Newsrooms and journalists across the country are bombarded day in and day out with press releases.
The vast majority of these may never see the light of day, as space is limited in print and even online.
For many not getting their press release featured can be heartbreaking and frustrating.
You’ve wasted time and energy and got zero results for your efforts.
But there are ways to make sure you get them noticed.
1. Keep press releases brief, the head of news or news editor will rarely read further than the first two paragraphs.
2. Make it relevant, if you own a business in North Wales, don’t send the press release to papers/media in South Wales, unless you can give them a local angle too.
3. Don’t keep pestering newsdesks/news editors to see if they’ll use your release. It can actually make them more determined not to use it!
4. Try and think of a gimmick, a great photo opportunity, some quirky angle, it’s more likely to be used.
5. Don’t use jargon, use plain English to describe your business/product.
6. Make sure your contact details are clearly marked on the press releases, they will get back to you if they need more.
7. If possible, send a picture with the e-mail, staff photographers are overworked and rarely have time to get to every job.
8. Make sure the pics are good quality, hi-res j-pegs, fill the frame, and don’t use line-ups of people, they are boring.
9. If there is a strong human interest angle to your story i.e. a family business that has been handed down over generations, or more jobs being created due to expansion/success, this will go down well.
10. Get to know your local journalist well, tip him/her off if you hear of a good story, they are then more likely to return the favour.
Follow these simple tips and you are bound to get results with your press releases.
