Key Elements of a Press Release

1. Contact information—includes name, telephone number, cell phone number (if applicable) and e-mail address of whom to contact for additional information on the story
   
2. City—lets the reporter who receives your press release know that this is a local, regional, or national story
   
3. Date—puts a time frame on your release
   
4. Headline—conveys the most important elements of the story in one or two lines and quickly grabs the readers attention
   
5. First paragraph—addresses the most critical points in five lines or less; ideally, this paragraph will address the "who, what, why, where, when, and how" of the story
   
6. Additional paragraphs (one to four)—elaborates on key points that are meaningful to the story
   
7. Final paragraph ("boiler plate")—describes your company, its business focus, and other relevant details, including where to find more information

   Here's a sample:
   The AIM Companies™ is one of the world's leading sellers of whole-food nutritional and dietary supplements. It also provides a business opportunity for more than 110,000 members/distributors in seven countries. AIM is committed to improving quality of life by providing sound nutritional education and top-quality natural products that contribute to good health. For more information, call (name) at (number) or visit www.theaimcompanies.com (or your Web site address).

What makes a good media opportunity?

• Something new, unusual, and/or timely
• Anything that ties to a major trend
  
  

Other PR Kit Resources:

• Be Your Own Marketer
• Taking Your Story to the Media
• Key Elements of a Press Release
• Creating a Media List & Sending Your Press Release
• Press Release FAQs
• Guidelines to Writing Effective Articles
• Utilizing AIM radio and TV commercials