How To Write A Press Release That Won’t Get Ignored

March 07, 2022

Almost every company wants to share news with the world. The consensus way to share the news is to issue a press release. It’s an easy, effective way to get your news out to as many people as possible. That said, an inordinate number of press releases issued by companies are never read. 

Reviewing press releases is a part of a journalist’s life. Journalists get so many of them, however, they need to be stingy. The competition for a reporter’s time and attention is fierce, and journalists gravitate to releases issued by huge companies or state and national governments. Even trade publication reporters scan the press release pile looking for something big to cover. 

The blunt reality:  The release you spent weeks drafting and getting approved might be looked at by an intern who will decide in 5-10 seconds if it’s worth handing off to someone else. That person will then look at the headline and decide if they will take it further. If the press release arrives in someone’s inbox (evading the email blocking program they have to deter unwanted press releases that use buzzwords) the reporter will scan the headline and decide in seconds if they want to learn more. If they do, the journalist will likely just email – or possibly call – and find out what they want to know.

That said, journalists still scan press releases daily, and a select few releases end up becoming a story or an article. An overwritten press release that doesn’t include crucial information will never turn into a story, even if there is news buried in it. Here are the essential steps to make sure your press release has a chance of survival.

Make Sure What You Are Sharing Is News: If something is news for your company – say, a key new hire – it doesn’t mean it’s news for the rest of the world. A new CEO at Google? That’s a story. A new vice president at your e-commerce company? That’s a tougher sell, even for trades, unless they are coming from a mega e-commerce company like Amazon. How do you decide whether to issue a press release? You should first consider if the news is strong enough to command media attention. Companies have a finite number of times they can issue “softball” press releases before the need to seek attention and issue a press release just for the sake of it becomes a liability. Share your biggest, most interesting news and save the rest for your blog, company newsletter, and/or social media channels.

Include The Essentials: Aside from what’s newsworthy, a  journalist looks for a few key things when scanning a release: the company’s name, contact information, and email/socials. That’s it. The goal of a press release should be to get a journalist interested enough in your story to get in touch. Newsworthy and well-written press releases will be ignored if there is an error in the contact number or email address. Don’t spend time in the weeds and drop the ball on details that matter.

Don’t Overwrite: Journalists can’t stand overwritten press releases. Yet hundreds of them are issued on newswires every day. The worst offenders are passed around in newsrooms or go straight in the trash. Write your press release in straightforward, clear English. Don’t try to be funny, catchy, quirky, or cute. A press release is not the place for those things. Let the writers handle the writing and be serviceable. Flowery, ornate language will land your release in the scrap pile. Speaking directly and clearly will get a journalist’s attention and, at the very least, not aggravate them. 

Keep It Short and Sweet  — Roughly 400 Words Is Ideal: Overly long press releases satisfy no one but the company issuing them.  Journalists don’t have the time to read them. As mentioned above, journalists do a superficial scan of each release to see if something is worth investigating. If your release is three pages long, they are predisposed to think there’s probably nothing there. Lead with a strong piece of news, including the essential building blocks. If your release is short and includes news, you will pique a reporter’s curiosity. If it’s long and ponderous, it will be ignored.  

Think About Timing: When you send your release will determine if it’s read or not. Choosing the right day — and equally time — to send your release is often a determining factor in whether your press release gets media coverage. No one is looking at press releases on Friday afternoons or shortly before a holiday. Unless it’s a matter of enormous gravity, no one is looking at them over the weekend either. The best days to issue a press release are typically Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while statistically the best time to send a press release is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when email open rates are higher. You’ll want to keep time zones in mind and adjust your press release schedule to coincide with each journalist’s time. 

Equally, you should not rush to send your release the moment it’s been approved by the C-suite. Be mindful and plan to issue the news when it has the highest likelihood to receive the maximum attention, so your efforts aren’t wasted. 

Need help deciding what news is worth sharing then turning it into compelling releases and media campaigns? We can help.  Get in touch at hello@wearemgp.com

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How To Write A Press Release That Won’t Get Ignored

March 07, 2022

Almost every company wants to share news with the world. The consensus way to share the news is to issue a press release. It’s an easy, effective way to get your news out to as many people as possible. That said, an inordinate number of press releases issued by companies are never read. 

Reviewing press releases is a part of a journalist’s life. Journalists get so many of them, however, they need to be stingy. The competition for a reporter’s time and attention is fierce, and journalists gravitate to releases issued by huge companies or state and national governments. Even trade publication reporters scan the press release pile looking for something big to cover. 

The blunt reality:  The release you spent weeks drafting and getting approved might be looked at by an intern who will decide in 5-10 seconds if it’s worth handing off to someone else. That person will then look at the headline and decide if they will take it further. If the press release arrives in someone’s inbox (evading the email blocking program they have to deter unwanted press releases that use buzzwords) the reporter will scan the headline and decide in seconds if they want to learn more. If they do, the journalist will likely just email – or possibly call – and find out what they want to know.

That said, journalists still scan press releases daily, and a select few releases end up becoming a story or an article. An overwritten press release that doesn’t include crucial information will never turn into a story, even if there is news buried in it. Here are the essential steps to make sure your press release has a chance of survival.

Make Sure What You Are Sharing Is News: If something is news for your company – say, a key new hire – it doesn’t mean it’s news for the rest of the world. A new CEO at Google? That’s a story. A new vice president at your e-commerce company? That’s a tougher sell, even for trades, unless they are coming from a mega e-commerce company like Amazon. How do you decide whether to issue a press release? You should first consider if the news is strong enough to command media attention. Companies have a finite number of times they can issue “softball” press releases before the need to seek attention and issue a press release just for the sake of it becomes a liability. Share your biggest, most interesting news and save the rest for your blog, company newsletter, and/or social media channels.

Include The Essentials: Aside from what’s newsworthy, a  journalist looks for a few key things when scanning a release: the company’s name, contact information, and email/socials. That’s it. The goal of a press release should be to get a journalist interested enough in your story to get in touch. Newsworthy and well-written press releases will be ignored if there is an error in the contact number or email address. Don’t spend time in the weeds and drop the ball on details that matter.

Don’t Overwrite: Journalists can’t stand overwritten press releases. Yet hundreds of them are issued on newswires every day. The worst offenders are passed around in newsrooms or go straight in the trash. Write your press release in straightforward, clear English. Don’t try to be funny, catchy, quirky, or cute. A press release is not the place for those things. Let the writers handle the writing and be serviceable. Flowery, ornate language will land your release in the scrap pile. Speaking directly and clearly will get a journalist’s attention and, at the very least, not aggravate them. 

Keep It Short and Sweet  — Roughly 400 Words Is Ideal: Overly long press releases satisfy no one but the company issuing them.  Journalists don’t have the time to read them. As mentioned above, journalists do a superficial scan of each release to see if something is worth investigating. If your release is three pages long, they are predisposed to think there’s probably nothing there. Lead with a strong piece of news, including the essential building blocks. If your release is short and includes news, you will pique a reporter’s curiosity. If it’s long and ponderous, it will be ignored.  

Think About Timing: When you send your release will determine if it’s read or not. Choosing the right day — and equally time — to send your release is often a determining factor in whether your press release gets media coverage. No one is looking at press releases on Friday afternoons or shortly before a holiday. Unless it’s a matter of enormous gravity, no one is looking at them over the weekend either. The best days to issue a press release are typically Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while statistically the best time to send a press release is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when email open rates are higher. You’ll want to keep time zones in mind and adjust your press release schedule to coincide with each journalist’s time. 

Equally, you should not rush to send your release the moment it’s been approved by the C-suite. Be mindful and plan to issue the news when it has the highest likelihood to receive the maximum attention, so your efforts aren’t wasted. 

Need help deciding what news is worth sharing then turning it into compelling releases and media campaigns? We can help.  Get in touch at hello@wearemgp.com