How to Write a Social Media News or Press Release

The following tips apply to standard press release writing, but keep in mind that the rules for social media news releases are being made as this new industry takes shape.

The first thing you should keep in mind is the fact that social media is fast, real and to the point. The attention span of new audiences is very short. No one wants to read anything over 500 words these days.

Make your point in the first two paragraphs. Be transparent, don't include 20 links to your site. One is enough. Do include images and/or video, if possible.

Proofread: We recommend that you write your press release in a Word or other text document instead of writing it directly on the online submit page. Writing online will not achieve the best results. Write your press release, print it, and proofread. Rewrite and then proofread again. The more time you take to do it right, the better your company's first impression.

Start Strong: Your headline, summary and first paragraph should clarify your news. The rest of your news or press release should provide the detail. You only have a matter of seconds to grab your readers' attention, so you want to capture it with a strong opening.  

Identify Yourself: If your news or press release does not identify the source of the information and news within the first few paragraphs, you may lose the promotional value your release can provide. Readers want to know who is talking; letting them know builds the credibility of the release and promotes your name and brand online.

Write Professionally: It takes only a few sentences to discern whether a news or press release is written professionally. If your release contains hype, slang, excessive exclamation points or direct address, chances are it will be viewed as an advertisement rather than a news release. There is no better way to destroy credibility than to distribute a release full of hype. Additionally, on occasion, media outlets may pick up your release and run it in their publications with little or no modification. The more professional your release sounds, the greater the chances are that this will happen.

Answer the Tough Questions: Not everything is news. Your excitement about something and its availability does not necessarily mean you have a newsworthy story. Think about your audience. Will someone else find your story interesting? Let's assume that you have just spent a lot of effort to launch a new online store. Announcing a company's opening is always an exciting time for any business, but the last thing the media wants to write about is another online store. Instead, focus on the features of your site's shopping experience, unique products and/or services. Answer the question, "Why should anyone care?" Make sure your announcement contains news values like timeliness, uniqueness or highlights something truly unusual. Avoid clichés such as "customers save money" or "great customer service." Focus on the aspects of your announcement that truly set you apart from everyone else.

Pick an Angle: Try to make your press release timely. Make sure that your release has a good news hook. Tying your news to current events, recent studies, trends and social issues brings relevance, urgency and importance to your message.

Stick to the Facts: Tell the truth. Avoid fluff, embellishments, hype and exaggerations. If you feel that your press release seems sensational, there's a good chance your readers will think so too. With so much information available to the consumer, readers are naturally skeptical. If your story sounds too good to be true, you are probably hurting your own credibility. Even if it is true, you may want to tone it down a bit.

Use Active Voice: Verbs in the active voice bring your press release to life. Rather than writing "entered into a partnership," use "partnered" instead. Do not be afraid to use strong verbs. For example, "The committee exhibited severe hostility over the incident" reads better if changed to "The committee was enraged over the incident." Writing in this manner helps give life and energy to your release, which may set it apart from the rest of the pack.

Economize Your Words: Wordiness is distracting, so be concise. In addition, news search engines sometimes reject news releases with overly long headlines, excessive lists and high overall word counts. Eliminate unnecessary adjectives, flowery language or redundant expressions such as "added bonus" or "first time ever."  Make each word count. If you can tell your story with fewer words, you'll have better results with your readers and the search engines.