PressRelease™ Quick Start
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well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or copied
only in accordance with the terms of such license. Except as permitted by any such license,
no part of this guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
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protected under copyright law even if it is not distributed with the software that includes an
end-user agreement. The content of this guide is furnished for informational use only, is
subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by
Summitsoft Corporation. Summitsoft Corporation assumes no responsibility or liability for any
errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the informational content contained in this guide.
Product Registration
Registering PressRelease is important. Registration provides you with timely access to the
latest product and database updates, technical support, valuable information about new
product releases, and special offers on other Summitsoft products.
You can register online at www.SummitsoftCorp.com/Register.asp
To check to see if your version of the program is current, open the program and select
About (the “i” icon) at the top left of the program window (the Quick Access Toolbar); this
shows the current version number of the software. To check for new updates, choose
Update from the File menu (the round button at the top left). The program will connect to the
Summitsoft website. If an update is available, follow the online instructions to update your
copy of the program.
©2008 Summitsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
PressRelease, Summitsoft and the Summitsoft logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of
Summitsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners. Any reference to company names and/or people in sample templates and
screenshots are for demonstration purposes only and are not intended to refer to any actual organization or
person.
Summitsoft Corporation
Omaha, Nebraska
USA
www.SummitsoftCorp.com
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WHAT DO YOU NEED HELP WITH?
PressRelease Overview ........................................................ 3
Get your first press release ready ......................................... 4
Email your press release to the media................................... 7
Creating a media mail list .................................................. 7
Sending your release ......................................................... 8
Put your press release on the Internet ................................ 11
Learning more about PressRelease ..................................... 14
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PressRelease Overview
Use the Wizard to quickly enter important settings.
Pre-written templates give you a jumpstart.
Use the Compose and Insert options to write and format your release.
Use the Mailing options to pick your media contacts and send your release.
Use the Web Submission options to get your news on the Internet.
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Get your first press release ready
Open PressRelease by double clicking the PressRelease icon on your computer Desktop.
Use the Wizard to quickly enter important settings; the last step allows you to choose if you
want to open a press release template or write your own release from scratch.
If you don’t use the Wizard, PressRelease will open with a blank writing window.
•
Write your release on this blank page in Design or Plain Text Format.
•
Edit a pre-written template by clicking the Template panel on the left side of the
window. Double click any template to open it in the main window.
QUICK TIP: We recommend selecting the “Plain Text” format option, choosing a Plain Text
template, or using the Plain Text format of an HTML template. This is the only format that all
email clients support and will increase the reach of your press release.
Once the press release is open you can edit it quickly to get it ready to send. Just follow
these brief steps to edit a press release template or your own custom release:
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1.
To change the text on a template, simply highlight it using your mouse…
… then enter your own text…
2.
Use the options in the Insert tab to quickly add a Release Date, add Pictures and
Hyperlinks, Symbols, and even pre-written general About statements and Quotes. This
makes it easy to put together a press release even if you don’t know where to start.
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3.
Make sure your press release includes your contact information so people
interested in your news know how to reach you. This can be placed at the top or
bottom of your release.
4.
Save it! When you have finished writing your release, click the Save button:
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Email your press release to the media
Open the release you want to send and click the Mailing tab.
You now need to create a media mail list of people you want to send your release to, and
then send your release through email.
CREATING A MEDIA MAIL LIST
1.
Click the Edit button:
2.
Choose a database from the dropdown:
3.
Click the check boxes of the people you want in your media list. You can also do a
quick search by Keyword, City, State, Zip Code or Country which will automatically
check all media you searched for.
QUICK TIP: Don’t just check off everyone; make sure you only send the release to
people who might be interested in your news. For example, sending a press release on
business software to a sports editor would probably be a waste of time.
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4.
View the media in your list to make sure they are who you want to send to:
5.
Save the list and click OK.
6.
Your saved list will now show up in the dropdown; make sure to select a list (and that
the Add checkbox is active) or your release won’t be sent to that list.
SENDING YOUR RELEASE
Once you have your media list ready, it is time to enter your email settings.
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1.
Make sure the press release is open.
2.
If you are sending a release in plain text format, make sure you check the “Send as
Plain Text” option, otherwise check “Send as HTML”.
3.
Open Email Settings. Enter your own SMTP information and click OK:
QUICK TIP: This information can easily be found if you use Microsoft® Outlook® by
opening Outlook® and selecting “Account Settings” from the Tools menu. Double click
on your email account and then enter the information you see here in the
PressRelease fields for Outgoing mail server, and User name and Password if your
SMTP requires authentication.
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4.
Add an email subject line by clicking the plus “+” button:
5.
Click the Test button to send yourself a test email. This will send to the email address
you entered in your default Contact Information (in Wizard). Make sure the release
looks exactly how you want others to see it by seeing how it looks in your Inbox.
6.
Click the Send button to send your press release.
IMPORTANT: Before you send to a large list (usually over 150 people), make sure
you know any email guidelines your Internet Service Provider (ISP) might have for
sending bulk email. Some ISPs may say you can only email to a large list during a
certain time of day, or have a limit on the number of people you can send to in a 24
hour period. Make sure you follow any guidelines…they have the power to turn off your
Internet otherwise.
Who do you get your Internet from?
We cannot emphasize this information enough…Before you click Send it is important to understand
your Internet connection. Most Internet providers don't allow you to just start sending out thousands of
emails all at once at any time of the day; most have strict guidelines about how many emails can be
sent in a certain amount of time, and what time of the day they can be sent. If your list is only a couple
hundred (and you think it will stay about this size), you probably don't have to worry too much as long
as you adjust your email speed settings for a slower delivery. If your list is larger than a few hundred,
or you intend to send out regular press releases, you should call your Internet provider about setting
up a business account or find out what you need to do in order to comply with their bulk mail policy. To
adjust email speed settings, simply click the Email Settings button in the Mailing tab. More information
can be found in the Help file.
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Put your press release on the Internet
Click the Web Submission tab and save your current release.
You will notice your press release no longer appears in the main window. This is because
PressRelease will now act as a web browser in order to open press distribution websites that
you can submit your news to.
1.
Click the Edit button:
2.
Select the press websites you would like to submit to by clicking their checkboxes and
then clicking the OK button.
3.
Click the Open button; all selected websites will open in their own tab:
4.
Create a free account on websites you want to submit to. Many also offer optional paid
services which improve the visibility and reach of your press release on the Internet.
5.
If you use more than one website to submit your press release to, try using the same
Username and Password for each one so you don’t get confused later.
Add your Username and Password in PressRelease for quick reference:
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6.
Click the Choose button when you are ready to add your main release text to a
website:
7.
Select the press release:
8.
Make sure “Copy to clipboard” is checked and then click OK:
9.
Right mouse click in the website field and select Paste:
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10.
Your release should now show up in the website field:
11.
Finish entering any other information, and follow any guidelines for the website. Your
release should then be added to their website after review.
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Learning more about PressRelease
For more detailed information on the features of PressRelease, please refer to the Help file
located in the Help menu of the program (the question mark “?” icon).
Purchasing your Summitsoft program gives you free access to Summitsoft’s online technical
support. Many questions may be answered by checking our Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs) web page. If you cannot find your answer among the FAQs or the Help file, you can
email us for technical assistance with your problem.
Online Support: http://www.summitsoftcorp.com/support.asp
Email Technical Support: support@summitsoftcorp.com
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