THE PRESS RELEASE: AN IMPORTANT PUBLICITY TOOL

Overview

Advertising keeps your company in the public mind, but publicity that appears as news is more trusted by the public. But most of that news doesn't originate with the media outlets themselves. An estimated 70% of news comes from outside sources in the form of press releases.

The press release is fundamental to the news business, and its importance is often underestimated. Some of its value can't be measured, such as top-of-mind recognition for your company. The press release is a major form of communication in business, government, and both private and public institutions.

So why do so many press releases end up in media waste baskets? The major reason is that they just aren't newsworthy.

Any media outlet exists to serve its audience. So, it must emphasize local and regional news. Your press release must be important to a medium's particular audience. Think of what media your prospects read and watch, and send your press releases to those media.

Press releases must be "news", not self-serving advertising. They need to give information that's important to the readers. Events that might warrant a press release include:

• Openings
• Expansions
• New services or products
• A new catalog, brochure, or newsletter
• New staff and promotions
• Community activities
• Awards
• Timely tie-ins with national holidays
• Company milestones
• Open houses
• Financial news (e.g., your company has just been awarded a big contract)
• Someone in the company has an article or a book published

Four Common Reasons Why Press Releases are Rejected

Because they need outside news sources, the media are already inclined to be interested in your press release. But you can kill that enthusiasm with these common mistakes:

1. Received too late for deadline. Before you submit your press release, check with the editor for deadlines. Remember that the release must go through several steps before it appears in print. Make sure your release arrives in plenty of time to meet the deadline.
2. No news value to the readers. A news outlet's obligation is to its audience. If your release isn't of interest to that audience, if it's hype and advertising thinly disguised as news, the editor will trash it.
3. Too long and rambling. Newspaper space is at a premium. Just ask an advertiser how much it costs. Don't waste everyone's time—get right to the point. Limit your release to two pages or less, double-spaced. The less a person knows about a subject, the more words he or she tends to write about it.
4. Requires too much rewriting. Editors are busy people. If your release is poorly written or doesn't conform to the newspaper's style, it's often not practical to contact the author and then rewrite the release. The "Associated Press Stylebook" is a valuable resource for writers of press releases.

News Value

The most important consideration of your press release is "news value". It's determined by the quality of the information (what's important to the greatest number of readers). News value is relative, because any story is weighed against other news occurring at the time. If an element in your story will broaden its appeal to the readers, move that element up front. But keep in mind that a story about your company's plans for a major expansion will get pushed back if there's a major fire in the downtown district. News value is also affected by:

• Location
  Most of your stories originate locally, but an event that occurs outside the area may still be news if people with local ties (e.g. former residents) are involved. Your company's expansion is news, even if that expansion is in another state or country.
• Freshness
  A fresh story is printed as soon as possible after the event. This freshness is greatest the first time the story is published. So if you're planning a series of articles about a single event, you must come up with a fresh approach for each story. Freshness also includes a unique or unusual angle to a story. It's the small, specific details of a story that add color and make it unique.

Your release is "news," so you must be objective. This may be difficult because it's your company, but you have to take a step back and view your organization objectively. You can do this by writing in the third person, using quotes for subjective comments. Quotes add color and human interest to your release. They also give your story authority and believability. Don't write your release from your point of view. Instead, prepare your release as if you're a reporter covering the story.

Once you submit your press release to a news outlet, it's out of your hands. You can't be sure when the release will be printed, if at all. The newspaper is under no obligation to use your release, so don't call them asking when your release appeared or why it didn't. Also, don't try to leverage editorial space by promising to advertise with the paper. Editorial and advertising are two different departments, and no editor appreciates this kind of bribery.

Press Release Basics

The building blocks of the press release are always the five W's—who, what, why, when, and where. "H" for how can be included, if it's newsworthy. These building blocks help ensure that no essential facts are omitted. They also help organize the story. There's little room for creativity in news writing, so find the most important element of the story and use it as your lead. The most important element varies from story to story, so any of the five W's can be a strong lead element. Because editors start cutting stories from the bottom to make them fit, be sure the primary details of your story are up front. News style is dictated by the Associated Press Stylebook, so you should get one at your local bookstore. It discusses how to prepare copy, acceptable abbreviations, punctuation, style, and more.

You have to write the press release with:

1. Short, familiar, specific words. Make your meaning clear in as few words as possible.
2. Simple, direct sentences in short paragraphs. Your writing should be primarily short sentences (an average of 15 words), but occasional longer sentences will break up the monotony. Just make sure you're presenting a series of facts in as direct a manner as possible.
3. No redundant or superfluous words, sentences, or paragraphs. Repetition is the grossest form of wordiness. It results from poor organization. This especially comes up when you use quotes from multiple sources that give the same information. Limit each sentence to one idea or a range of closely related ideas. Otherwise, sentences can take off in several directions at once.
4. Common language. While you need to write in everyday language, avoid colloquial expressions, abstractions, and jargon. Don't oversimplify by merely stringing a series of facts together. News needs to be written as a narrative.

The heart of good writing is attention to detail. The reader shouldn't be expected to figure out what you're trying to say. When you pay attention to detail, you write in a concise style without unnecessary wordage.

If you've never written a press release before, it might seem a little difficult. A good place to start is by reading your local newspaper, national newspapers, and magazines. Notice the pattern and style of the articles, then model your first efforts after them. Soon, you'll have the routine down.

Your press releases help area news outlets cover news that's important to their readers. You'll also be grabbing lots of free publicity for your company. And that helps bring in more customers.

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