Because of the Internet, rules for the use of Press Releases have changed, and savvy business owners can use them to their advantage.

In addition to articles, press releases — statements traditionally sent to the news media — are a great way to distribute your message. Because of the Internet and access to search engines and RSS feeds, press releases are now being seen by a wider audience, one that is likely to include your prospective buyers. This is great news because it means that your release is no longer relegated exclusively to journalists who are looking for a story to write. In fact, most press releases are published as is.

Often, releases serve as direct marketing pieces about your business, services, or products. They are used to attract buyers, achieve high rankings on search engines, drive traffic to websites, and much more. Because they can be posted directly on your website, you can be the publisher of a wide range of content, from introductions and updates to information about your marketing efforts, community activities, and accomplishments.

Has your company launched a new website or redesigned an old one? If so, write a press release. Are you or members of your staff available to speak on a topic of interest or have you written an article that has recently been published? Write a press release. Have you landed a new client or account, received an award, given an award, volunteered in a community project, met some kind of challenge, or overcome adversity? Write a release.

The format for a press release is somewhat different from that of an article although many of the rules for writing good articles do apply. Webwire offers some universal guidelines as well as a sample release. The following tips will get you started, but be sure to adhere to all of the specifications before submitting a release.

• Write in third person.
• Begin with the text immediately below, “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE”
• Keep the headline to one sentence. Capitalize the first letter of all major words (title case), but do not use all upper-case letters.
• Keep the release to fewer than 500 words total.

After you’ve written the release, you’ll want to post it on your website so that search engines can find, index, and rank it. Like articles, press releases achieve high rankings through strategically placed keywords. You’ll also want to put an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feed on your site so readers can be automatically notified of new posts. For wider distribution, use one of the press release wire services like PRWeb, PRNewswire, Market Wire or Business Wire.