A press release is a fantastic way of sharing your exciting news with the community- if it gets published. Journalists love press releases when they make their job easy and do not create more work for them to do. Once you have an understanding of how to write and format a press release, take a few minutes to make sure your press release is publishing-ready.
1. Use Your Headline as the Subject Line
If a journalist doesn’t open your email, they definitely will not read your story. Subject lines that look like spam or have all capital letters will get passed over by journalists. The trick is to let the journalist know right away that you have a story to tell and get them interested enough in your headline to open your email.
2. Copy and Paste Your Press Release into the Body of the Email
Make it as easy as possible for the journalist to read your story right away. Attachments, whether as a PDF or Word doc, can take time to open and download. Putting your story directly in the body of the email lets the journalist read your story without having to take the extra step to download your press release. Use attachments for providing “Notes for Editors” or supporting information, such as a brochure.
3. Target Your Press Release
Do research to make your submitting your press release to the right publications and that the audience will be interested in your story. Use a media list to keep track of specific contacts at your target publications where you can keep notes about what works best for them. Also, make sure to submit your press release through the correct channels and call the publication if you are unsure of the correct way to submit a story.
4. Include Contact Information
The more methods of contact you provide, the better. Include your email, phone, address, and fax if you use it. Also, make sure that anyone you quote in the press release is willing to be contacted for further comments after the press release has been published. Making a journalist chase you down for more information will deter them from wanting to publish your stories.
5. Proofread and Proofread Again
This cannot be stressed enough. Stories that are poorly-written or need a lot of fixing by the journalist are likely to be forsaken. If you story is ready to be published with minimal edits, you will make the journalist’s job much easier and they will be more willing to work with you and publish your stories.
Telling your story in a concise, fast-based format is one half of the battle, but making your story easy enough for a journalist to pick up is just as important. It’s worth the extra fifteen minutes to reread your story and carefully craft your email to increase your chances of getting published.
