Writing the perfect press release takes skill and talent. The MirrorMePR team regularly send our releases for our clients across a wide range of media, so what tips have we got for creating press releases that the editors want to read and stories they want to print.
Is It Newsworthy?
Sounds pretty obvious right? Well, you would be surprised how many businesses believe that their story is national breaking news. Whilst we don’t wish to dampen your enthusiasm, you may need to step back and take a proper look. Jon being promoted from IT to management level or Joan in accounts doing charity fun run are not going to set the nation on fire. National stories generally have to have a big wow factor to them. So, unless your news angle is ground breaking, then you’re probably better off targeting local media or even trade.
Think About The Media
Targeting the most relevant media for your story will dramatically increase your chances of having your press release printed. Country Life Magazine doesn’t really need to know about your new state of the art muck spreader, but Farmers Weekly do. Take time to research which magazines and which journalists are most relevant to your brand before sending out.
Short & Sweet
Column space is at a premium in print media. Don’t write a short novel. Editors will only put a few lines per story – a paragraph or two at most, so don’t give them more work to do by giving them a long and lengthy document. Who, when, where or why plus details of who to contact for more information are best.
Picture Perfect
We still hear editors complaining about the quality of images sent accompanying releases. Sending in a blurry out of focus shot or one with lots of clutter in the background or even one not even relevant to the story WILL NOT get you in the press. It’s more likely to frustrate the editor and turn them off your story. On the flip side sending in an image 20mb will ensure you either end up being undeliverable to their inbox or are immediately removed from their Christmas card list. Files should be no bigger than 2mb per email. Remember, a picture says a thousand words, so decent photography is a must if you want to grab the editor’s attention.
MirrorMePR – more than just a press release – for expert advice, and an amazing client service that gets results, drop us a line:
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For more brilliant business advice, check out our blog How To Run A Successful Business In 5 Steps
