How to write effective press releases? Share your tips.

1. Go straight to the main point/news you want to share at the outset of your press release.

2. Do not use language that express your own personal stand/opinion regarding an issue.

3. Include quotes of speakers to enhance what you are saying.

4. Mention objectively at the end of the press release a brief idea about your organization.

Before you even attempt to write a press release, think about the things you like to read, watch and listen to in the media. Most of us are generally interested in things we haven't heard before, find surprising or help solve our problems. So before drafting your press release, it's worth asking yourself these questions:

1. Is there anything "new" in my story?

2. Is there anything unusual or unexpected about it?

3. Would this be of interest to anyone outside my business?

4. Will anyone actually care?

Most journalists get hundreds of emails every day, so it's a good idea to label emails containing press releases with the phrase "press release" or "story idea". A great subject line is also a must.

But don't try to be clever: most journalists will spend just a few seconds deciding whether something looks interesting. If they don't immediately understand what your story is about, they'll move on to the next thing in their inbox.

So if your story is about the the launch of the first financial planning consultancy for women, say exactly that. "Women cash in on financial planning" might sound like a better headline, but may mean nothing to a busy journalist scanning their inbox.

Getting a journalist to open your email is important, but if your first sentence doesn't grab them, they may not read any further – which is why you need to get the "top line" (the most important bit) of your story right at the beginning of your release. Your first line should be a summary of the story (in no more than around- words) and read like the opening of a news story.

Journalists are generally taught to get as many of the "five Ws" (who, what, where, why and when) in the opening line of news stories, so if you want examples of great first lines for press releases, look no further than your daily newspaper.

Another trick is to imagine your story is going to be covered on a TV or radio programme. A presenter generally has around5-6 seconds to introduce each item eg "And coming up next ... why a local cafe owner is giving a free coffee this weekend to anyone born in July." If your story was going to be featured on the radio today, how would the presenter introduce it? Asking yourself that question should give you the top line of your story.

The ideal length of a press release is about an A4 side or about to words (the length of a short news item). That's just three or four short paragraphs and a couple of of quotes. If yours is longer than that, you've probably got unnecessary waffle that doesn't add anything to your story.

Don't be tempted to include background information about your company in the opening paragraph. This – along with any other additional information – can always be included in a "notes to editors" section at the end (it's fine to run over to a second page for this).

Sub-headings and bullet points can be useful to make information easy to digest, particularly if you're including figures or statistics.

Including quotes from people in your company can be helpful for journalists (and on regional or trade publications are often used, word for word). A common beginner's mistake is to use quotes to provide information, for example, "last year, we employed staff in different countries and turned over £5m."

Quotes should be used to provide insight and opinion and sound like a real person said them. They definitely shouldn't be full of jargon or technical language.