Writing a media release is a basic skill of any Public Relations professional, but it’s easy to lose sight of some simple rules.
A quick quality check can mean the difference between your media release being published, or being deleted. Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases, has provided five simple things to check before clicking Send.
1. Newsworthiness: Media releases are ultimately a tool for promoting your brand, however, if you don’t have an interesting story to tell, they won’t be published. If you send out stories with no news value, you’ll lose credibility, and eventually, journalists will start ignoring you.
2. Claims and statistics: While advertisements might be about hype, news stories are about facts. It needs to be an interesting story, but just as importantly, it has to be unbiased and accurate. Otherwise, it’s not a news piece. Double-check your facts and don’t include hype or misleading phrases.
3. SEO: Your press releases are likely to end up online. They will be most effective if you target relevant keywords. Include the keyword in the headline if you can do so naturally.
4. The basics: Always include a headline and subtitle, release date, answers to ‘who, what, when, where and why’, your contact information and a brief biography of the company.
5. Remove the fluff: Make sure your media release is as tight and to the point as possible – too much information can be a bad thing. Unnecessary information should not be included.
Ultimately, it is vital to keep in mind not only your brand, but your target media and audience. This will give you the best chance to get your media release published and build relationships with journalists.
Read the full article HERE.
Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.cpcommunications.com.au.
