Press releases can be a valuable method of increasing business and letting people know who you are, what you do and what upcoming activities you have planned.

However, it is easy to fall into a few traps that can get your release ignored or discarded as general sales spiel by an editor.

Here are seven tips to help avoid some common pitfalls and gain some much needed exposure:

1. Follow the pattern

Start with a short, snappy paragraph that summarises the whole story in as few words as possible. Then, as you continue, flesh out the details with other, less crucial information. Imagine you are telling the story to a friend, what do they need to know first for them to be interested in your story?

2. Focus on one issue

3. Tell them who you are and what you do

4. Quotes

5. Remember, it’s news

6. Think about your audience

7. Check before you send

Here’s a quick example of a press release written for a fictional brewery launching a Christmas beer:

PRESS RELEASE

-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –

Ace Beers launch special Christmas ale for festive period

Award-winning East Midlands brewing company Ace Beers (web address) are gearing up for Christmas with their limited edition Sauced Santa Ale.

Sauced Santa Ale, of which only 80 barrels have been made, will be available in selected free-house pubs across the East Midlands in time for the Christmas period.

“We are very excited to be launching this very special Christmas Ale,” said Ace Beers Managing Director Andy Webb, “we hope people will really enjoy the taste of Sauced Santa Ale which is a mix of traditional winter flavours and some secret ingredients that are sure to bring plenty of Christmas cheer.”

Ace Beers have only produced a limited quantity of the ale due to their traditional brewing techniques which take much longer to complete.

“We can only produce so much at a time because the demand is high for our other beers and we stick to the old brewing methods, which is one of the reasons people enjoy it so much”, said Ace Beers Chief Brewer Pete Fisher.

Barrels of Sauced Santa Ale will be delivered to their destinations during the third week of December to ensure pubs have enough to last over the busy period.

Sauced Santa Ale is the first Christmas beer the company has produced since they were founded three years ago when they launched their Inaugural Bitter in 2009.

Ace Beers won Best New Microbrewery at the UK Brewery Awards in 2009 and picked up the Best Bitter Trophy for their Flying Aces Bitter in 2010.

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