Seven Traits of Highly Effective Press Releases

 By: Sir Khalid Rehman

Why are PR people like nuclear weapons?
1. If one side has one, the other side has to get one.
2. Once the news release is emailed, it cannot be recalled.
3. When they land, they screw up everything forever.

A man phones a PR consultant and asks, “How much would you charge for just answering three simple questions?”
The PR consultant replies, “A thousand dollars.”
“A thousand dollars!” exclaims the man. “That’s very expensive isn’t it?”
“It certainly is,” says the PR consultant. “Now, what’s your third question?”

PR’s importance is changing. According to The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR, American marketing strategists Al and Laura Ries argue that public relations has become the most effective way to build a brand. Well-known brands like The Body Shop, PlayStation and Harry Potter spend little on brand-name advertising. The same is true for many entrepreneurial companies like yours. Business owners become known in their respective fields of concentration many times through public relations and the associated media generated.

All companies and non-profit organizations have one important attribute in common: they have a need to communicate effectively with certain target audiences and they want to have a good image in the community.

Whether they recognize it or not they are constantly involved in public relations and government relations.

Why you need PR? Because getting the word out about your product or service should always be a priority.

“Public relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.”

--

Characteristics of successful press releases

Whether created by a PR agency or an executive in your Advertising Department, issuing an effective press release is very important to the outcome of your announcement. Successful press releases have a few traits in common.

Possibly, the most important factor in ensuring the success of your press release is ensuring that the information contained in the press release is newsworthy. It may be futile to issue a press release that contains too little information or information that is of no value to the media and the general public.

To gain additional success in issuing a press release, the content must appeal to the consumer. Explaining to the reader that the information contained in a press release is intended for them and why it is important to them will entice consumers to read the release in its entirety.

The chronological order in which you announce things is another very important aspect of creating an effective and successful press release. In the first few sentences you should provide a synopsis of the important news followed by who or what organization first announced it.

Wording your press release so that consumers can relate to the news will make the reader want to read more. Developing a press release in which consumers can connect will make the press release more effective.

The first ten words of your press release will make or break its success. Be sure that these words capture the readers’ attention and make them want to read and know more. Use language that is simple to understand. Using industry jargon and abbreviations is frowned on. Avoid fancy terms and over using adjectives. This will take away from the message you are trying to send.

Effective press releases provide extensive contact information. Names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and websites should all be listed in the press release. It is important that you convey who should be contacted about your release.

If the ideas above are implemented in the process of developing a press release, your message will be conveyed to the appropriate audience and you are more likely to achieve your desired result.

--

This is how a staff reporter describes as the best press release:

1. Everything must be accurate, plain and simple. From your name, your client's name, contact information and background. You screw up once, even if it's a misspelling, you're not opening my eyes.

2. Brevity is perfect. Get your message across in one page, if not less. You should be able to sum up your story pitch in three sentences. Those sentences should, in a perfect world, act as a reporter’s nut graph (a sentence or two that explains the point and relevance of a story).

3. Provide background. If you come with some statistics or proof that your story is actually important and relevant, you should have no problem getting additional attention from a reporter or editor. Without background, you’re forcing the reporter to take time out to find the relevance. In this day and age, time is currency. Also, provide a description of the client and some relevant history. Keep it short.

4. Know the particulars of the media and the section of the media to which you are sending your press release. To a technical section, you have to pitch stories that provide technical information and you will see that your story moves to the top of the list because you have taken time out to understand the publication.

5. Do not tell the reporter that the readers would benefit from your story pitch. Reporters are by nature arrogant. It is they who decide what their readers would benefit from.

That didn't take long, huh? Get my point?
--
Seven Traits of Highly Effective Press Releases
This study was taken recently by a PR agency in the US.
Let us look at releases which prove a hit, and see what attributes they have in common.  Let us be simple and straightforward.
Count the words in the body, the date and time of release, whether the release included a photo, and so on for a total of seven main traits.

Click here to ask questions