It has never been easier for organisations to get their messages out.
Social media, video and email mean it takes just the click of a button to begin communicating with customers.
And the rise of technology has ensured the humble press release has regularly been written off during the past decade.
Yet, despite the regular predictions of its death, it remains a crucial communication tool.
And it is something journalists want to receive.
A survey of more than 300 journalists earlier this year revealed just how popular the press release remains.
More than 85 per cent of those who responded said they wanted to receive news announcements and press releases.
But not all press releases are created equally. Only this week, one of our current working journalist tutors came in to our TV studios complaining about a press release she had received that was not fit for purpose.
She described it as one of the “worst press releases” she had seen and said it contained inaccessible language and an obscured story. This, she said, resulted in it failing to secure much coverage, despite it containing most of the TRUTH elements we discuss on our media training courses to explain what makes something newsworthy.
So, how can you make the most of this continued interest in the humble press release? How do you write one that grabs attention and doesn’t end up in the bin?
Well, we can put together bespoke training courses that can help you and your colleagues perfect your press releases and pitch your story ideas to reporters.
But, in the meantime, here are a few tips to help you refresh your thinking, refine what you are already doing, or take a different approach.
Should you be writing a press release?
I hear you. This is a strange place to start when I’ve just spent the introduction telling you how keen reporters remain on press releases.
But before you begin to think about writing one, you need to consider whether you have something newsworthy to say.
Will it be interesting to anyone beyond your organisation? Will people care what you have to say?
These questions might sound harsh, but if the answer is ‘no’, there is little point writing a press release.
How do you know if you have something people will care about and that is newsworthy?
Let’s look in more detail at the TRUTH acronym we mentioned earlier.
We use it to demystify ‘newsworthy’. And, in terms of your press release, it means you need something that is:
Timely – Is it new? Is it something people are talking about?
Relevant – Does it matter to the intended audience? Who does it affect? Will they care?
Unusual – People want to hear something surprising, unexpected, or that they have not heard of before. Is it the first? The biggest? The smallest?
Trouble – Does what you are announcing tackle a particular problem or resolve a source of conflict and frustration? Does it challenge conventional thinking?
Human - The crucial human-interest element. What does your story mean for people? What impact will it have on your customers?
Another way to think of the newsworthy question is if you were an editor – and many PRs started their careers in journalism – would you run the story?
Headline
Everyone complains about the number of emails they receive.
But journalists’ mailboxes are particularly busy. I’ve seen some reports of 400 emails a day.
So, your press release needs to work hard to stand out amid that kind of traffic.
Your headline is crucial.
It needs to be brief, punchy and relevant to their audience to grab attention and get them to read more.
Six words may sound tight, but that is the length you should be aiming for.
Topline
But getting a reporter to open your email is only part of the battle.
You need to quickly build on that initial interest before they move on to something else.
And to do that, you must ensure you get to the crucial part of your press release first.
Essentially, you should aim to sum up what you have to say in around 20 words, just like an introduction to a newspaper story.
This writing style is sometimes referred to as the inverted pyramid and is something we look at in more detail on our writing skills training courses.
The things you need to cover in your introduction and subsequent paragraph are the fundamentals of all news stories – the 5Ws and an H (who, what, where, when, why and how). Despite not being particularly catchy, this test is easy to recall.
The crucial, but brutal, thing to remember here is that people don’t really care about your business, so don’t make the start of your press release about you.
By that, I mean don’t begin by saying something like “At Media First we…” – that is tired, predictable and uninspiring.
Instead, put people first. Let’s say your press release is about a new product that could help people save energy in their homes.
Don’t begin by saying: “At (company name), we are passionate about people saving energy”.
A much better approach would be to say something like “to help people save energy and money we’re…”.
Quotes
Quotes are a vital, but often misused, part of a press release.
All too often, they are full of quotes where people don’t really say anything.
No one cares how “excited”, “thrilled”, or “delighted” the CEO is about announcing a new service or launching a new product. Nor do we need to know how “passionate” they are about a particular topic.
And there is no need for them to repeat what has already been said.
That is all pointless and boring.
Instead, quotes in press releases need to offer something that sounds conversational, human and punchy – essentially something that a person would say to someone else.
It makes them more usable and gives journalists an idea of what they might get from the spokesperson if they requested an interview.
Ideally, you should use a quote around the third paragraph of the press release.
Detail
After the quotes, you should be looking to include supporting information.
This might include background detail, examples and statistics. Facts and figures can be particularly beneficial if they are used well.
But tread carefully here. Information that helps to develop the story is great. But you must avoid waffle.
Ideally, aim to keep the press release to around one side of A4, and between 300 and 400 words.
And avoid jargon and any language or acronyms that may obscure the story. News desks are stretched and journalists don’t have time to translate what you are trying to say.
Boilerplate
One of the key frustrations journalists have identified since the pandemic began is not being able to get hold of people to help them move stories forward.
So, make sure it is clear at the end of your press release who reporters can contact for more information if the story captures their interest. And please make sure they are available when the press release lands.
This section is sometimes referred to as the boilerplate.
And it should also include a brief description of your business, such as how long it has been operating and what it does – a bit like how we end these media training blogs.
What else should you include?
Traditionally, your press release would be ready to go at this point.
But time-pressed journalists are looking for press releases that work harder now. As well as a good story, they are looking for something that also offers ideas on how they can tell that story.
So, think about what you can add to your release. Do you have a great infographic that could help people visualise the story?
Case studies are another excellent option. But don’t include the whole thing at this point. Feature a couple of quotes from the case study to help grab attention and then make it clear you have those people, and others, available for interview.
Imagery and video are also useful in these days of tight budgets. But as with the words, they have to be relevant to the audience and original.
Cheesy stock images and footage will not be well received.
One size doesn’t fit all
It might feel tempting to send your press release to all your media contacts.
But that may not help secure the coverage you want. And, as much as journalists say they still like press releases, they do get infuriated by those that are not relevant.
We recommend adapting and tweaking press releases for different audiences.
For example, you need to draw out the local angle to help attract regional media interest.
And the technical aspect may need expanding to secure trade media or specialist coverage.
Expectations
So, we’ve reached the point where your press release is ready to go.
But before you press send, you need to set realistic goals about what coverage you hope to achieve.
Be honest, is it really a national story? Or is it more realistically a good regional story?
If the announcement is niche and technical, are you likely to get interest beyond trade media?
These questions – and honest answers - will help you consider where you should send the release and evaluate whether it has been a success.
Pitching and follow-ups
The personal touch can be powerful, so it is well worth picking up the phone and letting journalists know that your press release is on its way, particularly if you already have a good relationship with them.
It will mean they keep an eye out for it.
But be aware that different people have different preferences, and plenty of journalists would rather receive the press release by email without a phone call.
So, there is some trial and error here, but the more you understand the journalists you are targeting, the more proficient you will get with this.
What is clearer is that you need to tread carefully with follow up calls. This was identified as a significant irritation among reporters in the Cision survey, with journalists overwhelmingly reporting follow-ups should only happen once.
And that they should take place two to three days after the pitch has been sent.
Need a little more help? Whether you feel you could do with a bit more support putting your press releases together, identifying potential stories, pitching ideas to journalists, or having confident spokespeople available to tell your stories, we have courses that will help. Have a chat with one of our account managers about your communication needs.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with more than 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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