How to craft a successful press release for your business by sben member Justine Halifax, CEO of Angel Media

Are you sending your business news to print or online media and you don’t know why it’s not getting picked up?

The reason your press releases aren’t proving successful could be simple…….

Here are the most common mistakes:

• You’re taking too long to get to the point,
• You don’t lead with a news-worthy line,
• Your PR reads like a blatant advert,
• You don’t cover the basics,
• Your PR is bogged down with industry jargon,
• You don’t include a decent, or any image to illustrate your news!

While you might be excited about your news, you need to put a different cap on when pitching your PR to the media.

For example: Why is this interesting? Why now? Does it align with your target publication’s target audience (think industry, geography, demographics)?

What businesses often don’t realise is that while your news might be fabulous, if your staff, company, or founder aren’t based in, or on the periphery, of your target media’s core geographic area, or have an alternative and relevant link, it will just be binned and have been a waste everyone’s time.

Your PR also needs to be tailored to the journalist’s job title and specialist field.

Don’t just pick a journalist’s name you recognise. There is no point sending PR about your new product when their field is education or politics!

And when editorial teams wade through a sea of emails, while facing looming deadlines, they may only read the subject line and first line of your email. So, get to the point swiftly.

In short, print, radio, and TV journalists’ time is precious.

Don’t waste it bombarding them with irrelevant emails – they’ll just be binned and see your email permanently blocked as spam.

How do I know this?

Because I was a journalist for over two decades as well as a news editor. So, I know, what does, and doesn’t, stand a chance of making the editorial cut.

With that in mind, here’s my top 5 tips to craft PR that delivers ROI: Securing FOC coverage to heighten your brand’s profile.

1: Identify hook/angle

Identify your newsworthy hook/angle.

Think: If you told your news to a friend with little/no knowledge of the topic, how would you start? This often creates a different intro/angle. There’s more on this in Angel Media’s earlier Expert Insight here.

2: Tailor pitch
Customise PR to publication.

Your PR must align with its audience, whether that’s demographics, geography, or audience interests. Think: What’s my link? Is it a specialist industry-focused line, or a local/regional/national link? Identify your link and outline it clearly!

3: Media-friendly?
Avoid sending PR that’s a blatant advert: It won’t run FOC.

Is it jargon-free? While you’re an industry expert they’re unlikely to be (unless it’s industry-specific media). If you include complicated/technical/niche jargon, they’re unlikely to bother deciphering it (or have time to).

4: Essentials – Images and 5 W’s

Always include a good, high-resolution image so journalists can illustrate your news. Where possible send portrait and landscape options.

Ensure your PR covers: Who? What? Where? When? Why?

If your PR ticks all the boxes, and journalists don’t have to chase anything up, it’s more likely to run.

5: Contact info
Ensure you provide a telephone number so journalists can get in touch quickly if needed. Give a website or LinkedIn signpost for more information if needed.

Multi-award-winning journalist Justine Halifax is the founder of multi-award-winning Angel Media. She runs PR/Media workshops for businesses (online/in-person) and is poised to release an online business module entitled: How to be your own PR pro. Email justine@angel-media.co.uk for more.