Writing an effective press release can do more for your business than any other act of marketing. Here are five tips for writers looking to get the most out of their efforts.
1) The headline is critical.
Do not assume that just because you send a press release, prospects will read it. Journalists and investors can see dozens of releases a day, and if yours does not break through the clutter, it won’t do you much good.
Your headline is also a matter of knowing your audience. For journalists, a direct and simple approach is best, since this will be the closest to a normal story. For investors, going into more detail is acceptable, with headlines of several lines being common. Know your audience, especially when writing headlines.
Getting attention doesn’t mean that you should aim for tabloid-style sensationalism, however. You do have the image of your enterprise to protect. The goal of your headline is to impress the reader with the fact that your news is important, novel and vital. You can do that without getting into any problems with taste.
2) Include a sub-header.
While you should make sure that every word in your release is perfect, many readers will never get past the headlines. Make sure your release achieves maximum penetration by adding a sub-header that summarizes your story. The acid test for this is to give the release to someone else to read, then take it away from them after 5-10 seconds. Ask them what the release is about. If they can’t give you a clear answer, your headline and header need work.
3) There is a fine line between honest hype and a serious overreach.
Many PR releases lose their chance of placement with exaggerated claims of importance. Your mindset while writing should be of a journalist that is covering the story, not a cheerleader for the company or event. If you go overboard in your praise or assessment, readers will tune out quickly...and you burn your chance of being effective later, since they will question your integrity and accuracy.
4) Put your hype in quotes.
Quotes allow professional press releases to get back some of the hype that was lost in keeping the release professional. The reason is simple: the reader will question the speaker without necessarily questioning the release. This isn’t a license to let loose, but in general, grandiose claims should come from the lips of your partners and associates, rather than in the body copy.
5) Keep it to one page.
This one’s usually very hard on writers, especially if there is a lot to digest in your release. But the fact of the matter is that very few people read through to the second page of a release, and when it gets that long, it prevents people from reading it at all.
It’s easier to swallow if you think of it like this: a press release is like a resume. No matter how good it is, it rarely is enough to seal the deal without some follow up. Your release should be enough to get you coverage without any more communication, but if it provokes a follow-up call from your contact, so much the better.
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