By Filipe Andrade
In media relations, it is fundamental to always remember one thing: a good press release, that is well targeted, will achieve its main objectives – attract journalists’ attention to the release and bring greater visibility to your organisation. However, a poorly structured press release and with unspecific targeting, results in a waste of time for those who worked on it and for those who received it. Consequently, the destination of the material will be the trash can.
Therefore, we have prepared a few tips to be considered when preparing a press release:
- Be straightforward
A good press release is one that in a few words can summarize the essence of the content. That is, one which presents the most important facts in a concise text that is easy to read. Hence, do not procrastinate in a press release. Use short and direct phrases.
“You must assume that the person who will read your release doesn’t have time to waste with long and unnecessary texts. The more objective you are, the more chances you have of people reading your text. So, when your release is ready, read it again and cut words. There are definitely some words that do not need to be there”, say Rubens Moraes on Portal Comunique-se.
- Elaborate impacting and objective titles and subtitles
The maxim that the first impression is the one that counts is evident when it comes to releases. A poor title or without objectivity will not attract the attention of the reading public and the press release, consequently, will not bring the desired return.
- Relevant information
“If anyone calls to ask for information related to your release, it means you wrote it wrong”, writes Rubens Moraes. One of the biggest mistakes when writing the press release is the lack of information. To avoid this problem, the tip is to carefully read and proofread the text, checking if the main information is there.
The same goes for pictures. Good examples of relevant releases are those which offer all the data that the journalist needs, including pictures.
- Contact
‘Make yourself known’ by your public. One of the main mistakes in a press release is the lack of contact. The reason is simple: a press release aims to get the attention of a publication for a specific subject. And without contact, there is no return.
- More than a press release, offer a story
More than information, a good press release can contribute to the construction and development of a story. This happens when the author of the text contextualizes its theme, broadening the view on a certain subject and enabling the transmission of the desired information. Additional information, market data in which your organization operates, for example, are always relevant. But it is never too much to remember, contextualize without forgetting the objective.
- Know your reader and direct it to the right audience
Find out to whom your press releases are sent. In this regard, quantity will never be as important as quality. Define your public well, according to the most relevant content for that publication. Releases that do not provide interesting information to the reporter will automatically be discarded. Therefore, go straight to the point!
