• By John Cunningham
• Published 07/23/2010
• Copywriting

With the user base of the internet growing at a rapid pace it’s become a valuable source of prospective customers for businesses. That is why marketing and sales people are now looking for ways to harness this market. And one of the most effective ways to gain public interest is by using press releases. Press releases are used to promote products, events, or companies. It gives them the exposure they need in order to improve their sales. They are written in such a way that it grasps directly at the interest of the reader which is their potential customer. It also helps if it is written in a way that it can be readily published, no more editing required. This is due to the fact that media outlets will be running your ads without doing anything to the original content. So it’s best if they have all the required information and is in the correct format. Writing can be a lucrative business. Just look at some of the PR firms on the web, they charge upwards of $300 for just one. So it is quite an enticing endeavor for someone who wants to earn big money at the comfort of their own home. But what if you’re interested but not particularly knowledgeable in writing them? Do not fret; there are numerous samples you can search for in the internet that you can use as templates or study materials. There are websites that were primarily made just to help first-time writers learn how to make their own. They give pointers on how to make use of their material properly, and they also give templates and instructions on how to format your articles properly. Other than specialized websites, you can also check out submission sites. These sites can provide you with press release samples that are formatted according to their specifications. These samples are previous releases that they’ve already published so that you can get an idea on how a proper press release is constructed. If possible you should study samples made by companies that are somehow related in a way to your own. Take note that there is a specific format you have to follow when writing. Notice your articles, they are written in such a way that they look like they were written for a real newspaper. You should take your time to learn this basic format before you go about writing. And as always, it should be unique. A rehashed press release simply would not do. If you’re just going to take an already existing press release and change a couple of the words then you’re no better than those rewriting programs. You should, as much as possible, make every press release you make distinct from one another, yet retain the same style of writing. By doing this you will gain a better reputation and clients will flock one after the other.