Can mainstream publicity tools be beneficial to the adult entertainment community as well?  The answer is yes.  I have had a surge of inquiries in the past month or so from webmasters who wish to have some assistance in putting together and formatting their press releases.  This in turn inspired me to write this article so that I could educate the community at large about the importance of press releases, how to write a press release, and where and how to submit press releases.

Many webmasters overlook the press release as a viable marketing option when in fact it is a key publicity tool.  While it may not single-handedly make your product or program an overnight success, the press release will aid in establishing some credibility for you and your company.  The audience for press releases in this industry is comprised of webmasters who are going to various news and webmaster resource sites to find out the who, what, where, why and when of activities within the community.  This means that while the traffic that you receive from your press release may not be large in volume, it will most likely be extremely high in quality.

Aside from press releases being a means to get right to the webmasters, they are also great because they are simple to put together.  This article will go into further detail about putting together and writing a press release.  Another benefit of the press release is that it is a very cost-effective marketing tool.  If you are writing a press release yourself, the only cost to you is your time.  Press releases should take no more than an hour to write and send.  If you prefer to have someone write and distribute your press release for you, it can usually be done for under $300.  One last benefit of the press release as a publicity instrument is the fact that in this industry, a well-written press release almost always gets published.  The Webmaster resource and industry news sites are always looking for fresh news content so they will more than likely pounce on any incoming press release that is newsworthy. 

Ok, so you have an important announcement to make about a special promotion that you plan to run.  Or, perhaps you are launching a new program or product.  Or, maybe you are planning to host an event.  These are all valid reasons to put a press release together.  Press releases are NOT a means to SPAM the Webmaster community.  They should be seen as a way to get your company known and to lend credibility to your program or product, not to sell anything.

You have your announcement to make and are ready to inform the community about it, so how do you go about writing your press release?  There are six basic elements and one optional element to a press release:

1.       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – This should appear at the top left corner of your press release.

2.       Headline – This should appear two line spaces underneath the FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE line and should be an indicator of the message that the press release is trying to convey.

3.       Date – This should appear two line spaces after the headline and should consist of the city in which the press release is being issued and the date that it is being sent out.

4.       Opening Paragraph – This paragraph should contain a catchy opening that grabs the readers’ attention.  It should address the who, what, where, when, and why of the announcement.

5.       Body Text – This is where you can go into more detail about your announcement.  In the body of the release, you should give supporting information such as quotes, statistics, and facts.

6.       Closing Paragraph – This is where you can restate your announcement and it should end with the information for a contact person including name, telephone number, email address and web address.

7.       (Optional) Company Bio – In italics under the press release you can give a brief bio on your company.  This should be no longer than five lines.

To get an idea of how a finished press release should look, visit some of the various news and Webmaster resource sites and look at the recently submitted and published press releases.  You can even start here at our very own Webmaster Vault.

Now that you have your announcement and are aware of the proper press release format, here are some basic tips to actually writing it:

1.       Keep the language simple.  Do not try to use big words or complex sentences.  Tailor your writing towards the average reader.

2.       Make sure that your press release is newsworthy.  If it is, then writing and coming up with things to say should not be a problem.

3.       Do not try to sell your product.  This will take away from the credibility that the press release will lend to you.

4.       Keep your press release brief.  It should merely be a summary of the facts and opinions regarding your product or program.

5.       Always spell check and proof read your documents before submitting them.  To be on the safe side, it is always wise to have someone else look over them for you as well.

Once your press release is ready to go, how will you submit it and which sites will you submit it to?  The majority of sites that accept press releases require them via email either in the body of the email or as an attachment.  The requirements do vary however, from site to site, so it would be wise to check the site for regulations prior to sending.  The first place that your press release can be submitted to is right here at Webmaster Vault.  I have also put together a short list of Webmaster resource sites that also accept press releases: