Let's assume that your press release landed in the right in-box, meaning the reporter is the right target for your message. For anyone in public relations, just getting to this point is a major achievement. But don't get all cocky, because what comes next is critical. As a reporter by trade and one who still receives roughly 25 press releases per day in my in-box, I can tell you that a great press release is hard to find.
Reporters do not have a love-hate relationship with press releases. They have a "meh" relationship with them. Most of the press releases reporters receive are not going to rock their world. But they will be read and used by a reporter if they contain a news hook that is relevant to the reporter's beat. Once hooked at least on the topic, a great press release will contain:
1. An attention-grabbing headline.
2. A "nut graph" to kill for: the first paragraph with 2 to 3 sentences must be succinct and newsworthy. Much like a reporter's own article.
3. Multimedia: photos, video and the like - a must-have for multimedia journalists, which most reporters are, whether they like it or not.
4. Good contact information - not just contact information, but the contacts of people who will answer the phone and respond within the hour to your email query.
5. A great quote - The art of press release quote-writing involves giving the end reader the impression that the reporter got the quote directly from the source, not from the press release.
6. Statistics and other data - reporters love numbers, which make their stories more credible and interesting, and which impresses their editors.
7. A compelling story (more on that in a second).
You've heard countless advice on words to avoid in press releases, such as "leading", "ground-breaking" and "best." A Reporter's Bullshit Meter will ring loudly at the sight of these words, and there's no doubt your press release will be diminished. I won't belabor the point. But I encourage anyone who writes a press release to get real about who's reading your prose and how credible your words are. You'd be surprised how many reporters stop reading a press release if there are too many superlatives.
At PR News' PR Writing Workshop this week in San Francisco, there was agreement that a press release has roughly 7 seconds to grab a reporter's attention. Seven seconds is widely touted as the time it takes to make a first impression. So, next time you go about writing your press release, apply the 7 second principle.
Then, consider, what would come next? Does your press release have the qualities that will entice the reporter to email or call you? And are you ready to take the story that was the crux of your press release, and continue telling that story?
While it's always great to see your press release "covered" by the media in the fullest sense of the word - the press release is essentially re-run as editorial or portions cut and pasted -- it is much better to create a connection and entice the reporter to hear more of your story. If the press release is your first impression, then the follow-up call or email is your opportunity to tell your story. The press release is an under-rated story-telling vehicle and you are in the driver's seat.
-- Diane Schwartz