MRO Today magazine receives dozens of press releases every week, releases that tout a new gadget, widget or line of products as "new and improved" or "better than the competition."

A large percentage of these press releases are kept and filed for future use. They are used in the Product News sections of our magazines or used as information for print and/or online articles about such products.

However, an equally large percentage of press releases are tossed aside because either the release is poorly written (does not make sense), lacks relevant information (is incomplete) or lacks focus (the news on the product is buried in a mass of filler copy on the company).

To increase your chances of having a product release published in our magazine, the editor of MRO Today has put together a guide to creating the "perfect product-related press release."

The perfect release includes these elements:

1) The logo of the manufacturing company at the top of Page 1 of the release. Many times, releases come on the letterhead of a public relations agency. In many of these instances, the name of the product manufacturer isn’t listed until the second, third or fourth paragraph of the release. These kinds of releases get lost in the shuffle.

2) After the logo, a list of contact names. This includes the names of public relations representatives and/or representatives from the product manufacturer. This is needed when there is a question about the press release or when there is a need to contact the company for a product-related story. Somewhere on the first page, the manufacturer’s address and Web address should also be listed.

3) After the contact names, a headline that talks about the product being promoted. This does not have to be long. An example would be: "XYZ Company Introduces New Line of Cordless Widgets." Or, "XYZ’s New Cordless Widgets More Powerful, Lighter Than Previous Model." Steer clear of headlines that talk solely about the company. Headlines such as "XYZ Company Is An Industry Leader" or "XYZ Listens To Its Customers" make it appear that the release is about the company instead of a product. When an editor is skimming press releases for candidates for a Product News section, such releases have a tendency to get bypassed.

4) One page of type, roughly five paragraphs, describing the features, benefits and general applications of the product. The first paragraph (or even first sentence) should include the product name (Super Pro 7), brand name (Widget Products) and whether the brand is part of a larger company (a division of XYZ Company). Pricing information is not necessary. Normally, information beyond Page 1 fails to get read. Press releases with one or two paragraphs usually fail to have the necessary information.

5) A paragraph of company information. This should go at the end of the release and provide general information about the manufacturing company.

6) A color photograph (at least 3 inches by 5 inches, but not to exceed 5 inches by 7 inches) or a color slide. The image should focus on the product. Photos showing the product in use are acceptable, but many of these cover up the product and/or its pertinent logos.

MRO Today hopes this list of guidelines assists you in crafting future press releases.

If you need more information, contact MRO Today editor Paul Arnold at igwebeditor@milomediapub.com.

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