Location! Location! Location!

A quick recap, we have covered a couple of components of a press release:

• What are we writing about? What are your 5Ws and 1H?
• Who are we talking to? Who is your target audience?

We have some of the key parts and now we have to put our press release together. One great technique I learned throughout university is organizing and outlining.  I know it seems like a tedious task, but it helps you organize your content and adds structure to whatever you are writing about. Trust me, for a 70 page honours research thesis organizing my content and outlining was the best thing I could have done to make sure all my content was readable and flowed. One thing I learned was that location is so important for the key points you are making. If you had three points to make in your essay your 2nd strongest point would go first, your weakest point next and then close it off with 1st strongest point. For a press release location is very important, but not in that order.

When you are organizing for your press release you want your important information to be first. The truth is your professor or TA might be required to read your entire paper, but your audience might not read your entire press release. So be sure to put your important information in the beginning, followed by your supporting information.

Here are a few helpful tips when outlining your press release:

1. Use Brainstorming Tools: These tools are very helpful in sorting out all your information and grouping important facts and data together. It makes it easier to place your points where they need to go in your press release. There are so many brainstorming tools out there, use the one that works best for you.  
• Cluster Diagrams is a tool presented in the Business Communication Textbook that is commonly use
• Affinity Diagrams are very similar to cluster diagrams, but are more for those Kinesthetic Learners who like to be more hands on. Check out the Inbound Marketing University Blog for more information.
2. Not sure how your press release should look? Check out these examples of press release outlines:
• Press Release Outline: Marketing Scoop
• Follow a standard press release format: AMEinfo.com
3. Put Your Important Information First
• You can read any blog out there or any article on press releases, they all will tell you to put the important information first. However, be sure you keep the audience's attention this will ensure your audience will read your piece right until the end. 

Organizing you information and taking some time outlining your press release or any type of business writing will pay off in the long run. Remember writing is a skill that is learned and practiced, so take your time and invest in your writing.