Five Quick Tips For Press Release Writing

Expert Advice Of The Week
Subject: Press Release Writing
Author: Rebekah Iliff
Why Should You Care? Because bad press release writing is the fastest way to get shoved to the bottom of a journalist, editor, or reporter's trash bin....on or offline.


GET S.M.A.R.T. -5 simple steps fo creating a killer press release

Although it may seem cliché to say, press release writing truly is an art, and journalists are beyond savvy when it comes to deciphering a newsworthy piece of information from a fluffy, sorry excuse for a press release. Not only is it insulting to them when you waste their precious time by tooting your own horn about nothing special, but what’s worse…it makes you look bad. End of story. Bah-Bye.

If you really want to understand what goes in to writing a great press release, and to find out if the information you are sending is up to par, ask yourself these 5 simple questions:

Is your press release….

S=Straightforward
Ask yourself: is the press release written in simple, concise, factual language void of industry jargon and buzz terms? Can I get my point across in an understandable manner in less than 400 words?

M= Magazine Ready
A reporter or editor should be able to take the information from your press release and plop it into any medium without having to correct bad grammar, or call to get specifics on what the heck you’re trying to say. The key is to make the journalist’s job as simple as possible. If you master this, then your chances of getting press placement will increase exponentially.

A= Attention Getting
This is actually the FIRST question you should ask yourself before you even dive into writing a press release. Another way of saying this is "is it newsworthy?" While you may care about the fact that your company toy poodle is having twins, I assure you that no one else will.

R=Researched
Remember that last paper you wrote when you were in the 8th grade, and how you didn’t cite any of your sources but instead just pulled some information out of your, eh-hem, head. Remember how you got an F? Well, needless to say, things haven’t changed much since that day and journalists are much like teachers: they want to see that you’ve done your homework and that you have a thorough understanding of the topic on which you are writing. No, you don’t need actual citations in your press release, but you should definitely be prepared to answer in depth questions if the situation presents itself.

T=Timely
A timely press release is the first cousin of a researched press release. That is to say, a press release that is relevant to current events or cutting edge technology is more likely to get noticed. Remember, it is important to be aware of trends in your particular industry so that you can seize opportunities to create the news!

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