Write Press Releases That Dazzle

When a reporter is wowed, intrigued, surprised or captivated by your press release, you can be pretty sure you'll get some media coverage. And for most businesses, positive media coverage is worth its weight in gold. The bad news: Although truckloads of news releases fill reporters' inboxes every day, few of them are dazzling, or even interesting.

As a former editor, I speak from experience when I say that most press releases end up in the garbage can. But don't let that stop you from sending them - a well-written news release can generate more publicity and goodwill than you could ever accomplish with a paid advertisement. To help keep your release out of the garbage and get it in print, start by following these five guidelines.

1. Make it newsworthy. Releases should be used to announce news, and they should only be sent when something truly newsworthy is happening at your company. Don't send releases that sound more like advertisements than news; they'll get tossed immediately. (However, newsworthy events may happen more often than you realize - see the Resource Box below for ideas.)

In keeping with the news format, eliminate any superfluous language or outrageous claims (don't describe yourself or your products as "wonderful," "amazing" or "unbelievable"). Is your release written in language that would appear in a story in the newspaper or magazine you're pitching? If not, it might sound like fluff rather than news. Make it clear from the beginning what your news is and why it should matter to the reporter and his or her readers.

2. Tell a good story. Although you're sharing hard news (I hope), your press release should still be interesting to read. Even though your readers are media-types who do this for a living, they still like to hear a good story. Draw in your readers with a creative introduction and interesting language. Find new ways to say ordinary things. Read magazines, newspapers and books and pay attention to the stories that interest you and keep your attention. Then try to mimic those techniques and styles when writing your own releases.

3. Target your audience. As with any writing project, keep your audience in mind when you're writing. The editor of a small-town newspaper has different interests than the editor of a trade journal for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Choose the media outlets that would be most interested in your release and send it to them. For best results, you might even send each person a unique version tailored to their interests. And always send your release to an actual person - rather than sending a release to a general news desk, find out which reporter covers your industry or the type of news you're sending and send it directly to him or her.

4. Develop a relationship. Once you've located the reporters who cover your industry, start developing relationships with them. Call or e-mail to introduce yourself and find out if they prefer releases to be faxed, e-mailed or mailed. Be respectful of their time and the harried pace of their work, but don't be afraid to check in occasionally to follow up on a press release or let them know how much you enjoyed a recent article. Don't just rely on them for fr*e publicity; find out what you can do for them and do it - one-sided relationships never last. Be easy to work with and willing to accommodate their needs, and they'll be much more interested in covering your news.

5. Be consistent. Your communication with the media must be ongoing in order to get their attention. One release sent in a vacuum will probably not yield a lot of results. If reporters are unfamiliar with you or your business, it won't be a top priority for them to cover your release. However, if they're accustomed to receiving (actual) news from you and you've made an effort to forge a positive relationship with them (see #4), they're more likely to a) actually read your releases, and b) publish them, or at least keep you in mind as a resource for future stories. If you really want to take advantage of the possibilities press releases can offer, keep hanging in there.

Nancy Jackson, owner of The WriteShop, helps companies better market their products and services with powerful written communications including Web content, newsletters, brochures and publications. Subscribe to her free monthly newsletter at www.writeshoponline.com.

---

PR Works! 15 Ways To Make Your Press Release Stand Out From the Crowd

Do editors of newspapers, magazines and online news sites really... Read More

Public Relations & Your Small Business

The practice of public relations is often misunderstood, thus overlooked... Read More

Grow Your Financial Planning Practice by Taking Your Publicity National

Think that you aren't big enough for national media coverage?... Read More

Celebrities Cant Have It Both Ways

Corporations are willing to pay substantial amounts of money to... Read More

Ignore PR at Your Peril!

If you do, it means:you don't value tracking the perceptions... Read More

If I Were Coaching You

If I were coaching you as a business, non-profit or... Read More

PR Buyers Beware!

It can bite you and waste your public relations budget... Read More

6 Steps to Using Trade Magazines To Reach Customers

When developing a publicity campaign for their business many owners... Read More

There Is No Such Thing as Competition

A wise friend of mine has often said, "There is... Read More

Publicity - The Right Media Person to Call for Free Publicity

You won't accomplish much if you call the gas company... Read More

PR Planning: Mapping Out Your Strategies, Tactics

With all due respect to all those stereotypical males out... Read More

A Company That Doesnt Need Public Relations?

Really? You mean there are NO perceptions and behaviors peculiar... Read More

Financial Planners Publicity - Dont Wait, Media Folks Want Your Free Publicity

Looking to get your name into a magazine? You need... Read More

Publicity - How to Write a Headline That Will Garner Free Publicity

Taking your ad and turning it into paragraph-style prose is... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Make Your Web Site a Resource for the Media

Reporters, by nature, are curious people.If you can get them... Read More

Are You PR-Challenged?

You won't be if you accept a very simple premise.... Read More

Sound Like Your Situation?

What a shame! Potentially productive public relations people resting on... Read More

PR: Whats the Point?

Here's the point: people act on their own perception of... Read More

PR: Am I Getting a Good Deal?

You are getting a good deal when you accept the... Read More

6 Essentials for Doing Your Own PR: Guest Author

Today's issue of Lean Marketing Champions features tips on doing... Read More

VIP Database; Does Your Company Have One?

The VIP databases are fun to create and can be... Read More

How Managers Hurt Their PR Results

Business, non-profit or association managers hurt their own public relations... Read More

PR - More Than News Releases

Public relations and news releases are synonymous in the minds... Read More

PR? Why?

Well, for starters, because good public relations can alter individual... Read More

The Best PR Has to Offer Managers

How cool is this? You're a business, non-profit or association... Read More

R.O.I. -- O.K., Heres The Deal!

You can SO measure return-on-investment for a public relations program!Try... Read More

The Press Release is Dead (Now Will Somebody Please Tell the Clients?)

In competing for a piece of business not too long... Read More

Put Yourself in the Reporters Shoes

Imagine you're the technology reporter at a daily newspaper. You... Read More

Is PR Right for You? 6 Questions to Ask

When most people think about marketing, they think advertising. While... Read More

Effective Public Relations: Why Did Bec And Lleyton Do It At 3:15AM?

If you are in Australia at the moment, it is... Read More

Media Releases - Helping Grow Your Business

Business people often spend time and money trying to find... Read More

For Financial Planners, Marketing and Publicity Is About You

For financial planners, getting publicity, in the end, isn't about... Read More

Is The Traditional Press Review Still A Business Tool Of The Future?

Press reviews are a common and basic feature for surveying... Read More