What are some tips for writing a quality press release?

I think all of the above comments are on point, insightful and accurate.

I would also add that, if you're looking at this as a lead gen/sales vehicle (this is a whole other conversation in itself), I would consider issuing a social media release instead of (or in addition to) a traditional press release. These are still evolving, but more and more companies are beginning to use them in their communication strategies and distribution efforts. A social media release is intended to communicate everything you normally would in a standard press release, except in a quicker, more interactive, more measurable and "shareable" way.

While every agency and PR professional designs these social media releases in their own way, the standard SMR will consist of a quick, hard-hitting headline and subhead, followed by pertinent links about the news that is being announced, as well as company and/or analyst quotes (as Cece pointed out before) with direct links to videos, audio clips, etc. that elaborate on each quote and the news at-hand. In addition to being used to communicate news to the media, blogger and analyst community, these releases are also loaded with interactive features and links to company sites and social media feeds, so they tend to be a lot easier to trace and measure ROI.

Focus' own Brian Solis has written extensively about this subject on his blog, with some excellent tips and advice for how to structure releases of this nature: http://www.briansolis.com/2008/02/definitive-guide-to-social-media/

Adding to Cece's comments:

—Don't forget to add a few relevant anchor-text links high up. (Many people won't read to the end.)
—Keep your titles short. (Google doesn't display more than 23 words in their headlines.)
—Keep the body copy between 300-500 words on a page. (Search engines often spider just that.)
—Include multimedia when helpful. Journalists, bloggers, analysts and search engines are looking for more than just text.
—And, the most obvious, write something worth reading.

PR is part of the Marketing function, not a separate entity and while not all of your PR efforts are going to generate leads, they should all be thought of with that goal in mind even if it is subliminal. We're all in business to generate revenue.

Becuse of the social aspect, the press release has become a powerful marketing tool. When you post it to a newswire service like PRWeb you can share the link readily with all of your publics, which include not only media and analysts, but your prospects, clients, partners, employees and shareholders. It also enables you to include attachments like pictures, video, logos, white paper pdfs and even split screen with YOUR web site at the bottom.

Here are a few writing tips for writing an effective press release:

1) Capture attention immediately with a short, compelling headline and subtitle. No dry corporate-speak or readers will hit "delete."

2) Include VIP info in the first 1-2 paragraphs.

3) Make sure you hyperlink key words and phrases. Spell out some of your links so there's a mix.

4) Create & use unique landing pages to track digital behavior.

5) Do not be self-serving or promotional.

6) Cite other industry notables if they add value, but do not use watered down quotes with no meaning, just to drop names.

7) Include statistics, research and quantifiable information and always reference your sources.

8) Remember to include contact information so readers can get in touch with you.

It’s a common mistake to be thinking of newspaper and magazine readers when composing a press release. The only true audience for a press release is the reporters and editors who decide if the information ever sees the light of day. Here are their unfiltered tips:
Let writers do the writing, not the executive secretary, not the director of development, not someone from IT.

The reporter isn’t interested in helping you make money. He could care less about your great selection and super customer service. He only wants the info that will help him get a good story. Take your inclination to sell, sell, sell out of it. Marketing-speak offends reporters.

Say something is first, most, fastest, tallest - that’s likely to get attention. Use words like money, fat, cancer or sex and you’re likely to get some ink.

No good whatsoever are words like solutions, leading edge, mission critical, end-to-end and turnkey.

Avoid the temptation to clutter your lead with a glowing generalization about your company, such as: XYZ Corp., a global leader in the manufacture of high-end widgets for the royalty of Europe. 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.

Don’t tease them. Get the most important information out at the top of your release and then give more details. Don’t forget the specifics, such as numbers.

No more than three pages. Two pages are good, but one is better. No more than one page... you get the point.

Create a small text box with bulleted content that adds relevancy to the story.

Take William Safire’s advice and “avoid clichés like the plague.”

Release writing in the days of social has become more about content and less about feeling like it was spit out by a “marketing robot.” Conversational language and tone, even for a B2B release, has become vital.

A few other things to consider:

- Aligning keyword placement and links with overall SEO strategy. Knowing what is being used for the website and other marketing efforts ensures each release support the overall strategy. Without this releases can be siloed, losing their potential value beyond going over the wire and “getting it out there.”

- Length and format – Shorter is better - however using a social media news release format isn’t a cure all. Know and understand how the wire services will visually represent your release online. Depending on the value of the news, a more “traditional” release that is well optimized might be the right call.

1. Brevity - don't tire people out with pages and pages. Many times long releases won't make it on the wire either.
2. include links back to your site upon the chosen keywords. This offers value in many ways. It drives traffics, creates backlinks to your site, and builds your authority for your keywords.
3. Keep the amount of promotional content to a very low minimum, if any. Just news, the who what where why and when
4. all of the above questions (who, what, etc) should be answered within the first paragraph of the press release. People should be able to only read the first paragraph and know enough information to satisfy them.

Put some links into the press release. It's unbelievable how many press releases I see that have none at all. Links add value to the content and they are good "google juice."