People often show us press releases
they’ve written.
Even if the releases have good
information, the info in them usually is in the wrong order.
Good releases are mini-news stories
with the most important information coming first.
The first sentence doesn’t have the
news or what happened that you want published, i.e., local company wins major
award.
The first sentence contains the names
of everyone involved. The first sentence should be general: local company, etc.
There are no facts to show why event
is important. If the release is about a disease, it should have the number of
people with that disease.
The release is not be targeted to a
specific reporter, i.e., local media need local statistics, business media need
business details.
The release has too much jargon.
Unless you’re targeting a trade
journal, you’re working with a generalist, a reporter who is covering many
beats these days.
Even if the reporter knows what the
jargon means, they need to translate it for their audience.
Why not make their job easier and translate
it yourself?
The release doesn’t have any sources
or people to call to get the necessary quotes.
Journalists work on crushing
deadlines while fielding hundreds of pitches
If they know you’ll be easy to work
with by providing everything they need quickly, they’re more likely to choose
your story over another.
And, BTW, the company mission
statement goes at the end.
For more
information, contact Dell Richards Publicity at (916) 455-4790 or visit our
website at www.dellrichards.com.
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