Most people think a press release is supposed to be about news that is happening at the moment because something is being announced (a new executive at the company, new product launch, how much money the company made). But did you know that a press release can also be used to tell a story that is considered more “evergreen” – an angle that reads almost like a feature story.

In the PR Toolkit for small business we discuss the basics of writing a press release for any entrepreneur or company. A good example of a feature press release may offer tips on how to eliminate morning madness when raising kids, or tips on how to avoid dry eyes.

Here are some guidelines on how to develop a great feature press release for your small business (but you can also check out a great resource called I Need a Killer Press Release):

–The Power of Lists: Offering a list of items of a list of tips to help a person or company do something can not only be beneficial to the reader but it can also be an attractive item for any editor looking for filler. Tips that show you how to manage your finances or lose weight are great feature pieces that are more evergreen.

–Focus on the human interest: The best stories are compelling, and this often means telling someone’s real story in your feature. Has there ever been a 60 Minutes feature that didn’t captivate you?

–Going against the grain helps: It’s totally cliché, but they’re absolutely right when they say dog bites man isn’t news; but man bites dog is news. What is your man bites dog story?

–Ok to freshen last year’s story: If you talked about a charity you helped last holiday season it’s ok to do another story on it this year. But make sure it’s different, which can include any number of updates or follow ups to the success or failure of the previous year’s results.

–Longer isn’t always better: You’re not writing a white paper here. You’re writing to tell us a great story. This can be done in 500 words which is an important lesson when learning how to write a feature press release.

–Do you have a video component: In everything you do for your small business public relations, always try to work in a video element (or at least have ready the pieces of a video element) because you never know when it’ll get picked up virally or if a television news station wants to do a story on your piece. A video news release (VNR) is a great tool in getting excellent publicity, although it can be a little on the pricey side.

–On top of that, don’t forget photos: Same as above, only with photos. It’s important to have a visual component to your story for social media purposes.

–Look for juicy customer stories: What are your customers up to lately and how are they using your products? Get to know your customers better because that’s where I find 80 percent of all my stories.

–How did you fail: STOP thinking about how great you are! We want to know how you FAILED and then picked yourself up and dusted yourself off. No, this isn’t going to make your company look bad. It will make your company look resilient and smart.

–Any associations involved: Are there any associations that can offer perspective to your story? The goal is to get others involved in your story so that it’s not all about you.

–There usually is no time limit: Feature stories can be pitched longer than hard news since they have a longer shelf life. As long as the issue (or peg) behind the story is still in the news, feel free to pitch away.

–Creativity rules the day: If you haven’t picked up on this now, let me be clear. It’s time to get creative and capture people’s imaginations a little. Learning how to write a feature press release will help you sharpen your creative skills.

–Break out of the textbook inverted pyramid: Who, what, when, where, how, why, blah, blah, blah, puke. Stop it. Read the following:

Jason Kiplin wakes up every morning like everyone else – sort of. He brushes his teeth, drives 20 minutes to his job and then leaps 500 feet into a free fall. He is, of course, a bungee jump tester. Every job is a breath of fresh air and surprisingly uplifting with his only goal of avoiding the company water cooler beneath him.

–Look for a strong news peg: What else is going on in the news that you can attach your story to? Working with the Media offers more ways to use a news peg to attract PR. For example, a vitamin company may tell the story of a customer struggling with health care reform because of the inability to get insurance.

–Have great data to support message: Take that vitamin company for example. There’s lots of opportunity to talk about the number of uninsured Americans, the cost of health care if you don’t have insurance and the amount of money saved in doctors’ visits by staying healthy through an all-natural diet rich in supplements.

–Don’t be too promotional: Remember that it truly isn’t about you and your company. It’s about the story of the people or places being affected by the issues surrounding your company. A roofing company should talk about people and hurricanes, not specifically about roofing shingles.

–Try tying it to a seasonal holiday: So many news sites today are all about content. They’re like sponges looking for stories. This is especially true when holidays come around. Don’t fret, though, there are lots of fun holidays and events in months where there isn’t a major holiday like Christmas or Independence Day.

–It’s STILL all about the headline: As we wrote about in another blog post, it’s all about the headline because that’s truly where you capture someone’s attention.

–After the headline, it’s all about the lead (or lede): Your work isn’t done with that great headline. You’ve got to have a killer opening paragraph to keep their attention and set them up for a nice, long read. See the above tip where we discuss the inverted pyramid.

–Find a few really strong sources: Remember to broaden your story so that you’re not just talking about you and your company the whole time. There are other people, organizations and businesses that can add to your story and offer some really great perspective. Do some Google research to identify others who may be able to add to your story.

–Think about where you want to put your release: I’m a big fan of Marketwire and Pitchengine, but there are also some other article marketing sites out there like ARA content and NAPS that get recognition on Google and other search engines.

–Think about who would pick up your release: In addition to the article marketing and press release sites, go ahead and target some media outlets that may be interested in turning your story into one they develop for their readers. Remember, content is king nowadays, so some media outlets may just take your story and publish it verbatim!

–Have your bio ready at the end: Some feature releases let you put your bio at the end because they’re looked at very much like a feature story. Make sure you have this ready to include a little info about you, your company and a link to your Web site or blog.

For more information on how to write a feature press release download the PR Toolkit for small business. Also, drop us a line if you have specific questions about how a feature press release can help you drive more business.

Have any of these tips helped you in the past or would you like to add to this list? Feel free to leave a comment and chime in!