A press release can make or break your campaign, especially after all the hard work you’ve put in, you want to make sure it gets picked up by the press as much as possible. Our PR executive has pulled together some top tips on how best to write a press release and make it rain with all those linkbacks!
Have A Catchy Subject Line
We all know that journalists receive hundreds of emails a day, so it is important that yours stands out among the crowd. Catching a journalist’s attention in just one line is tricky, but it can and has been done, so it is certainly not impossible. You need to make sure your subject line not only explains your campaign in one sentence but grabs the journalist’s attention. You can do this by using buzz words, emojis and all the key information regarding your campaign. Make it memorable and intriguing otherwise the journalist will just pass up your email and put it straight in the bin folder.
Make Your Campaign Sound Exciting
Being boring will get you nowhere as a PR executive, you must know how to make your campaigns sound even more exciting than they already are. You’ve spent so much time making sure your campaign is fun, so why make your press release boring? When writing it, it is always helpful to ask yourself the question “Would I read this?” Set the scene, tell the story and have fun with it. That way press is more likely to pick up something that excites them, as well as their readers, rather than put them to sleep.
Become The Journalist
Yes, not literally, but when writing a press release, it is always good to put yourself in their shoes. Learn how they write, do your research on other articles they have published, and use the language and tone of voice they use. This way, the journalist will feel more related to you, and can easily pluck the information they need out of your press release to piece together their own article. This will also avoid them having to edit any of your copy. Basically the easier you can make the journalist’s life, the better!
Do Your Research
When writing a press release for a particular client, the first conversation you should be having with them is who their dream publications are. It is then far easier to tailor your press releases to suit how these publications write to better your chances of getting noticed and therefore, picked up. Depending on the publication’s niche, there will be many different styles of writing, so targeting certain tones of voices with who you are pitching means your press release is already halfway to landing coverage on their website.
Make It Short And Sweet
Journalists have very little time, and as one of many emails they receive a day, you want to make sure your press release gets to the point, avoiding any long sentences or waffling. What is your story? Why should they care? How will it benefit them or their readers? Try not to leave anything to the imagination, be concise, and do not keep them guessing. Make sure the structure of your press release covers exactly what they need to know, nothing more, and nothing less. Ideally, sticking to 500-800 words should be perfect. This way if it is too long, the journalist will certainly be put off from reading it and will send it straight to the bin.
Mix It Up
Remember, your press release is not always guaranteed to be picked up. But you shouldn’t be afraid to try again. Test different subject lines or formats and different angles. This way you can monitor which has the most success. It needs enough time to perform or to be picked up before you make alterations to it and re-pitch.
If you want to find out how PR and Outreach can help your business, get in contact with our experts at Colewood Digital today.
