It's time to make yourself a modern (PR 2.0) news release template

A question was posed in this week's reading, Deirdre Breakenridge the author of PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences poses this question for the reader to consider:  "How do I begin to enhance my news release template, whether only slightly or to its fullest 2.0 potential?"

So, what should you include?

Obviously include traditional press release core features like:

1. Client, spokesperson, and PR contact information
2. A gripping headline and sub-head (if needed)
3. Main news release facts, with core content in bulleted format
4. Approved quotes from brand executives, customers, partners, and industry analysts (if possible)
5. Company boilerplate information with standard approved verbiage that describes the main offerings of the company

Modernize your news release with useful enhancements that will make it more appealing to journalists and use these as an opportunity to steer coverage more effectively.

 PR 2.0 Enhancements

1. Links to more information on the topic of the release
2. Links to recent publicity on the subject of the release
3. Tags in the release (i.e. del.ico.us and Digg)
4. Embedded photos where possible and a link to a photo library that has several high-resolution images for download
5. A link to download the brand's logo
6. Other keywords to other associated and interesting information for journalists to use in building their stories

So for those of you that don't already have a news release template now is a great time to make one that includes spots for this type of information - it's a tool that will save serious time and spare you from the often repetitive work of writing news releases.