News Releases that Get Editors' Attention Editors' inboxes are flooded with news releases every day, so it is crucial that your company's information stands out from the rest. Below are some tips to help you create a news release that will get the media's attention and increase its probability of placement. Information Must be Newsworthy First, evaluate the news value of your information. The media wants information that interesting and valuable to its audiences — your customers and prospects. No matter how recognized your company brand is or how many revolutionary products you offer, you don't want your news release to read like a sales piece. Focus on the benefits to people. As a general rule, people are most interested in solutions to problems they face. News releases are most effective when highlighting significant new products or modifications. Company mergers and announcements that impact investors or customers directly also are newsworthy. To draw attention to a general product enhancement that may not be significant enough to stand alone in a news release, consider drafting an "editorial description," a two-to-three paragraph piece that editors can place easily in product showcases or roundup articles. Focus on First Words Craft the headline to capture the editors' attention. These first words on the release should be the most compelling and offer insight into the topic. Once you have used the headline to draw the reader in, make sure you keep him or her engaged by developing a strong lead. The best news release leads contain the "5 Ws and an H" — who, what, where, when, why and how — in the first few sentences. This way editors can quickly evaluate the information to see if it will interest their audience. Brevity, Brevity, Brevity News releases should be simple and to the point. Editors do not have time to unscramble esoteric words and overly complex sentences. The best writing is clear and concise, so avoid company jargon that is meaningless to the audience. Use analogies and simplified terms to ensure that editors are able to convey information about your product or company accurately. The Inverted Pyramid One of the most common ways to write a news release is in the inverted pyramid style. This format positions the most important facts first, with the least important coming near the end, allowing editors to cut copy from the bottom without eliminating news. The first paragraph contains the 5 Ws and an H, followed by paragraphs that contain more detailed descriptions. Closing paragraphs should contain a call to action — facts that direct readers to learn more — and a boilerplate paragraph summarizing the company that is the subject of the announcement. Delivery Find out how the different mediums would like to receive your news release: e-mail text, attachment or hardcopy. Format your news release so it is easy to read and edit.
If your news release is well planned, organized and truly newsworthy, it has a higher probability of generating the coverage needed to reach potential customers. |
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