Frequently Asked Questions
1.Registration & Login FAQ
1.1. How Do I Sign Up?
- Click on the 'Sign Up' button on the homepage, fill in the fields for the required information, follow the simple instructions, and you're set!
1.2. What's Next After I Sign Up?
- Once you sign in, you can start submitting your press release.
1.3. Why Do I Have to Sign Up to Use Global Communication Leader?
- Global Communication Leader is one of the top Press Release Distribution, Submit Online Press Releases, and socialmedia based PR Distribution platform. You need to sign up to use GlobalCommunicationLeader.com
1.4.How to change my user account information?
- First login with your username/password. You will see a link called MyAccount on top right side menu.
- Click on that link. You will be taken to your account page.
- On that link you can modify and save your new user account details.
1.5. How do I subscribe?
- Click 'Signup' from the home page
- Select the plan (Regular or Premium or Ultimate)
- Fill out customer information
- Pay through 'PayPal'
- Create password
- Start using our service
2. Setting up a Newsroom
2.1 Do I have to create a pressroom to publish press releases?
- Yes, you must create a pressroom first in order to publish your press release.
- See the sample Pressroom page.
3. Publishing A Press Release
3.1. How do I submit a press release?
- To submit your press release, simply:
- Login to our system
- You will directly have a "Compose Release" page
- Submit your Press Release
- When you want to submit more Press Releases, click "Compose Release" from the top right corner
- Repeat the same process again.
- When you submit Press Release, please follow the guidelines:
- Fill the title field and enter the summary, release text and upload image in the body section of the form.
- Enter the contact name, company name, address, email, phone number and website in the contact section or body section of the form.
- Click to expand the categories link and select business/industry, type and region for your press release.
- Enter some key words in the tags section.
- Multiple keywords must be separated by comma (,).
- Hit the 'Submit PR' button to submit your press release.
- Our Press Release Editors will review your press release to confirm it is a press release and not spam.
- Your press release will be published after our internal review which happens instantaneously.
3.2.What is your proper press release format?
- A sample of our press release format is illustrated below.
- Publisher has included both a main headline and short summary intro. The company name is added which adds credibility to the press release.
- The body of the press release is well written with proper use of dateline, spelling, and grammar.
- Attachments are included in the press release.
- Publisher has included complete contact information. The more contact information provided, the more credible the press release appears. (Sample PR Submitted Image)
3.3.What are "DO NOT ACCEPT" press releases by Global Communication Leader?
- Global Communication Leader does not accept the following:
- Content that we perceive to be defamatory or intended to cause harm to a third party.
- This content includes anything deemed intended to: incite, advocate or express hatred, bigotry, racism or gratuitous violence; promote personal opinions attacking an individual or group; maliciously affect a company's stock; or stalk, defame, defraud, degrade, shame or victimize an individual, group or company.
- We do not accept press releases written in the format of an advertisement, blog post, opinion column or spam; or are deemed not newsworthy.
- We do not accept press releases containing, promoting or linking to adult content or profanity or content that contains accusations of criminal conduct without attribution to a court case number.
- We do not accept press releases from anonymous or fictitious sources or that directly address consumers and the public with a "Buy Me!"; type of appeal.
- We do not accept press release for Publicly Traded Companies (Ticker Symbols), Online Gaming including online gambling and fantasy sports, Bogus online pharmacies dispensing without a prescription, and Legal press releases.
3.4.Does my Video or attachments get distributed?
- Your video and attachments are only viewed on the Global Communication Leader Website. We only distribute the text version of your stories to our news partners along with the video, image links. By clicking the link, visitors will be able to watch, view media files in Global Communication Leader site.
3.5.Can I make changes to my press release before it is released?
- Yes, if your press release has not been released, you have up 11:00pm CST (for the following release day) to make your changes. This allows us enough time to review and re-approve your story for distribution. After this cut-off time we cannot guarantee your revision will be published.
3.6.What happens if I edit my press release on the day of the release?
- If you edit your press release on the day of the release, your changes will only be reflected on the Global Communication Leader website. We cannot update your story for our news distribution partners. If you need to make an important change, please do so before the release day and by our cut-off time of 11:00pm CST.
3.7.How long will my press release stay on Global Communication Leader Press Release?
- Your release remains online at Global Communication Leader Press Release until you remove it. Most users leave their releases online even after the story becomes old news. Leaving your press releases online has the advantage of letting people know where you have been as an organization and provides a historical reference of the company's activities.
3.8.Do you support twitter tweets?
- Yes you can get new posts from Global Communication Leader.com as twitter tweets. This is the official twitter page for Global Communication Leader https://twitter.com/GCL_service
3.9.How to delete my press release?
- You have to send request from contact us form. Your press release will be immediately removed permanently from our site, after editor review your request.
3.10.How can I edit my press release?
- First you must login to this site with the same username / password used for posting your press release. You will see a My Releases link on top right corner of your press release near the title. Click on the link, it will take you to my releases pages. Choose your press release you want to edit and make necessary changes to your press release and press the Submit PR button.
- This edit functionality will be available only for next 72 hours from time of release.
3.11.How to upload and / or link image to my press release?
- Open the press release submission form.
- Fill the text box meant for press release title and body.
- Move the cursor to a place in press release body text where you want to insert the link.
- Then click on one of the labels "link" below the text box for entering press release body.
- You can upload a new image from attach media file section.
3.12.Do you accept HTML anchor links in the press release?
- Yes, we accept HTML anchor links in the press release body.
- There is no fee for inserting links.
- Links are not allowed in title and summary.
- Do not insert more than four links in your press release.
- Apart from four links in press release body, you can also have one to three links in the "Contact Us" section.
3.13.Do you reject and /or delete press release?
- Global Communication Leader accepts nothing but press release.
- So do not try to post spam content.
- A press release must confirm to standard guidelines for writing a press release.
- It can not be a sales letter, explicit product promotion or advertisement.
- We reject press release that provoke violence, encourage illegal activity or are of an adult nature.
- Strictly follow the instructions above the form for submitting press release to this site.
- Read the standard guidelines for writing a press release and review your press release twice before submitting your press release.
- You can also read the articles and tips given here for writing very good press release. (Global Communication Leader Guidelines(text) with Link)
- you can make changes to your press release anytime on the Global Communication Leader site. To make changes to your press release, simply log into your admin panel, click edit and make changes.
3.14.Who do I contact about a press release on the site?
- If you have any questions regarding a press release, please contact the person listed in the release.
- Please do not contact Global Communication Leader.
- Global Communication Leader disclaims any content contained in the press release.
3.15.How do I embed Facebook and Twitter streams into my press release?
- Enter your facebook page url and enter your twitter username.
3.16.What kind of contact information does Global Communication Leader require?
- Media Contact Name - the name of the person to contact with questions regarding the contents of the release
- Company Name
- Email - the email address where the Media Contact can be reached
- Phone number - the phone number of the business
3.17. What does SEO mean?
- SEO means search engine optimization -- it is how your information is archived on the search engines. If you have high SEO, your content is likely to be found on pages 1-5 of Google or of other search engines.
Press Release Submission Guidelines
Global Communication Leader Press Release Submission Guidelines
Our goal at Global Communication Leader is to help you gain visibility for your company.
To remain a trusted source for search and journalists; the news releases we publish must meet certain quality guidelines.
Following these guidelines helps you create a message that better resonates with journalists, influencers, potential customers, and strategic partners.
Press Releases Published On Global Communication Leader Must:
- Have a legitimate news angle (announcing something new and/or timely)
- Contain proper attribution
- Be news from the company actually submitting the news
- Have an objective tone -- not be written in casual first person language (I, we, you, etc)
- Not contain overt sales language ("Are YOU looking for ways to make money online??" "Buy now!!!")
- Not be from a site that offers adult products and services, escort services, illegal products and services, scams and pyramid schemes, or iPhone unlocking products
- Not be a duplicate of a previously submitted press release
- Not contain excessive links
- Contain a valid email and phone number
- Be at least 250 words
Does the release utilize responsible linking?
- We know that adding links is important. However, using too many URLs in a single release is considered "spammy" and unprofessional. A good rule of thumb is to not include more than 1 URL for every 150 words of text.
Dos and Don'ts of a Good Press Release
- Press release is a written document issued to the members of news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy. Make sure that you write newsworthy press release. Editors generally publish news release that will surely pique the interest of the reading public. Plain articles without any news value or poorly formatted press release will be rejected by site moderators.
- Press release must have the following sections: Title, Summary, Place, Date, Body, About US and Contact Us.
- First letter of title must be in capital case. First letter of each word in the title must be in capital case. No need to capitalize connecting words like 'the', 'a', 'an', 'and', 'or','is','was', 'are', 'were', 'with', 'for', 'from', 'to', 'by', 'of', 'at', 'in' etc.
- Title must announce the news in a simple declarative statement. Title can not be a question, exclamation, command, instruction, advice or call for some action.
- Avoid non-alpha numeric characters, special characters like *,: ? ! # - ' ' " " or website address(URL) in your title or summary.
- Minimum 40 characters and maximum 140 characters are allowed in title. It must be a single sentence.
- Insert a two line summary between title and main message body. Summary must present the essence of news to busy readers in two or three crisp sentences.
- Press release body must start with place and date followed by the text - (Global Communication Leader).
- Press Release body must have four or more paragraphs. Each paragraph must have two to six sentences, preferably three or four sentences.
- Last paragraph of a press release must be "About Us" section describing the company.
- Your press release must be written like a third person reporting your news story. Keep the news release written in a professional tone and state facts only.
- Do not include first or second person pronouns like 'I', 'We', 'Our', 'Us', 'You', 'Your' in your press release except when quoting someone say something relevant to the press release.
- Press release can announce a range of news items: scheduled events, personnel promotions, awards, new products and services, sales accomplishments, new hiring, business expansion, survey results etc
- The timing of the press release is very important. It must be relevant and recent news, not too old and not too distant.
- Do not post trivial articles, tips, opinions, expert advice, bio-data and company profiles,. Do not submit sales letters, product catalogs, advertisement or product promotion.
- Do not include "advertising" or "hard sell" language such as "By doing this you will get that" or "Are you in need of". Never sound as if you are trying to sell the reader something. Always sound as if you are trying to inform the reader of something.
- Do not submit press release promoting illegal activities like gambling, drugs, online fraud, explicitly sexual activities, pornography etc
- Do not publish press release about dull commonplace activities.
- Do not insert external links in title, summary or first two lines of press release body.
- Three hyperlinks are allowed in main message body after first three lines.
- Maximum of 4 relevant industry, region, and news type categories can be selected in total.
- Press release must have a "Contact us" section with contact name, organization, address, email, phone and website.
- Do not try to submit the same press release again and again.
- Do not submit other company news as your own press release.
How to Write a Good Press Release
A press release, also known as a news release, is simply a written statement distributed to the media. They can announce a range of news items: scheduled events, personnel promotions, awards, new products and services, sales accomplishments, etc. It is a fundamental tool of PR work, one that anyone who's willing to use the proper format can use.
Follow the Steps:
Write the headline.
- It should be brief, clear and to the point: an ultra-compact version of the press release's key point.
- It must be a simple declarative sentence announcing the main message in one line.
- It may describe the latest achievement of an organization, a recent newsworthy event, a new product or service.
- For example, "XYZ Co. enters strategic partnership with ABC Co. in Singapore & United States."
- Avoid questions, exclamation, promotional language or unrelated message in title.
- The first letter of each word in the press release headline should be capitalized, as should all proper nouns. Do not capitalize connecting words like 'and', 'or', 'if' etc.Write the press release body copy. The press release should be written as you want it to appear in a news story
Write the PR Description/Summary.
- Summary must present the essence of news to busy readers in two or three crisp sentences.
- Summary length must be between 100 and 500 characters (15 to 35 words).
- Avoid !, #, ?, special characters, URL or contact information in summary.
Press Release Body.
- The press release body copy should be compact. Avoid using very long sentences and paragraphs. Avoid repetition and over use of fancy language and jargon.
- Start with the date and city in which the press release is originated. The city may be omitted if it will be confusing, for example if the release is written in New York about events in the company's Chicago division. Add the word -the text (Global Communication Leader) - after date and place.
- The lead, or first sentence, should grab the reader and say concisely what is happening. The next 1-2 sentences then expand upon the lead
- A first paragraph (two to three sentences) must actually sum up the press release and the further content must elaborate it. In a fast-paced world, neither journalists nor other readers would read the entire press release if the start of the article didn't generate interest.
- Deal with actual facts - events, products, services, people, targets, goals, plans, projects. Try to provide maximum use of concrete facts. A simple method for writing an effective press release is to make a list of following things:
Communicate the 5 Ws and the H.
- Who, what, when, where, why, and how. Then consider the points below if pertinent.
- What is the actual news?
- Why this is news?
- The people, products, items, dates and other things related with the news.
- The purpose behind the news.
- Your company - the source of this news.
- Now from the points gathered, try to construct paragraphs and assemble them sequentially: The headline > the summary or introduction of the news > event or achievements > product > people > again the concluding summary > the company.
- The length of a press release should be no more than one page.
- The more newsworthy you make the press release copy, the better the chances of it being selected by a journalist or reporting. Find out what "newsworthy" means to a given market and use it to hook the editor or reporter.
Include information about the company.
- When a journalist picks up your press release for a story, he/she would logically have to mention the company in the news article. Journalists can then get the company information from this section.
- The title for this section should be - About XYZ_COMPANY
- After the title, use a paragraph or two to describe your company with 5/6 lines each. The text must describe your company, its core business and the business policy. Many businesses already have professionally written brochures, presentations, business plans, etc. - that introductory text can be put here.
- At the end of this section, point to your website. The link should be the exact and complete URL without any embedding so that, even if this page is printed, the link will be printed as it is. For example: http://www.your_company_website.com. Companies which maintain a separate media page on their websites must point to that URL here. A media page typically has contact information and press kits.
Tie it together.
- Provide some extra information links that support your press release.
Add contact information.
- If your press release is really newsworthy, journalists would surely like more information or would like to interview key people associated with it.
- If you are comfortable with the idea of letting your key people being directly contacted by media, you can provide their contact details on the press release page itself. For example, in case of some innovation, you can provide the contact information of your engineering or research team for the media.
- Otherwise, you must provide the details of your media/PR department in the "Contact" section. If you do not have dedicated team for this function, you must appoint somebody who will act as a link between the media and your people.
- The contact details must be limited and specific only to the current press release. The contact details must include:
- The Company's Official Name
- Media Department's official Name and Contact Person
- Office Address
- Telephone and fax Numbers with proper country/city codes and extension numbers
- Mobile Phone Number (optional)
- E-mail Addresses
- Web site Address
- Signal the end of the press release with three # symbols, centered directly underneath the last line of the release. This is a journalistic standard.
- Continue to read the "Dos and Dont's of press release writing" to avoid common mistakes.
Tips Include the company name in the headline, any subhead, and in the body of the first paragraph for better visibility via search engines and for news professionals and other readers.
Research actual press releases on the web to get the feel of the tone, the language, the structure and the format of a press release.
The timing of the press release is very important. It must be relevant and recent news, not too old and not too distant.
Avoid jargon or specialized technical terms. If accuracy requires the use of an industry-specific term, define it.
Warnings Always remember that editors are overworked and understaffed. If you can make life easier for them, you're more likely to get coverage. If you write a press release that's close to the way the editor will actually publish it, it may see publication with minimal editing. But if you fill it with fluffy advertising copy, don't use proper AP style, etc., the editor must severely edit your piece to use it. That means he or she is more likely to just move on to the next press release--and there are plenty of them.
Avoid the temptation to clutter your lead with a glowing generalization about your company ("XYZ Corp, a global leader in the manufacture of high-end widgets for the royalty of Europe, today announced...") Many releases are written this way, despite the fact that editors delete this kind of fluff. Everybody says they're the leader. Don't waste the editor's time. The place to put a description is in the company information section of the release. But keep it accurate and factual.
When e-mailing a press release, do not make the subject line of your e-mail "press release." You will only blend into the crowd. Get the editor's attention by making the subject line your "grabber" headline, e.g. "Brand Co. wins billion government contract."
----- This Article adopted from wikiHow(http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Press-Release), a wiki how-to manual. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/).
24 Killer Press Release Secret
- Your press release should sound like news, not an ad.
- You should only send your press release to the media related to the topic of your press release.
- Keep your press release one page in length.
- Your header, contact information and release date should be at the top of your press release.
- Use short sentences and double space your lines.
- Your header and first few sentences should grab the readers attention.
- You should tell a story and mention your business, product or service in the body of the press release.
- Proofread your press release many times. Look for grammar and spelling mistakes.
- Write a press release about the new products or services you're offering on your web site.
- Create a press release about the results of an online survey or poll you have completed.
- Submit a press release about a trade show or seminar you're hosting.
- Write a press release about no cost chat room classes you are teaching.
- Create a press release about your opening of a new web site.
- Submit a press release about an online award your business or web site has won.
- Write a press release about a free e-zine you're publishing.
- Create a press release about online products or services you're giving away.
- Submit a press release about an online business association or club you're starting.
- Write a press release about a famous person that's endorsing your business.
- Create a press release about a joint venture you are doing with another business.
- Submit a press release about a new book or e-book you wrote.
- Write a press release about an expert who is speaking in your chat room.
- Create a press release about a fundraising event you're doing at your web site.
- Submit a press release about a new contest or sweepstakes you're having at your site.
- Write a press release about major sponsorships you're doing online.
About the author: Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit:http://www.ldpublishing.com/http://www.ldpublishing.com/ As a bonus, Bob Osgoodby publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter - visit his web site to subscribe and place a FREE Ad! http://adv-marketing.com/business