It’s really no secret that press releases can be a useful resource for promoting a business. A press release is a great way to get the word out about a new product or service you’re offering, a new branch location you’re opening, a company milestone you’ve reached, and much more – but to ensure it actually does what you want it to do, there are a few things that are absolutely essential during the writing process.

So with that in mind, what follows are 5 of the most important things you need to know the next time you sit down to write a press release:

1.) Start with the news. A press release is designed to give the press the opportunity to share your news with others. It’s a great way to promote your business, but you can’t do it without some actual news to share. If you’re unsure of whether or not your announcement is actually newsworthy, ask yourself if you’d care if you were reading it in regards to someone else’s announcement. If the answer is “no,” don’t despair – try looking for current events or other similar happenings that you can somehow relate back to your business. It may be possible to craft something press release worthy that way.

2.) Use a newsy tone for your writing. A press release is not the time for your best marketing copy acrobatics. A press release is a news story, and needs to read like one. Keep an eye on your adjectives and phrasing to make sure it sounds like you’re just there to impart information, not give someone the hard sell on a used Buick.

3.) Format it correctly. Reporters and other people that receive press releases are busy people that receive tons of releases a day. They don’t have a lot of time to sift through a mountain of information to figure out what you’re talking about, so formatting your press release in the accepted manner is essential. It allows them to easily see what you have to say and make a decision about whether or not they’re interested. A properly formatted can be the difference between your press release being read and being passed over.

4.) Watch your spelling and grammar. You want to put your best foot forward here, and while typos happen, this is not the time or the place. Get someone to read over your work after you’re done, if you need to, but make sure everything is neat, clean, and error-free.

5.) Don’t forget the contact information! Without this, all else is lost and you’ve just wasted your time, because no one will be able to get in touch with you. Contact information is customarily included at the top of the press release, and should include the name of the person people should contact, as well as a phone number or email address – ideally both.

Writing a good press release is something of a fine art, so this is just a quick overview of 5 of the different press release essentials out there. Next week, we’ll look at the actual anatomy of a press release, and the different ways you should format yours depending on your goals and target audiences.