Creating a good press release has always been a deceptively challenging endeavor. Traditionally, to really excel at it, the writer had to have a deep understanding of both the company releasing the news and the media in which a story could appear.

Rule 1 of press release writing has always been "Make sure there's news in your release." Many companies churn out releases detailing department reorganizations, hirings/firings, and other process changes which, while very important to the people within the organization, might not be of any interest to the public in the judgment of the editors receiving the releases.

Rule 2 has always been "Have a hook." A snappy headline that promises a unique angle can turn a minor event into an editorial story, generating the kind of positive publicity no marketing department can match. Since editors may get hundreds of press releases every day, the hook is what gets a reporter assigned to your particular piece of news.

These statutes are great for the traditional print world, but the Web has forced a change in the rules by changing the role of the press release.

It's the dream of every PR department to get their release published verbatim, but it takes an incredibly lazy print editor to actually do this. On a company's website, however, press releases can be published directly. This removes the need to target specific releases to specific magazines, since the writing becomes passive and readers come to you.

The downsides: potentially less attention per release and an inability to to ensure targeted content to a specific reader set. The only people who will see your releases are people who actually visit the page on which they are posted, and those people can come from anywhere, not just from the demographic served by a particular magazine or trade publication.

So how do you write an effective press release within these parameters?

Well, unless you're still doing the proactive thing and sending out your press releases to targeted publications, you take the hit in visibility that comes with keeping your stuff on your own site. The advantage you gain is that anyone reading your press releases on your site is there for a reason; they're already interested in what your company is doing. With luck, they're interested enough to spread your release around through blogs and message boards, giving your message the kind of credible word-of-mouth exposure that makes marketers salivate.

Oh, by 'with luck,' I mean 'by maximizing your chances by applying smart technique to your press release writing.' Let's look at an example from the good folks at Eastman Kodak:

Kodak Helps Napa Valley Wineries Fight Wine Fraud

Colgin Cellars, HL Vineyards, Vineyard 29 and Staglin Family Vineyard protect brands and customers with KODAK anticounterfeiting technology

Rochester, NY, June 1 -- Eager to address the growing threat posed by producers of imitation wines, several of Napa Valley’s most prestigious wineries have moved to employ a new high tech anticounterfeiting technology from Kodak to protect their brands and customers. The KODAK Security Solution provides confidence and assurance to Colgin Cellars, HL Vineyards, Vineyard 29 and Staglin Family Vineyard by allowing easy authentication of their products.

According to industry experts, counterfeit wine could affect as much as 5 percent of wines sold in secondary markets.

“Wine fraud is a rising problem that threatens to seriously damage the premium wine industry,” said Steve Powell, General Manager & Director, Security Solutions, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. “These industry leaders are taking proactive steps to address the problem now. Kodak’s proprietary anticounterfeiting technology gives users a covert, easy to implement, cost effective, and long lasting solution for defending their products and reputations.”

Ann Colgin, owner of Colgin Cellars, immediately recognized the value that Kodak’s solution could deliver in protecting her super premium vintages, which sell at auction for hundreds of dollars a bottle.

“While Colgin Cellars has not experienced any problems with counterfeit wine, the issue has concerned me for some time. As a vintner and an auctioneer, I felt it was necessary to take a stand and ensure my customers a guarantee of authenticity.” said Colgin. “Kodak worked closely with me to quickly develop and implement a solution that met my demanding production schedule. Within 45 days, Kodak evaluated solution options, conducted a pilot test, delivered a proposal, and implemented a solution that protects Colgin Cellars products.”

The time is right for protecting premium wines said Shari Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyard.

“Our wines are enjoyed by customers around the world. The recent recognition by the EEU of the Napa Valley name and brand makes it even more important we offer our customers the protection afforded by the KODAK solution to ensure the integrity of the Staglin Family Vineyard brand and label,” explained Staglin.

The KODAK anticounterfeiting technology uses invisible markers that can be added to printing inks, paper and other packaging elements, and are detectable only with proprietary handheld readers. The readers are leased to customers and delivered in tamperproof packaging. The system prevents counterfeiters from duplicating product packaging.

“This system enables us to quickly and easily determine if a suspect bottle is authentic or fake,” said Jennifer Lamb, Owner, HL Vineyards. “Our passion for winemaking and our vineyard is driving us to vigorously address the issue of wine fraud. The KODAK solution fits our needs because it’s simple yet robust. We’re excited to be one of the first in our industry to use it and we hope others will employ similar protections.”

For winemakers with unique bottling methods, the KODAK solution can be adapted to fit their product specifications. Chuck McMinn, Owner, Vineyard 29, appreciates the technology’s flexibility.

“At Vineyard 29, our label information is silk screened directly on the bottle,” explained McMinn. “Kodak was quick to adapt their technology to our specific needs. Our anticounterfeiting solution does not interfere with the process we use to bottle our wines—it only enhances the product by ensuring the authenticity of our wines to our customers.”

KODAK Security Solutions include a growing portfolio of security features that can be incorporated into a vast range of products, materials and documents to deliver unparalleled protection against counterfeiting and diversion. Kodak is already working with customers in a wide range of other industries affected by counterfeiting, including pharmaceuticals, apparel, cosmetics and identification documents. For more information about KODAK Security Solutions visithttp://www.kodak.com/go/security.

Kodak will exhibit its security solutions at VinExpo in Bordeaux, France, June 17-21 in booth 5H in “Marketers by VinExpo”.
About Eastman Kodak Company

Kodak is the world’s foremost imaging innovator. With sales of $10.7 billion in 2006, the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak’s system of digital and traditional products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using KODAK solutions for prepress, conventional and digital printing and document imaging; and Creative Professionals rely on KODAK technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images.

More information about Kodak (NYSE: EK) is available at http://www.kodak.com

For more information about Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group, visit http://www.graphics.kodak.com. For downloading photos from Kodak’s image library, visit: http://www.kodak.com/go/gcg_images.
(Kodak is a trademark of Eastman Kodak Company.)
2007

Here's a cool story involving intrigue, international crime, and high-tech sleuthing. It could be a blockbuster movie, or at least a good beach book, but the release is drier than the chardonnays Kodak is protecting. Let's throw down a rewrite:

Kodak slams the door on Napa Valley wine fraud

Rochester, NY, June 1 -- Wine fraud has a new enemy. Anticounterfeiting technology from Kodak is fighting this growing crime in some of the Napa Valley's most prestigious wineries.

According to industry experts, counterfeit wine could affect as much as 5 percent of wines sold in secondary markets, but the Kodak Security Solution is now assuring authenticity at Colgin Cellars, HL Vineyards, Vineyard 29 and Staglin Family Vineyard, protecting customers and brand integrity by allowing easy authentication of the wines they produce.

Ann Colgin, owner of Colgin Cellars, immediately recognized the value that Kodak’s solution could deliver in protecting her super premium vintages, which sell at auction for hundreds of dollars a bottle.

“While Colgin Cellars has not experienced any problems with counterfeit wine, the issue has concerned me for some time. As a vintner and an auctioneer, I felt it was necessary to take a stand and ensure my customers a guarantee of authenticity.” said Colgin. “Kodak worked closely with me to quickly develop and implement a solution that met my demanding production schedule. Within 45 days, Kodak evaluated solution options, conducted a pilot test, delivered a proposal, and implemented a solution that protects Colgin Cellars products.”

The time is right for protecting premium wines said Shari Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyard.

“Our wines are enjoyed by customers around the world. The recent recognition by the EEU of the Napa Valley name and brand makes it even more important we offer our customers the protection afforded by the KODAK solution to ensure the integrity of the Staglin Family Vineyard brand and label,” explained Staglin.

Using invisible markers in inks, paper and packaging elements, and detectable only by proprietary handheld readers, the Kodak system stops would-be counterfeiters in their tracks.

“This system enables us to quickly and easily determine if a suspect bottle is authentic or fake,” said Jennifer Lamb, Owner, HL Vineyards. “Our passion for winemaking and our vineyard is driving us to vigorously address the issue of wine fraud. The KODAK solution fits our needs because it’s simple yet robust. We’re excited to be one of the first in our industry to use it and we hope others will employ similar protections.”

For winemakers with unique bottling methods, the KODAK solution can be adapted to fit their product specifications. Chuck McMinn, Owner, Vineyard 29, appreciates the technology’s flexibility.

“At Vineyard 29, our label information is silk screened directly on the bottle,” explained McMinn. “Kodak was quick to adapt their technology to our specific needs. Our anticounterfeiting solution does not interfere with the process we use to bottle our wines—it only enhances the product by ensuring the authenticity of our wines to our customers.”

KODAK Security Solutions include a growing portfolio of security features that can be incorporated into a vast range of products, materials and documents to deliver unparalleled protection against counterfeiting and diversion. Kodak is already working with customers in a wide range of other industries affected by counterfeiting, including pharmaceuticals, apparel, cosmetics and identification documents. For more information about KODAK Security Solutions visithttp://www.kodak.com/go/security.

Kodak will exhibit its security solutions at VinExpo in Bordeaux, France, June 17-21 in booth 5H in “Marketers by VinExpo”.
About Eastman Kodak Company

Kodak is the world’s foremost imaging innovator. With sales of $10.7 billion in 2006, the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak’s system of digital and traditional products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress, conventional and digital printing and document imaging; and Creative Professionals rely on KODAK technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images.

More information about Kodak (NYSE: EK) is available at http://www.kodak.com

As you can see, most of the rewrite affects the headline, the lead, and the first informational paragraphs. This is a crime drama, and Kodak is the cop. Let's give it some snap!

Also, some items have been moved to restore the 'inverted pyramid' of information flow. The dry customer list was a stumbling block between the snappy headline and first paragraph.

I think the rewrite gives editors something to really sink their teeth into. "Wine fraud? That's a crime? Hey Johnson- do a story on wine counterfeiting and call the Kodak folks about it!"

Plus, we've now made a release that could be picked up by wine blogs, providing an outlet to new customers that a sales team might not reach. And it's all positive publicity, no spin.

Newsletters have "news" in their name for a reason.

Anyone with a blog can tell you it's difficult to get people to read the stuff you publish online. Imagine if doing so were part of your job description? Maybe that's why the thankless task of writing the online newsletter so often falls to the intern.

It's an annoying paradox: The Web provides an easy connection between company and customer, provider and consumer, for every single field of interest imaginable, but the sheer amount of pages on each subject, coupled with the widely variable quality of the information, serves as a huge impediment to the completion of that connection. So how do you stand out and drive readership"

Obviously, the paramount trait your newsletter needs is top-notch, useful, irrefutable information. Whether you're writing a newsletter on Astronomical discoveries by your research university's physics department, or one on kittens, you have to provide material that's useful and trusted by people in your area of interest.

One thing that people hate about corporate websites is corporate language. The copy on a corporate website usually never stops selling: selling itself to you and selling itself to itself. As a skimmer with the power of the mouse in my hand, I don't have to tolerate your mission statement, or that quote from the CEO, or the other quote from the CEO, or the phrase "meeting your plastic extrusion needs..." or any of thousands of annoying little violations of my intelligence which are so commonly found on corporate websites and within corporate newsletters.

If you can present useful information in a clear, journalistic style, with no fluff, readers will view your company (or your office if it's an internal newsletter) as competent, trustworthy, and valuable. And they'll come back to you again and again. You can do this by following some basic guidelines.

Fundraising organizatios are finding the Web an invaluable tool, not only to provide a revenue channel but also to connect with their donors. The United Way of Greater Rochester uses its online presence to ask for donations, coordinate campaigns, explain its mission and goals, outline its operating methodology, and provide some detail about day-to-day impact the organization has on the community.

Donating to the United way through the web interface could not be simpler. Two clicks and you're at the credit card information screen. This streamlining of the giving process facilitates impulse donation and reduces "buyer's remorse," so to speak.

In outlining long-range plans, the site takes a more roundabout route. The front page splashes a few vague highlights about how the United Way helps our community. Thew writing would be stronger if, as in prior campaigns, examples of actual individuals assisted by UW agencies were highlighted. When you donate money, you kinda want to see where it goes, and the splash page is the place to do it.

The most concrete example of who has benefited from UW support can be found on an interactive map that tells visitors how many people were helped, but not how or through which agencies.

Also, I'm not sure about the campaign tagline: "We Don't. You do." I understand that the wording was chosen for its impact; it's almost a challenge. But If they don't, why am I giving them money? It seems like a minor point, but in a web environment, with only seconds to grab someone's attention, the challenge approach which might work very well in a United Way employee meeting could be supplemented on the website with something a bit more positive.

One very good thing the site does is use a blog to show the community exactly what the organization is doing. Several people, most of whom seem to be United Way workers, contribute to this journal.

The blog could be stronger. Perhaps it's due to privacy issues, but the writing is vague. there could be more mention of specific people who've benefited from the work of the United Way. Also, it comes across as a bit "sales-y" in a WXXI fund-drive sort of way. Still, the blog allows the United Way to talk to donors and community members in a more informal, illustrative way than is possible with the copy on the website. Through links and tags, it also provides a portal into the site that does not require a premeditated decision to visit on the part of the user. Finally, the ability to comment, and have comments replied to, really gives the sense that the agency relates to people on the personal level as well as through community organizations.

Fundraising on the web

Much ado was made of 2004 presidentail candiate Howard Dean's use of blogs and online communication to spread interest in his campaign. That was certainly the first instance I've seen of mainstream media highlighting the true communicative power of online content as a social tool.

Today, an increasing number of nonprofit organizations are finding that increasing awareness and raising funds online offers a cost effective alternative to labor-intensive traditional fund drives.

This interview with Marianne Richmond, founder of a fundraising company for nonprofits that uses blogs to good effect, demonstrates many of the positives of working with online media.

Beyond the realm of the blog, nonprofit organizations like United Way use the web as a method of reaching and soliciting donations from both corporations and individual donors. It offers several advantages:

An unobtrusive pitch. We've all been in those United Way meetings where the entire departmental staff is herded into a conference room, shown a heart-rending video, and is then pressured to donate under the harsh glare of their managerial and HR staff. When the pitch is viewed on the internet, much of the coercion factor is reduced.

Immediacy. For many people, charity is an impulsive act. It's a big jump between seeing a United Way commercial on television and going into the other room to get your checkbook. simple, secure donation forms make it possible for people to give while still in the middle of need perception. Hey, it worked when I donated $50 to tsunami relief through the Red Cross' page.

Transparency From the organization's point of view, the donor at his computer is in a position to corroborate or refute any of the company's claims. Nonprofits can increase their credibility in the eyes of their donors by providing links to factual media accounts that reinforce their claims. This can be powerful reinforcement for a savvy donor.

For maximum effect, fundraising organizations should consider a two-pronged approach: The static copy of a nonprofit's website offers unbiased conscise descriptions of the programs, a call to donate, and a quick means of doing so. An accompanying blog could list personal accounts of beneficiaries and works in progress, as well as serving as a personal means of contact to companies and individuals who wish to get involved. As of now, the United Way has not taken the blog approach on a national level.

Wanna bet they will within the next couple of years?

Whetever the form, effective writing on the web is about clear communication in a style suited to the needs of page visitors, as opposed to those who would be reading something in print. Sure, this applies to blogging, but it also pertains to techincal writing (such as in download or application use directions), page content, even the mundane stuff like link titles. Whenever the written word is used on a page, it should be done so as the result of a strategy of effective online communication.

As Gerry McGovern points out:

What makes the Web the Web is the fact that it is linked. When you go to great websites, such as Amazon.com, you find yourself in an environment that is rich in links that help you quickly gather the information you need, and then act on that information. Unfortunately, far too many websites are still being used to store print content. This means that they are much less effective.

Think about it. When was the last time you picked up a newspaper and read every story on the front page? When was the last time you read everything on the homepage of amazon.com? People use different informational media in different ways, usually to accomplish different things.

That's why even the most mundane pieces of text on a web page are important. It's so easy to click away that it's downright unrealistic to expect even tight, high-impact prose to hold a reader whose surfing habits exclude digesting long paragraphs.

Take, for example, the homepage of Orange County, California's Bristol Park Medical Group. Aesthetically, it's a very well-done website. Most of the page is taken up by a feature-length article about a heart transplant saving the life of one of the group's physicians' daughters.

Why do you, dear surfer, go to your HMO's home page? To quickly clear up some annoying problem? find out where to send the check? Find an appropriate doctor? As heart-warming as that story is, who's reading it?

My solution- use a business blog. Lead with a quote from the story, then, in the link, let the reader know they're going to a blog. This will shift an interested person from scan mode to read mode, and save a helluva lot of space for design and text elements that aid ease of use for customers.

Like it or not, people are going to use the business side of the web as a convenience tool. Any writing that doesn't directly relate to solving their immediate problem will wind up as wasted work. Fortunately, as Mr. McGovern explains, the web is about links, and they are ultimately the tools to get people in the mindset to read more deeply.

Blogs generate bucks for old media.

Meg Hourihan demonstrates yet another way that blogs are being used as revenue generators, not for the individual blogger, but for companies. This piece was written in 2002, and many things she predicts within the post have indeed come to pass, most notably in the hallowed halls of old print media.

My hometown paper, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, hosts numerous blogs by staff and community members on its website. Whereas real estate on the printed page is at a premium, digital content can be limitless in quantity. So we get a more personal, opinion-driven look at local sports teams, social issues, and the state of the world, complete with tons of feedback from the community.

Newspapers have to do this sort of thing to slow their increasing irrelevance. Blogs, and the style of writing they use, do a better job of reaching the internet generation than "old fashioned oratory." Plus, their content and tone can be modified constantly, as needed. They bring readers and generate increasingly large amounts of ad revenue.

Another interesting thing about old fashioned media using the blog is the legitimacy it lends to the medium. It's hard for media critics to dismiss the blog as a vehicle of amateur hacks when some of the most respected journalists in the country keep them.

Bloggers and book deals

As I've learned through the reading for this class, the first bloggers were often cyber-celebrities. They were hard-code connoisseurs of the Internet, and attracted large followings, media attention, and geek cred through their efforts.

The second wave of blogging, facilitated by content management systems (such as blogspot and livejournal) opened up the digital journal to noncoders, essentially flooding the internet with personal diaries and all sorts of niche stuff. Of course, it also opened the doors for plenty of people with a voice, vision, and point of view, but the sheer size of the blogging population made it difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Not that there's anything wrong with using your blog as a personal diary. I mean, the motivation to even blog at all had been deeply personal, right? It's not like bloggers were getting paid or anything...

Except, now, they are. Publishing companies have turned on to the blogosphere. They're finding smart, funny writers immmersed in the daily grind of life that already have a following, and they're offering book deals.

Waiter Rant is one of the most prominent of these blue collar workers cum authors. The Waiter simply wrote a blog about the ups and downs (mostly downs) of serving food in a New York City restaurant, and now he's finishing a book, advance in hand. Granted he's a fantastic writer with the brains to wait until he has something to say before flagellating his keyboard, but his subject matter touched a nerve, and the man has huge readership. What a fantastic way to show a potential publisher ROI: just track the visit stats.

Club Life, an angry blog by a nightclub bouncer, also exemplifies this phenomenon. Between bouts of rage at nightclub customers, pontification on world events, and advice on writing and fitness training, The Bouncer expresses bewilderment that a little nobody like himself could find his calling and a success he'd never imagined just by working on the craft of writing and having an interesting point of view.

My prediction: The handful of blog-driven book deals will touch off a wave of hopefuls trying to have the next wry, unique perspective and catchy turn of phrase. A lot of this is going to be crap, but the good stuff will be really good. Bloggers, ride that wave. I'll certainly be reading.