Two articles focus on the press release and tips to help yours get read, published and stand out from the hundreds that a newsroom editor or reporter will receive each week.
Press Release or Press Delete?
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Press Release or Press Delete? by Jeremy Porter via journalistics.com
The next time you write a press release,
give the reporter a reason NOT to delete your release,
otherwise you might as well write “For Immediate Delete” in the subject line. I had originally planned to showcase great examples of press releases from this week, but couldn’t find any that truly stood out (I looked at the feeds for all the major wires this morning).
Let’s try to change that for next week. Here are a few tips for writing press releases that don’t drive journalists to press delete:
Attention-Grabbing Headline
You need a short, catchy headline that will catch somebody’s attention when they’re scanning dozens (hundreds) of emails in their inbox. Write a headline a journalist would be impressed with. Not sure what that looks like? Look at the front page of
The New York Times (or any major newspaper or magazine worth its salt) on any given day. You can tell when somebody takes the time to write a great headline. Your headline should sell the story – in this case, your news. If you can’t sell it in your headline, good luck with your pitch.
Picture This
As I scanned all the press releases, the releases with images stood out. Just like a listing on eBay gets more bids relative to the number and quality of pictures used, so too will your news. Is there a great picture that tells your story? Spend the extra money and distribute it with your release. At the very least, include a logo with your release – it will stand out. I’m referring primarily to wire distribution of your release. If you’re emailing your release, don’t email the images – link to them
with an accurate description in the release.
Paint (Your Story) By Numbers
Back your stuff up. There were a couple of press releases I saw with great headlines, but as soon as I started reading them, they were full of “me” fluff. Regurgitation of information somebody’s boss said had to be in the release, but little of interest to a journalist. If they had just included a good statistic to get me started on the story, they would have gotten much more interest.
Without naming names, there was a release about a weight loss camp for kids – no mention of the problem of childhood obesity in the U.S. In comparison,
here is a good release that starts off with an attention-grabbing stat about the problem of bullying in the U.S. – promoting anti-bullying. Love it. The headline is too busy for me, but it’s one of the best releases out there this week – there’s a lot a journalist could start with here.
Keep It Short
You don’t need to put the kitchen sink in your release. Get in and out. Give them the high points and they’ll contact you for the rest. Most wire services charge more once you exceed 400 words. Keep your releases under 400 words and you’ll save money and increase your chances of getting covered. If you can pitch a journalist in 140 characters, there’s no reason you can’t write a less-than-400-word press release.
Funny How? Like A Clown?
It’s okay to use humor (if it’s really funny). Is there a clever (not cheesy) hook you can use with your release? Work for a bakery? Use a “best thing since sliced bread” reference. Humor is highly subjective, so tread lightly. If you’re in an industry not known for humor, it could work. Ben & Jerry’s just issued a press release where they said they were “proud as peanuts (in a chocolate swirl)” about their announcement. Subtle humor makes releases more interesting.
Write It Like a News Story
Learn to write in inverted pyramid style. Answer the who, what, why, when, where and how in the first paragraph or two. Read the first two paragraphs of the press release you’re working on. If that’s all you had, would you know what the story is about? Practice writing one-paragraph press releases as a first draft. Then add any NECESSARY supporting information. Your headline and first paragraph are the most important components.
Kill the Canned Quotes
Executive John Smith is so excited about this news. It’s really special and makes everyone feel wonderful. Really? Read a couple of executive quotes in some press releases, you’ll see they’re always the same. I know journalists rarely use those quotes (except when a release is used verbatim of course). Either kill the quotes, or give them one they could use. Read the quotes that make it into print and model your press release quote after that. They probably still won’t use it, but you’ll give them an idea of the quotes they could expect to get in an interview with the source.
BONUS: Use Some Bullets
No, not to put yourself out of your misery… I hope the post isn’t that bad. Use bullets to break up your information. Just like they make it easier to scan a blog post, so too do bullets help you scan a press release. I just looked at a couple of hundred press releases – very few had bullets in there. What would happen if you included a section of your release that said, “Here are five things you will learn in this press release:” with the five things? I bet you’d get the strongest response you’ve ever had from a press release… maybe. Test it and let me know how it goes.
10 tips to get your press release published
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There is plenty of information out there about writing the perfect press release but just being well written and including the what, when, how, where and why doesn’t necessarily mean it will be appearing in the newspaper any time soon. You are also competing with hundreds of other news stories, so how can you get your press release published?
Let’s assume you have a really newsworthy story. What next?
1. Write a press release so that it can be cut and pasted
Many people write press releases in the first-person so that a journalist is simply going to have to re-write it for their readers. For example “This week we helped 100 local people get involved in exercise by offering a 1-day pass to the gym.” That’s great! But the journalist will have to change that to “100 people were given the opportunity to access the gym this week thanks to a free pass offered by [insert gym name].”
Write your press release in this style in the first place and the journalist will thank you for saving them the time and will be more likely to use your story. Journalists are busy people…help them and they might help you.
2. Call first. Email second.
Newspapers and magazines receive hundreds (if not thousands) of press releases on a weekly basis. It is a good idea to call the journalist first to say you are sending something over. That way not only are you building positive relationships with them but they are also more likely to take notice of your name when it pops up in their inbox.
3. Include some of the press release in the body of the email
You need to make the journalist want to open your press release. You can do that by including the first line on the release in the body of the email. It’s much better than simply saying, “Please find a press release attached.” If the first line is exciting or newsworthy enough, they’ll want more!
4. Use the Bcc box in your email
Your press release may be relevant to several different publications but you don’t want the journalist to think that you have tried to get it into every newspaper in a 100-mile radius. Editors are much more likely to run a story if they think they can beat a rival publication to it.
If you have to send to a large distribution list via email then put those names in the Bcc box and put your own email in the To field. An even better approach if you only have a handful of contacts is to send the emails individually and address each to a specific person.
5. Have high resolution photographs ready
Pictures sell stories and journalists will always want a great photo to accompany a story. Make sure you send them a file of at least 1MB at 300dpi to ensure it can be used in print.
If you don’t have a photo that relates to your story then you can get free stock images from websites such as sxc.hu – just make sure to check they do not have any copyright restrictions.
However, it is a good idea to take your own photos where possible and remember include details of who/what is in the photograph. It is also worth labelling the photo correctly with your company’s name and a date – this could save it from accidentally appearing with the wrong story!
6. Pre-empt difficult questions
Try to figure out what a journalist may want to know when they receive your press release and either include additional clarification in the editor’s notes at the bottom of the release or have the answers ready.
For example if you send out a press release that says “79% of our clients have changed their lives for the better” the journalist may reasonably ask “so 21% have changed their lives for the worse?” Ouch!
This of course won’t be the case but you may need to explain yourself.
7. Use all available distribution tools
A few years ago emailing a press release to the editor was all you could be expected to do but now there are a wealth of news distribution channels that you will need to take advantage of.
For example, UK charities should be making use of Community Newswire, a free service that sends out newsworthy stories from the charity sector to members of the Press Association. This gives your story a great chance of getting published.
Also, make sure you mention your news on your website and social media sites. Do the research and find out what is out there for you sector.
Start with a simple Google “News distribution services”
8. Be available and follow up calls ASAP
More often than not you will receive a call from a journalist after sending them a press release. Make sure you are available or if you have missed a call get back to them straight away. It can be the difference between getting your story published or not. You don’t want a reputation for being unreliable.
9. Support stories with case studies
Where possible you should support your press release with a real life story. This is one of the main ways to ensure your story gets published.
Got a story about people doing a marathon for charity? Get a picture and a quote from one of the runners. Providing transport for the elderly to get to hospital? Get a picture of someone using the transport and a quote about how it has changed their life.
If you don’t have this ready the journalist will ask and you will be rushing around to get something together.
Not only will case studies help you to get published they will engage the reader and get your message across much more effectively. It’s a must!
Remember, if you are going to take photographs of people and send them to the media make sure that you explain to the person what you are doing and ask them to sign a consent form.
10. Be timely
News happens fast and is forgotten just as quickly. Make sure you send out your press release at the earliest opportunity.
For local weekly newspapers make yourself familiar with their deadline. If the deadline is Tuesday and you send them a press release on Wednesday it will be over a week old before they can print it…will they still want to?