Ensure that your press release is truly newsworthy–anything else will be treated as spam.
Explain to your audience why the information is relevant to them and why they should keep reading past the summary.
Start with a great, but concise, summary of your news and then explain who announced it–not the other way around.
After your first draft ask yourself, “Are people really going to be able to connect with this?” Adjust your press release accordingly if not.
The first ten words of your press release are the most important. Make sure they are effective.
Grammar and punctuation count for a lot, so pay close attention. Have someone else proof your draft.
Deal with facts, not assertions and opinions.
Provide as much contact information as you can. What good is a great press release getting into the right journalists’ hands if they cannot track you down?
Avoid excessive jargon; keep your press release in layman’s terms.
Only issue a press release when you really have something worth announcing.