Begin by assessing what publications or types of media your customers read, and which they trust and read.
Determine the journalist that will likely be involved in each publication. Then you can map out the best approach.
Is the story worth telling?
Ask yourself “Is this story newsworthy?” Press releases are often written by businesses about non newsworthy topics. Should the journalist not find your release engaging and newsworthy, you won’t receive coverage.
Journalists are looking for certain key elements. The human aspect is important. For help from a Cheltenham PR firm, consider Head On PR.
You need to know the rules of writing a release once you decide that you have something worthy to share. Rules help make it simpler for journalists to share your news.
A strong press release should include:
- Whom? Which key players are involved in the product – you, your company or anyone else? Who is affected by your news?
- What? What’s new?
- Why? How will this news impact customers?
- Where are you?
- When?
The next step is to combine the information into concise, lively sentences. It sounds easy, but it can be difficult.
Be clear about the goals before you start. The opening should convey what makes your story newsworthy. Use a quotation in order to highlight something interesting or important. Remember to include interesting and relevant images. Cheltenham PR can assist you with this.
Keep trying if you can’t get it right the first time. Many press releases are rewritten several times. You must make sure you convey the most important key pieces of information.
Remember to double check the copy before forwarding it. Press releases are often written and reported on without any further correspondence with the person who sent it. Make sure that your release has all the important details. Professionals edit from the last line to the top, so the key information must be positioned at the top.
Writing for varied audiences
When producing a release, the audience is what you should focus on. Readers of niche magazines or websites will have different interests than those who read a local newspaper. Consider creating a number of versions of the release depending on who you’re targeting.
Consider the knowledge your audience has about your product and company, as well as the language they understand. For example, technical language would be suited to those well versed in your industry but may not suit a general interest audience.
