Good Morning Friends,
It’s a beautiful day in Murray, Kentucky. Campus is electric as the #6 seeded Murray State Racers kick off the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at 11:15 a.m. (CST).
As excited as I am, I am at work with a press release deadline looming over my head. And, we’ve all heard the disheartening fact that the majority of press releases sent to the media today wind up in the Recycle Bin.
According to this article by Mickie Kennedy, there are four reasons most press releases are terrible:
1) Too many links: Writers are too focused on overloading their news releases with links; they end up lacking real content.
2) Too much detail: Every little detail is not necessary. You provide the reporter with your contact information, so they can contact you for more detail. Only include the most important facts in your release.
3) Industry jargon: Every industry has its own buzzwords, but reporters don’t want to decipher them for readers. Cut the jargon.
4) Fit the mold: Worry less about producing a news release that fits the traditional business mold, and instead, get creative.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you sit down to write a press release. And keep me in mind too, I still have this deadline!
Love in PR,
Lizzy
P.S. Look for a great post from Robin next week!
I really like this post, Lizzy. It was engaging, smart and helpful. Good work.
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