Its 11 pointers include things that are easy to forget like HTML formatting, using keywords and hyperlinks, and including video. (A few days ago, I wrote about 19 opportunities to use hyperlinks in press releases.)
The list is excellent, but I disagree with item Number One: “Make sure your press release contains actual news.”
Gone are the days when we had to worry about insulting journalists with press releases that weren’t newsworthy. Today, now that we’re posting them online, we can reach consumers directly by writing press releases even when we have no news to report. A release can include a list of tips on how to solve a problem, how to use a product we sell, or it can include our opinion about something that isn’t particularly newsworthy.
Smart Publicity Hounds understand that press releases seldom result in big stories in the media. We write many of them for the search engines so that consumers can find our information without waiting for journalists to report it.
Even so, I like this checklist. You’d be smart to keep it nearby.
If you need more help writing press releases and distributing them online, sign up for my free email course, 89 Reasons to Write Powerful Press Releases. It’s like earning a master’s degree in press release writing.