Press Release Writing: 7 Deadly Mistakes
Posted by Aja on June 24th, 2010
For those of you, like me, who would rather read than watch, here is the recap of my Press Release Writing; 7 Deadly Sins video in written format. You can find all of the information here without sitting through the video ( or the perpetual bad hair day that is on top of my head of late, hee hee) If you would still like to see the video you can find it here.
Press releases, also known as media releases, can be a vital part of your public relations strategy, helping you to gain exposure from media outlets. A press release is essentially a piece of information that you distribute to members of the media about some aspect of your business in an attempt to gain media coverage. A press release can be simple enough to write, but there are several mistakes that you can make to ensure that your story never sees the light of day.
- Pitching a story when you don’t have one: Don’t send a press release if you don’t have a story that’s newsworthy. Not only will it not get published, doing so too often can earn you the reputation of being like the boy who cried wolf and get your future press releases ignored as well. Make sure when you are pitching stories that you truly have a story to tell. There are ways to get attention if you don’t, but a press release is not one.
- Using a sales tone: Your press release should take on the tone of an article, not an advertisement. Make factual statements and don’t use a lot of extra language to pump up your product. Write it as though you are telling a story not as though you are writing an ad.
- Sending poorly written releases: When you send media releases out you want them to be ready to publish as-is. Most media outlets, especially online ones where they’re churning out stories all day, need your story to be ready to go, so using misspelled words or just poorly written press releases overall is a huge mistake.
- Not getting to the point: Some media outlets may receive hundreds of releases daily. You have a few seconds to draw the reader in and get to the point before they move on. Make sure you use a good headline to attract attention and get to all of the major points within the first couple of sentences.
- Sending to the wrong publication or media outlet: Make sure that you know the publication that you’re sending your press releases t and the types of stories they cover. A magazine that appeals to the 18 to 24 year old set probably isn’t going to run stories about family fun nor is the retirement magazine going to care about a new club opening. Make sure you know the publication’s audience.
- Sending to the wrong reporter: Take the time to learn which reporters cover the type of story you’re sending. Sending education stories to the crime reporter is a waste of time. Also make every attempt you can to get real contact information. Press releases that you send to the main email address often end up in junkmail. If at all possible, try to address your press releases to a real person
- Not following up: Most reporters will say they hate follow up calls, and most people, including public relations professionals, don’t like following up with reporters. However, following up with a brief pitch to give the reporter a reason to publish your story can mean the difference between a press release that turns into an article and a press release that ends up in the trash can. Send your press release, then be sure to follow up a few days later.
Contact us for additional help with press release writing and distribution.
Tags: how to write a press release, press release mistakes, press release tips, Press Release Writng
[...] this ever happened to you? You’ve written a great press release without committing one of the seven deadly sins, sent it out to the media, and now you’re waiting patiently by the phone for a reporter to come [...]