Displaying items by tag: blog post

If you know that your specialty is writing blogs, then you can also be great on writing press releases. Blogs and press releases share the same characteristics: strong headlines, top-down format, etc. Press releases are one of the best ways to promote a blog. They are also one of the effective ways to publish your message without duplicating any content. Here are some tips to re-write your blog post and turn them into press releases. The easiest way to start is to:

1. Take a blog post from any news. Unlike blog posts, a press release always announces something. It is not commentary, a how-to guide or numbered list. Blog post topics can be perfectly worked for press release.

• Launch of a new company
• Clients successful stories
• Innovation of products, new services or future events
• Careers
• Achievements
• Milestones

You can also promote your own ideas such as predictions and opinions from current news.

2. Convert it to the third person’s voice It is important to convert the headline and the body of blog into a third person for press release. It is relevant not to use “I”, “we”, or “you” instead use the company name, clients, or customers.

3. Revise the headline Keywords must be in the first few words of the headline of the blog and press release. Press releases have a subhead which highlight the headline’s point-of-difference or provides factual backup for the headline. Way to format the headline and subhead:

• Press release headline must be in all CAPS
• Subhead in Title Case, Except the Little, Non-Important Words

4. Rearrange the post to contain these press release elements

• Dateline: Writing a press release on your own, the right format is to use all caps on address and date.
• Lead: Be creative at you first sentence by adding what, where, why and how. Your headline must contain keywords.
• Quote: By adding a quote, even if it’s not necessary, this helps you to illuminate and gives your press release a personality.
• Boilerplate: Website and phone number at the end, also add a short paragraph about the company, in a third person view.

5. Review AP style or the basics

  “The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, usually called the AP Stylebook, is a style and usage guide used by newspapers and in the news industry in the United States.” – http://www.wikipedia.org/   You can start by checking the AP (Associated Press) Style AP stylebook. This can check your grammar, punctuation, and answer any questions you need.

6. Check out other writer’s press releases PR Newswire and PR Web are websites that has press release that can be checked out. Some may be useful and some may not be great. Most writers don not follow the “third person” and “AP Style”. These are visible and can be spotted right away because they look like blog posts. Professionalism and expertise can reflect from your image, so you must be very careful on how you format your press release.

The Northern Office is a marketing and sales consultancy firm in the Philippines that caters to small and medium sized enterprises that do not have their own marketing department, but are big enough to need it. The Northern Office makes use of creative, original and effective marketing plans and activities that suit each and every client depending on their industry, offering and requirements.

As part of online marketing and content development efforts, The Northern Office produces regular blog posts and press releases for various clients from different industries. Visit our website for more details. http://www.thenorthernoffice.com