Avoiding Common Traps of Writing Press Releases
Having worked in public relations and media relations, there are a great number of questions that I’m asked over and over again, which is as it should be. People don’t want to put out a product with their company’s name on it without knowing about the entire process, especially if it’s not in a professional light.
Of course, unfortunate things do happen, and those releases will have to be sent, but being open and professional, while keeping the public up to date brings your company good press and customer attention in the end. No matter what your reason for writing a press release, avoid a couple things to make sure editors will be able to use it.
First, don’t write something that has no inherent news value. Look at it like you are a reporter, like myself, and you need to write a story today. Why write about you and your business? What’s the hook and why is it important to readers?
Stay away from terms like: “out-of-this-world,” “one-of-a-kind,” “terrific,” “never-before-seen”, “unique”, and “wonderful”, to name a few. Those are sales pitches. Instead, ask yourself what’s new at the company, how it could affect the consumer or market, and the need for this information to be brought into the public.
Step away from your company and write a press release objectively and it will increase your chances of having a reporter follow-up with your story and look forward from future press releases you send out.
Once that happens, objectively, you don’t want to make the mistake of writing an unprofessional press release. Again, be a reporter. They are professional writers and expect professional press releases sent to them.
There are five basic sections you want to have covered in any press release you send out. The first is your contact information. You want to give journalists as many avenues to contact you as you can.
The second is the headline. This should be a catchy, although relevant, title that helps grab the reader’s attention.
The third is the lead paragraph. This is where you cover the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why” of your story. Most editors cut press releases from the bottom up to fill in empty space; therefore, it is essential to have this information in the lead paragraph.
The forth section is the supporting text paragraph. This is where you provide evidence to support the lead in paragraph.
The fifth section is the company summary paragraph. Using this upside down pyramid structure will help the journalists who read a number of press releases a day to get the pertinent information they need without having to read the entire release.
Now that you’re looking at things objectively and you know the basic design structure you need to have your press release in — the shorter the better. Try to stay close to 400 words. It’s very tough, but it requires you to stay on task with your message in a clear, concise manner. Stick to the basic facts because the average person loses interest after 400 words.
Take your time with it, and have a few people read over it to make sure you stayed objective and avoided writing irrelevant information.
For more detailed information about putting together a release, simply peruse www.publicityparadise.com.