Small business owners and other entrepreneurs working on DIY PR projects for their companies often find that press releases can yield great rewards through increased media exposure for their companies. During the process of sending out a press release, though, you may encounter plenty of reporters who are too busy to drop everything for you story. When this is the case, we offer these small business press release tips:

1) Your press release does not automatically mean a story is coming. Too many small businesses think they are entitled to media coverage just by sending out a news release. Often times, this couldn’t be further from the truth. SEO-enhanced press releases make it easier for you to speak directly to your customers, but you’ve got to work extra hard at getting a reporter to write a story about you. You can find additional tips by downloading the PR Toolkit.

2) The headline is everything. Just like email marketers stress over the subject lines of their emails, PR people stress over the headlines. Try this small business press release tip in your next announcement: For SEO-enhanced releases make sure your headline is loaded with your company’s name and a leading keyword. But in a release you send directly to the media remove the keywords (think again if you believe they can’t sniff out keywords) and even consider removing your company’s name. Keep your news focused on the issue shaping the story.

3) Be careful with keywords. One more note on keywords, and that is they should really only be used in SEO-enhanced releases. I remove all keywords in the press releases I send directly to the media. In this day and age it’s wise to prepare two different versions of your press release (1 for consumers and 1 for the media).

4) Study professional press releases. Before you write your next press release, check out how the pros develop their press releases by searching news at Marketwire or PR Newswire. You can always pick up some tips by learning from people who write press releases each and every day.

5) Have a thoughtful quote. Often times certain media (especially Internet news Web sites) will simply take parts of your press release and incorporate directly into a story. The quote is usually one of these areas. Make sure you write thoughtful and compelling quotes. Avoid starting out any quote by saying you’re thrilled or excited about something. Instead offer some perspetive by saying something like, “today’s business landscape requires companies to re-think the way they…”

6) Don’t forget supporting points. Your press release can’t make a claim without data to back it up. The first two paragraphs should focus heavily on the ‘what’ and the rest of the press release should focus on the ‘how’ and ‘why.’ Find good supporting data through industry trends and documented statistics.

By following these critical small business press release tips you’ll find more success with your announcements.

Also, check out the new press release writing service from UnderstandingMarketing.com, which was developed to help small businesses and entrepreneurs create more attention-grabbing releases for the media and consumers.

What tips do you have for other small businesses writing press releases?