Anatomy of an Online News Release

Headline:

• Short (up to 60 characters for Google, and 120 for Yahoo)

• Contains a subject, an action verb and a clear statement of news

• Shouldn’t contain Web addresses (remove “www”)

• Third-person, objective voice

• Prominent placement of the company name and/or keyword

Summary:

• Between one and two sentences in length

• States the essence of the release for readers to skim

• Should be enticing enough to compel readers to read on

Dateline & Lead Paragraph:

• Contains who, what, where, when and why

• Contains subject, verb and object

• Simple and direct, stating news in an engaging way

• Informative enough that if readers stop after this paragraph, they will have all the necessary info

Body:

• Three to five paragraphs in length

• 300-800 words

• Contains relevant quotes

• Addresses a single news item with supporting information

Boilerplate Statement:

• Three to four lines in length

• Contains basic background of the company

• States any special credentials, awards, etc.

Contact Information:

• Offers easy way for media to contact you

Source: Sophie Shiatis, Vice President, Ecommerce, PRWeb