3 Keys to Successful Press Releases

by David D. Menzies
As editor of the online business and technology news resource NCTechNews.com, I receive a lot of press releases from different sources. Small businesses, large corporations, PR agencies, non-profits and government agencies -- the variety is endless. For whatever reason, the past few weeks I've been seeing an uptick in, to be frank, lousy press releases which I'm assuming aren't getting a lot of play from a large number of editors. I've narrowed-down the missteps of authors of these poorly planned and executed press releases and used them to revisit three main keys to successful press releases.

Don't skimp on information

I was surprised to see the increasing number of press releases sent my way consisting of a headline, introductory paragraph, supporting quote -- and THAT'S IT. This type of quick-hitter is more akin to a media alert, reminding reporters and editors about an event that is happening and spotlighting someone to quote. But by leaving out detailed information on the issue, event, company, organization, product, or service that is the subject of the press release, you are leaving out any semblance of an story that might be interesting to a reporter. These types of releases are akin to saying, "Hi, I'm Dave, and I'm a publicity and branding consultant." You can guess what the reaction of the reporter reading the release would say to that, along the lines of "So what?" or something much, much worse.
These types of press releases are especially damaging to a young company just starting to get the word out, or an established company already engaged in media relations. In either case, the impression left with the reporter is that the company doesn't care to engage them in a meaningful conversation about the subject of the release; why, then, would the reporter consider publishing the release in his or her publication, or think about calling back the author to write a full-fledged article? Always remember to include detailed information related to who; what; where; when; why; and how within the release, along with links to websites with more information and contact phone numbers and email addresses for the reporter to reach out to you.

Too much info is a bad thing

On the flip side of "don't skimp on information" often times press releases drone on and on and on about subject matter to the degree that too many issues and topics are addressed, muddling the main point. The reporter or editor reading the release is overwhelmed and confused as to the applicability of the information to his or her publication and the press release is discarded.
A good thing to keep in mind is once you've made your point -- delivering the who, what, where, etc. -- just stop. You don't need to get too salesy or bludgeon a reporter with how great your product or service is. Just present the facts and let the reader make up his or her mind on their own. If you've done your research prior to targeting specific media outlets, you should know the key issues of interest to the publications and can hit on them within your release. Reporters appreciate multiple short, informative press releases sent their way over time (every two weeks or so) rather than one-time "catch-all" diatribes.

Include third-party data

One of the most effective ways to set your press release apart from competitors in the eyes of reporters and editors is to include relevant third-party data within your release. Every single business sector has multiple trade associations, government research, and archived news stories about it, readily available through web searches. If you are making a point within your release about the relevancy of your business, service, or product, back it up with properly cited data or content that can be easily found and fact-checked by reporters.

Keep in mind that in most cases, the person reading your press release at a newspaper, magazine, or television or radio station will need to go to his or her editor(s) and convince them that your story is legit in order to get permission to secure coverage. By providing indisputable facts to support your argument about how great you are -- which, really, is what press releases are all about -- you are making it easier for reporters to get your story published.

Nothing outlined above is top-secret nor proprietary; in fact, all of the advice I've included here is something anyone committed to telling their story can do. All it takes to succeed in writing an effective press release is to actually give some serious attention to quality.


David D. Menzies is president of Innovative Public Relations, a PR and media relations consultancy. He is a 22+ year public relations professional with expertise in strategic messaging, publicity and branding. For more information visit www.innovativepublicrelations.com. Copyright © 2014 Innovative Public Relations, Inc. Publicity and branding solutions from Innovative Public Relations help U.S. and international life sciences and technology companies get in front of prospective customers and cement their brands in the marketplace. Click here to learn more about our signature Proposal => Engagement => Success model.