SolveYourProblem
eMarketing Series: Press Releases
How To Write A Press Release
That Blows Away
Editors & The Competition
( 30 pages )
How
To Write A Press Release: 3 Basic Guidelines
Watch
carefully for any adjectives you use in your press release. Like any
other news item, you’re expected to send in an unbiased piece
of information. Make sure you avoid writing words like “best,”
“only,” “exciting,” or “dull.”
Instead of
saying:
“The mayor
lives in an expensive house.”
Say:
“The mayor’s
house is estimated at $500,000.”
If you do have
to include an opinion in your press release, usually at the
request of your client, be sure to attribute it to someone
other than the media publishing the story.
It’s fine to say:
“This is by far
the best product we’ve released to date,” said Corporation
X’s Vice President, Steven Smith, of his company’s soon-to-be-launched
software.
Refrain from
stating it’s the best without using a specific quote.
Try not to alienate
your audience. Don’t use stereotypes, whether they be sexual,
ethnic, or otherwise. Aside from avoiding basic title taboos,
such as mailman, fireman, etc., it’s also best to avoid touchy
societal subjects.
These include
reporting on a woman’s marital status or physical appearance.
Always ask yourself if the same information would be relevant
if you were reporting about a man. You don’t want to alienate
half of your audience by unintentionally insulting them.
In review, write
for your audience by following three basic guidelines:
-
Write Simply
-
Write Clearly
-
Write Fairly
Ask yourself these questions to see if you’ve written
from the consumer’s point of view:
-
Is my press
release easy to understand?
-
Have I used
any adjectives to describe the focus of my content?
-
Are my employment
titles gender-neutral?
-
Have I geared
the document towards a topic that most of the community
will appreciate and want to read?
-
Is my timing
good - or bad - for disclosing this information?
-
Have I answered
all of the basic questions my audience is might have once
they finish reading this piece?
-
Is it clear
to the reader who the source of this information is – so
that if he or she wishes to learn more about the client,
they’ll easily know who to contact?
-
Have I written
in a succinct manner so that the audience will be able to
grasp the message without having to spend too much time
deciphering it?
-
Have I focused
on the most pertinent information my client will want to
pursue in the next six months to a year – not wasting editorial
time with unimportant events?
If you’ve worked
through all of the complexities above, then your press release
should read like a true news story, and not resemble that
of a biased, puff piece. If possible, have someone else take
a look at the story and see if they notice any instances where
it looks as if someone who works for the company or organization
has written it.
Following these
criteria will endear you to the community as an ethical and
unbiased presenter of information. And it just might produce
positive results for your press release campaign, too!
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