PR Power: How to Write a Killer Press Release

I'm what we in the business (the "business" being journalism) call a poacher turned gamekeeper -- that is, a journalist turned press officer. As a reporter I spent a huge part of my day sifting through a slush pile of press releases, all sent out by eager business owners desperate to get some publicity for their latest project. As a press officer, I was the one writing the press releases and trying desperately to get them published.

Quite apart from leaving me with some pretty good conversation openers, it left me with a good understanding of what kind of story makes the news, and what kind of press release gets filed straight under "bin". Here's how to make sure your press release is one of the good ones...

1. Get your story straight

Before you even think about writing a press release, you need to make sure you have the right story. The fact that you've just started a business isn't a good story. Trust me on this. At the last newspaper I worked on, I lost count of the number of press releases we received, which basically boiled down to, "Hey! Guess what! I started a business!" Well, so did a lot of people. If you want your press release to work, you're going to have to find an "angle" that your target publication will be interested in. There are various different ways to do this:

- Tell a strange/funny/touching story about how your business started, or how you helped one of your customers.

- Run a competition, offering your products or services as a prize.

- Offer your expertise in an "ask the expert" feature or column (if your paper isn't running one, offer to write it for them)

- Conduct a survey and present your findings in the form of a press release. Sponsor a local student or organisation

- All you need to get your "angle" is a little bit of imagination. And once you have a story to tell, it's time to start selling...

2. Writing your press release

First things first, remember it's a press release you're writing, not a novel. Of course, you want to make sure you get all of the relevant facts across, but try to do it concisely. It's worth bearing in mind that the newspaper will probably re-word your release to make it fit their style or the space available in any case, so don't worry too much if you're not exactly Stephen King. Focus on your main points. Tell the reader:

Who Where Why What When How

These are the building blocks of any story: as long as you get these down, you're off to a good start. And speaking of starts...

3. Get your opening paragraph right

It's a sad fact of life that editors are overworked individuals, and their time is precious. If the opening paragraph of your press release doesn't grab them, they probably won't bother to read the rest. In newspaper journalism, the convention is to make the opening paragraph short and snappy, and to use it to sum up the story as best you can.

4. Use quotes

Quotes are more interesting to read than straight text, and if you don't include some, the journalist who receives your press release will have to find them for herself. Including a few ready-made quotes in your press release will reduce the amount of work the reporter has to do, and that will give your release a better chance of being used.

5. Include your contact information

No matter how hard you try to get it right, there will inevitably be some small point which the journalist writing your story will want to clarify, and to do that, they'll need to be able to contact you. Making things easier on the journalist, makes it easier for them to give your business some publicity.

6. Follow up!

If your press release doesn't appear in the very next issue of the newspaper you send it to, don't panic! Sometimes it can take a few weeks for a release which isn't time-sensitive to appear, but it doesn't hurt to give the paper a quick call to make sure they received it, just don't go overboard and take up too much of their precious time...

Amber McNaught is a director of Hot Igloo Productions. Hot Igloo are small business specialists, offering website design, online marketing, public relations and more. Their new press release writing service is now available - visit http://www.hotigloo.co.uk/publicrelations.htm for details.

In The News:

---

E-Mail Media Releases

E-mail is becoming the preferred way to receive media releases.... Read More

Are There Secrets to Gaining Media Coverage?

Are there secrets to gaining media coverage or is it... Read More

Put Yourself in the Reporters Shoes

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

Two Donts for Financial Planners Seeking Free Publicity

Many of my clients have had the misguided perception that... Read More

Asian Media Relations: Increase Your Profile and Image in China

China's media is booming creating opportunities for marketing-savvy businesses. But... Read More

Press Releases for Every Occasion

To many marketers, the press release is something of a... Read More

Anxious About Your Public Relations?

Shooting from the hip always creates anxiety.Especially when managers order... Read More

13 Publicity Ideas for Retailers

If you're trying to promote your store, but you don't... Read More

Does Your Small Business Have a Grooming Policy?

They say that image is everything and some of us... Read More

Dont Use PR

?lose the confidence of your key target audiences? discourage them... Read More

Transparency in Online Transactions

In these days of every increasing demand and competition, there... Read More

Mastering the Media

What do Monica Lewinsky, Shoshanna Lowenstein, and even Richard Hatch... Read More

Managers: Super-Charge Your PR

Ain't a gonna happen unless business, non-profit and association managers,... Read More

Get Write To It

The toughest thing about writing a news release is getting... Read More

Anchor Your Relationships

I heard a speaker recently who was talking about how... Read More

How to Work with Newspaper Photographers

The next time a newspaper photographer takes your photo, remember... Read More

Detailing The Famous Kentucky Derby Train

The annual detailing of the Kentucky Derby Train is an... Read More

There Is No Such Thing as Competition

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

Is This the PR You Thought You Were Getting?

You know, where you do something positive about the behaviors... Read More

Writing a Press Release: The Design Basics

Big corporations like General Motors and Coca-Cola spend thousands of... Read More

Publicity: A Financial Planners Best Marketing Friend

There's an old African proverb:"If you think you are too... Read More

Managers Need Basic PR

True, because department, division or subsidiary managers for a business,... Read More

Get PR Off the Bench

Something that results in your most important outside audiences doing... Read More

Publicity: Financial Planners That Get It Follow One Rule

Advice about business and life often gets around to one... Read More

Dont Do This to Your News Release!

Hundreds of thousands of News Releases are sent out all... Read More

Managers: Do You Trust Your PR?

You can if, as a business, non-profit or association manager,... Read More

Ignore PR at Your Peril!

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

Media Releases - Helping Grow Your Business

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

Publicity Tips from the Pros

If you want to know the best way to approach... Read More

PR: Whats the Point?

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

Do-It-Yourself PR: An Accident Waiting to Happen

Early in my career as a public relations consultant, I... Read More

Advertising Is Dead. Long Live PR

Although I still believe there is a place for advertising... Read More

Financial Planners, Why Advertise When Free Publicity and Marketing Is Better?

Commit this to memory, please: To get in the media,... Read More