If you want to have a successful online business, it is still important to have an effective marketing plan. One of the best promotional tools for an online marketing plan is a press release. Your press release has to be well written so that it can increase sales dramatically as well as provide exposure to your company. In so doing, potential customers will want to do business with you due to your enhanced image and reputation resulting from your press releases.

The Online Exposure

The exposure that you receive from a press release can be unlimited. There are no restrictions to using broadcast media and print advertising anymore because the Internet makes it so easy to write, submit and distribute your press release to a global audience. You can even use your press release on your website as fresh content. Distributing your press releases to numerous online news websites can give you even more visibility and traffic online.

When to Write a Press Release

When do you write a press release? You can do so if you have a new product or service launch, company launch, new product development, new programs, new branch or department, new staff hire, and promotion. In addition, a press release is necessary when:

• The company is participating in a charity event or starting a charity organization
• When the company is putting on a conference or workshop with important speakers
• When a product is going to be endorsed by a reputable person or business
• When you are hosting a special event
• When the business has won an award

Once you have something newsworthy to indicate to the public, you can write a press release. This is true even if you want to publish a report or white paper.

The Guidelines

You don’t have to write the press release yourself. You can hire a press release writer. However, you still have to be aware of specific guidelines such as:

• The headline of the press release has to be compelling, yet brief and to the point
• Specific keywords have to be included in the headline and throughout the content. The right keywords will get the attention of the search engines.
• The first paragraph should be strong, grabbing the reader’s attention
• The press release has to be concise with the use of short sentences and not too lengthy and overbearing. In fact, a press release should be between 300 to 400 words
• Use bulleted points to make for quicker reading and understanding
• Place emphasis on the facts without exaggerations
• Make sure that grammar and spelling is error-free

Conclusion

Remember that your press release reflects your company. Therefore, be forthright. You can incorporate hyperlinks of your landing page. Do not omit contact information at the end of the press release. This helps readers and reporters to reach you.