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How to Write an Effective Press Release for Your Property Listing
The key to obtaining media coverage is to properly format and organize
the information contained in your release and come up with a newsworthy "angle"
or "spin" that you put on your news to make it exciting. Some examples of an
"angle" might be:
 | Your company is offering a mineral property for lease/purchase or option; |
| Your company encounters encouraging assay/geophical results on your
property; |
| Your company discovers an extension to your existing orebody; |
| Positive drilling results have been obtained on your property; |
| Your company reaches a joint venture agreement with another company on
your property |
If your property is relatively small or unknown, try associating it
with a known deposit type or highlighting a well-known company who has a land holding
nearby.
While the basic content of a press release is consistent, the
formats of a conventional vs. an e-mail press release vary. We will discuss content
first, followed by format.
Content - Critical Information to Include in a News Release:
| A captivating subject header and headline. |
| A first paragraph that covers the five W's: who, what, where, when and why |
| The online address of the company if they have a Web site. |
| Name drop a few key clients or include a comment from a 'non-biased' source like
university professor or reviewer or include a quote from your CEO or president. You should
have permission from those sources to do this. Skip the exclaimation marks and hype.
|
| A short paragraph at the end of the release containing background information. This
might include a synopsis of the activities of your company, how long you have been in
business, and any area of expertise. |
Every release should include the following information:
| Company name and full address |
| Contact name and phone number. If possible, a REACHABLE public affairs/PR person within
the company. An agency contact is also acceptable -- what counts most is that it's someone
who will answer their phone or otherwise respond PROMPTLY to messages, requests for
further information and interviews, etc. |
| SHORT (3-6 line) corporate summary at end, including full company name, headquarter
location, and recent revenues. |
Format - Conventional
A conventional "hard copy" press release is a brief document
generally 1-3 double spaced type written pages usually 400 words in length (300 for
international publications), which announces news about your mineral property to media
professionals. E-mail press releases should be shorter in length. E-mail software
allows the user to set limits on the size of messages it will download. Some individuals
don't change the default limit so long messages are truncated. For this reason we
recommend keeping e-mail versions of your news releases to five or six paragraphs of two
to three sentences each.
If you have lengthy information that usually gets included in a printed
media kit then here's the online work-around. Let's say your company has just published
the results of a survey with tables of statistics and snazzy charts. In the e-mail press
release list key highlights using asterisks or dashes followed by a Web site address where
the results including charts are published online. Also mention that the reader may
request a copy of the results by conventional mail if they reply to the contact person
listed in the news release.
Ditto on photographs and attachments. Include urls where graphics
are located online. Never sent a news release with a file attached.
The format for a press release:
Here is a sample release. We've disected it to highlight the
important parts.
1 - A standard introduction for a press release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Allow one spacer line then the company name and address.
2 - Who to
contact for more information.
Include address and phone number. The next line has
the contact persons name followed by their title if they are an employee of the company
and a phone number if it will fit. The contact phone numbers and e-mail address should be
the direct line to the person with whom a reporter would speak regarding the news release.
Also, make a note in your files of the date the release went out and have a hard copy
handy to pull out when a reporter calls. You may get a call the day the release is sent or
one month from the send date.
Contact:
The Made in New York Store
373 Enfield Falls Road, Ithaca, NY 14850-8758
Contact: Michael Turback, (607) 277-0300
3 - Suscinct
title that entices the reader. Next, allow two spacer lines
and type your headline. The headline should be no more than ten words split on to two
lines. It should be typed in all capital letters. Be clever and to the point. You've got
to grab their attention here. Then allow two more spacer lines.
MADE IN NEW YORK STORE ANNOUNCES SELECTION AS ULTRA-COOL SHOPPING SITE
4 Begin
the text of the release with the city and state followed by one long dash followed by an introduction
covering all major points. It is
also very important to include the date of the news release because a reporter must know
if the news is still timely or if a special event date has passed.
Ithaca, NY, January 5, 1998 — The Made in New York Store. An on-line department store
based in Ithaca, New York, has been selected by coolshopping.com as an “Ultra-Cool
Shopping Site,” and one of the first 400 sites on the net to receive the coveted
designation. Made in New York is the only store whose every item is produced or
manufactured exclusively in New York. Its address on the internet is www.newyorkfirst.com
5 - A
quote by a company representative
adds credibility to your release
“In the restaurant business it would be the equivalent of a 4-star Award by The New
York Times,” says Michael Turback, Made in New York Store President, and himself a
former restaurateur.
6 -
Include information about why this event is newsworthy.
What is the criteria for a selected site?
Innovative design, layout and navigation.
Interesting and useful consumer products.
The Made in New York Store is in good company. The elite group of sites includes
Bloomingdales, Fortunoff and Martha By Mail, the shopping site of Martha Stewart Living.
7 - Conclude with further contact information
including:
| A individual's name and title. |
| That individual's personal e-mail address. |
| Physical street address. |
| A phone number. Include the country code if the news is relevant to the
international market. |
| The mining property Web site address. |
| A fax number is optional. |
| The exact Web addresses of any graphics or photographs which may be used
by the media when covering your story. Please don't send them to a special page for media
where they need to hunt around and download images. |
For more information about The Made in New York Store visit the web site at
www.newyorkfirst.com or phone 1-800-581-7599.
7 - Allow one space between paragraphs and follow the contact information with the
characters "-30-" or ### which is an old convention that lets the reporter
know they have reached the end of the story..
###
Press Release Style Notes
Begin the text of the news release with the major news angle you
have chosen then expand on that for four to five short paragraphs. Other information
to include in the body of the release is:
| One or two quotes by yourself, a credible "non-biased" source
like a university professor, a key employee - normally the CEO, or satisfied customer; |
| Statistics and facts which support your claims or point to a significant
trend which makes your news noteworthy; |
| Don't forget the company's online address and a link to your property
listing; |
| Some background information describing your business (For example,
Viceroy Resource Corporation is a mid-tier gold producer headquartered in Vancouver,
B.C.), how long you have been in business, and any area of expertise (For example, In
addition to the 100 percent- owned Brewery Creek Mine and 75 percent-owned Castle Mountain
Mine, the Company has aggressive exploration and acquisition programs underway in the
Americas.) |
| The goal here is to cover what is known as the five W's (who, what,
where, when and why). |
If your story is not a breaking news story then be creative in the
way you present your information.
Before you write your first press release, review several current
releases and model yours after the ones that are considered newsworthy.
Sample Press Releases.
Time Guidelines for Submitting Your News.
Daily Newspapers Reporters can be writing
feature articles two weeks to one month in advance of publication date. For Press Releases
with time dated information we suggest you submit the release 4-6 weeks in advance. For
special sections like holiday plan two months in advance.
Monthly Magazines Monthly publications close their
editorial content two to three months in advance of the issue date. For example, if you
wanted your information to appear in the December issue of a magazine we suggest you
submit the information in September, the magazine may take six weeks just to print and
mail to subscribers and you need to give the writer time.
Radio and Television Radio
or Television stations may plug your property (this happens rarely in the minerals
industry unless one of the news programs is doing an expose) and perhaps be interested in
having a representative from your company appear on one of their programs. Because
interviews can be held over the telephone you might receive a call in the afternoon for a
show airing that evening. Be prepared, you don't want to miss or blow an opportunity.
Designate someone from your company as the spokesperson and have them roll play or
rehearse a possible show. Before you agree to appear on a program make a list of possible
subject areas to cover and plan out exactly what message you want to be delivered. Also
plan how you will respond to the interviewer if they ask questions you do not wish to
answer. For example, you might respond that the information is proprietary or
that it would be appropriate for another person in the company to respond to questions
regarding that topic. |
How to Write an Effective Press Release for Your Property Listing
The key to obtaining media coverage is to properly format and organize the information
contained in your release and come up with a newsworthy "angle" or
"spin" that you put on your news to make it exciting. Some examples of an
"angle" might be:
| Your company is offering a mineral property for lease/purchase or option; |
| Your company encounters encouraging assay/geophical results on your
property; |
| Your company discovers an extension to your existing orebody; |
| Positive drilling results have been obtained on your property; |
| Your company reaches a joint venture agreement with another company on
your property |
If your property is relatively small or unknown, try associating it with a known
deposit type or highlighting a well-known company who has a land holding nearby.
While the basic content of a press release is consistent, the formats of
a conventional vs. an e-mail press release vary. We will discuss content first,
followed by format.
Content - Critical Information to Include in a News Release:
| A captivating subject header and headline. |
| A first paragraph that covers the five W's: who, what, where, when and why |
| The online address of the company if they have a Web site. |
| Name drop a few key clients or include a comment from a 'non-biased' source like
university professor or reviewer or include a quote from your CEO or president. You should
have permission from those sources to do this. Skip the exclaimation marks and hype.
|
| A short paragraph at the end of the release containing background information. This
might include a synopsis of the activities of your company, how long you have been in
business, and any area of expertise. |
Every release should include the following information:
| Company name and full address |
| Contact name and phone number. If possible, a REACHABLE public affairs/PR person within
the company. An agency contact is also acceptable -- what counts most is that it's someone
who will answer their phone or otherwise respond PROMPTLY to messages, requests for
further information and interviews, etc. |
| SHORT (3-6 line) corporate summary at end, including full company name, headquarter
location, and recent revenues. |
Format - Conventional
A conventional "hard copy" press release is a brief document
generally 1-3 double spaced type written pages usually 400 words in length (300 for
international publications), which announces news about your mineral property to media
professionals. E-mail press releases should be shorter in length. E-mail software
allows the user to set limits on the size of messages it will download. Some individuals
don't change the default limit so long messages are truncated. For this reason we
recommend keeping e-mail versions of your news releases to five or six paragraphs of two
to three sentences each.
If you have lengthy information that usually gets included in a printed
media kit then here's the online work-around. Let's say your company has just published
the results of a survey with tables of statistics and snazzy charts. In the e-mail press
release list key highlights using asterisks or dashes followed by a Web site address where
the results including charts are published online. Also mention that the reader may
request a copy of the results by conventional mail if they reply to the contact person
listed in the news release.
Ditto on photographs and attachments. Include urls where graphics are
located online. Never sent a news release with a file attached.
The format for a press release:
Here is a sample release. We've disected it to highlight the
important parts.
1
- A standard introduction for a press release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Allow one spacer line then the company name and address.
2 - Who to
contact for more information.
Include address and phone number. The next line has
the contact persons name followed by their title if they are an employee of the company
and a phone number if it will fit. The contact phone numbers and e-mail address should be
the direct line to the person with whom a reporter would speak regarding the news release.
Also, make a note in your files of the date the release went out and have a hard copy
handy to pull out when a reporter calls. You may get a call the day the release is sent or
one month from the send date.
Contact:
The Made in New York Store
373 Enfield Falls Road, Ithaca, NY 14850-8758
Contact: Michael Turback, (607) 277-0300
3 - Suscinct
title that entices the reader. Next, allow two spacer lines
and type your headline. The headline should be no more than ten words split on to two
lines. It should be typed in all capital letters. Be clever and to the point. You've got
to grab their attention here. Then allow two more spacer lines.
MADE IN NEW YORK STORE ANNOUNCES SELECTION AS ULTRA-COOL SHOPPING SITE
4 Begin
the text of the release with the city and state followed by one long dash followed by an introduction
covering all major points. It is
also very important to include the date of the news release because a reporter must know
if the news is still timely or if a special event date has passed.
Ithaca, NY, January 5, 1998 — The Made in New York Store. An on-line department store
based in Ithaca, New York, has been selected by coolshopping.com as an “Ultra-Cool
Shopping Site,” and one of the first 400 sites on the net to receive the coveted
designation. Made in New York is the only store whose every item is produced or
manufactured exclusively in New York. Its address on the internet is www.newyorkfirst.com
5 - A
quote by a company representative
adds credibility to your release
“In the restaurant business it would be the equivalent of a 4-star Award by The New
York Times,” says Michael Turback, Made in New York Store President, and himself a
former restaurateur.
6 -
Include information about why this event is newsworthy.
What is the criteria for a selected site?
Innovative design, layout and navigation.
Interesting and useful consumer products.
The Made in New York Store is in good company. The elite group of sites includes
Bloomingdales, Fortunoff and Martha By Mail, the shopping site of Martha Stewart Living.
7 - Conclude with further contact information
including:
| A individual's name and title. |
| That individual's personal e-mail address. |
| Physical street address. |
| A phone number. Include the country code if the news is relevant to the
international market. |
| The mining property Web site address. |
| A fax number is optional. |
| The exact Web addresses of any graphics or photographs which may be used
by the media when covering your story. Please don't send them to a special page for media
where they need to hunt around and download images. |
For more information about The Made in New York Store visit the web site at
www.newyorkfirst.com or phone 1-800-581-7599.
7 - Allow one space between paragraphs and follow the contact information with the
characters "-30-" or ### which is an old convention that lets the reporter
know they have reached the end of the story..
###
Press Release Style Notes
Begin the text of the news release with the major news angle you have
chosen then expand on that for four to five short paragraphs. Other information to
include in the body of the release is:
| One or two quotes by yourself, a credible "non-biased" source
like a university professor, a key employee - normally the CEO, or satisfied customer; |
| Statistics and facts which support your claims or point to a significant
trend which makes your news noteworthy; |
| Don't forget the company's online address and a link to your property
listing; |
| Some background information describing your business (For example,
Viceroy Resource Corporation is a mid-tier gold producer headquartered in Vancouver,
B.C.), how long you have been in business, and any area of expertise (For example, In
addition to the 100 percent- owned Brewery Creek Mine and 75 percent-owned Castle Mountain
Mine, the Company has aggressive exploration and acquisition programs underway in the
Americas.) |
| The goal here is to cover what is known as the five W's (who, what,
where, when and why). |
If your story is not a breaking news story then be creative in the
way you present your information.
Before you write your first press release, review several current
releases and model yours after the ones that are considered newsworthy.
Sample Press Releases.
Time Guidelines for Submitting Your News.
Daily Newspapers Reporters can be writing
feature articles two weeks to one month in advance of publication date. For Press Releases
with time dated information we suggest you submit the release 4-6 weeks in advance. For
special sections like holiday plan two months in advance.
Monthly Magazines Monthly publications
close their editorial content two to three months in advance of the issue date. For
example, if you wanted your information to appear in the December issue of a magazine we
suggest you submit the information in September, the magazine may take six weeks just to
print and mail to subscribers and you need to give the writer time.
Radio and Television Radio
or Television stations may plug your property (this happens rarely in the minerals
industry unless one of the news programs is doing an expose) and perhaps be interested in
having a representative from your company appear on one of their programs. Because
interviews can be held over the telephone you might receive a call in the afternoon for a
show airing that evening. Be prepared, you don't want to miss or blow an opportunity.
Designate someone from your company as the spokesperson and have them roll play or
rehearse a possible show. Before you agree to appear on a program make a list of possible
subject areas to cover and plan out exactly what message you want to be delivered. Also
plan how you will respond to the interviewer if they ask questions you do not wish to
answer. For example, you might respond that the information is proprietary or
that it would be appropriate for another person in the company to respond to questions
regarding that topic.
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