Press Release Basics - You need to be newsworthy
Patrysha Korchinski
I’ve seen many articles and posts online that advise that you send out a press release for every little thing that might possibly be news for your business. This might be effective if you are only trying to improve your presence online through search engine optimization, but if you’re looking for media coverage this strategy will not work.
I’m assuming the premise behind this advice is that you never know when it’s going to be a slow news day and you just might get picked up. The reality is that following this advice is counterproductive and may be detrimental to your public relations efforts. Chances are, you’re just shooting yourself in the foot and setting yourself up to be ignored when you really do have genuine news that is relevant and topical.
Reporters are busy and they don’t want to read irrelevant releases. If you want to me a media sweetheart, you have to provide them with valuable information that makes their job easier. If you send irrelevant releases that aren’t newsworthy, they are going to start tossing your releases as soon as they read the header.
So what is newsworthy?
Newsworthy stories have an impact on the audience of the media you are targeting.
If you want media coverage, then you’ll want to consult this reference for determining if your release is newsworthy.
Don’t hesitate to tell the reporter why your release is relevant to their audience in the first paragraph. For example, let’s take a new herbal remedy for pollen allergies that you are carrying in your product line. You could write
“According to the CDC, It’s estimated that 43% of all adults suffer from ragweed allergies. These allergies peak during the month of April in Sneeze County”
In case you couldn’t tell, I completely made up that statistic. The point is that by being specific and using verifiable facts to back up your statement. This will set the stage, letting the reporter know how relevant and timely this press release will be to their audience.
Remember, your release should not be sales oriented. It should be about sharing solid information with the media to establish yourself as an expert. Deliver on the “What’s in it for me” factor and you’ll increase your chances of having the story you want to share covered.
Patrysha Korchinski @ June 11, 2008
Patrysha Korchinski