Press Releases 101
Time to Read: 2m 30s
Avoid These Common Press Release Mistakes
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Press releases can be effective but only if you do them right. Photo credit: Brian.Neudorff / Foter / CC BY[/caption] Too many business owners lack an understanding of how press releases really work. Worse, some people think that sending out a press release means they will automatically receive media attention for their new product, event or announcement. That's simply not the case; journalists look for news. That means their attention is going to go to the story that's the most interesting and the most timely. If a big fire breaks out on the same day that you send a press release for your product that launched two months ago, your story will end up in the ash heap of unopened emails. Ok, so maybe that's an extreme example, but my point stands. Any time there's a story that's bigger than yours (a corporate merger, a product recall, an ousted CEO) it's very likely that your story will get bumped if not ignored altogether. You just have to accept that. Now let's assume the stars are in your favor and there are no C-suite coups hitting the fan on the day you send in your press release. It's a relatively slow news day and the reporter needs something to write about. There are several reasons why your story might be ignored even on the slowest news day:
- Your press release reads like an ad. There's a space in the paper to tell the world how great your product/service/company is: it's called ad space. A press release needs to alert the reporter a story, so it can't be about how great your product is. It can, however, be about a new innovation or improvement you've made to the product or an upcoming event (such as a charity event your company sponsors). It has to offer reporters an angle; no reporter is going to write a piece that parrots your promotional literature.
- Your press release leaves a lot of work for the reporter to do. Do you know why press releases exist? To make reporters' jobs easier. If you write your press release correctly, it should take minimal effort on the reporter's part to turn it into a story. (Hubspot put together a useful press release template. We recommend you check it out.)
- You didn't answer the phone when the reporter called. See above. Making the reporter's job easier means being responsive. Reporters aren't going to chase you unless you've got something that you're desperately trying to keep out of the news. So make sure you're available to chat when reporters call. But don't call to follow up. Reporters generally frown on follow-up calls.