Speaker 1: An extremely viable way to get exposure for your business is to get news coverage from the media. I'm going to show you how to create a great press release that gets noticed. A grand opening, a new product, a record-setting sales year, a new location, or a special event are all good reasons to contact the media and send them a press release. It's important for any business owner to know how to write one that not only gets noticed, but actually turns into news coverage. Here are the things you need to know in order to write a killer press release. Now, to ensure readability, your press release should follow this standard format. It should be typed, double-spaced, and on white letterhead with the contact person's name, title, company, address, and phone number in the upper right-hand corner. The words for immediate release should go at the top of the page on the left margin in capital letters. The headline, usually in bold, should be centered below that. A subtitle can be included in italics that briefly elaborates on the headline. Your headline should be brief, clear, and a condensed version of the press release's key points. It might be helpful to write down your headline at the end, after the rest of the press release is written, so that it clearly defines the overall point of the release. The press release should be written as you want it to appear in the news story. Some journalists simply don't have the time to research your company's story and may use what you've written or make small changes, so whatever you want them to say needs to be clearly laid out in your press release. Now, let's look at the body content. The first paragraph should have the most important information. Start with the date and the city in which the press release originates. The lead, or the first sentence, should grab the reader and say concisely what is happening. The first two to three sentences should sum up the release, and the rest of the paragraphs must elaborate on that. The second and third paragraphs should have secondary information. Make sure you deal with the actual facts here. Events, products, services, people, targets, goals, plans, projects, etc. It's always a good idea to include quotes from people involved. They give a human element to the release and are a great source of information. Your boilerplate is next. This is the area where you say more on your company. Who are you? What are your achievements? And what's your mission? This, followed by your contact information, gives more detail about the writer. If your story is to be considered, this is how the media will get in contact with you to find out more information. Make sure to include multimedia contact information, such as your email address and your social media contact. It's also a good idea to include a link to an online copy of the same press release, if possible. Lastly, signal the end of the press release with three hash symbols. Enter these directly underneath the last line of the release. This is the journalistic standard. Before sending, make sure that your press release has been proofread and is free from all grammatical errors. It's always best to keep your release to one page, but two pages is the absolute maximum. An extremely smart way to promote your business is through a clear, concise, attention-grabbing press release. Now that you know how to write your own, be sure to notify the media anytime that you do something newsworthy. For more information on how to write a press release, visit my blog, EliteGraphics.com. And remember, it's your business, why not take a leap?