can also help you in crafting press releases to ensure that you get the right messages across.