10 tips for DIY press release writing

Carbon Neutral Copy · #1 (**permalink**) 10-03-2008, 15:25

Some businesses choose to hire an agency or PR consultant to manage their media relations activity, but for people who simply don't have the budget to pay a professional, here are ten tips for writing your own press release…

1. Research your target media – buy and read copies of the magazines, newspapers and trade titles you want to target to get a feel for the kind of stories they cover.

2. Think about your target audience – who are they, what are their likes and interests and why would they care about what you have to say? (Think WIFFM – what’s in it for me? – with the ‘me’ being your target audience).

3. Make it newsworthy – think about what you want to say and how you can make it as interesting, timely, newsworthy and relevant as possible to your target audience. Keep up-to-date on national, local and industry news and look for opportunities to ‘piggy-back’ on a key issue relating to your business (such as the obesity ‘epidemic’ if you’re about to open a new gym or launch a new healthy eating range of snacks).

4. Remember the five Ws – make sure the opening paragraph of your press release contains the who, what, why, when and where (the five Ws) and the how of your story. It needs to be clear and concise and compelling enough for the journalist to want to read on.

5. Avoid self-promotion at all costs – a common mistake people make with DIY press release writing is sending out a page of sales copy. Don’t do this; your press release will just end up in the bin.

6. Be concise – there’s nothing worse for a journalist than page after page of press release waffle! Stick to the basic facts of your story as a journalist can always contact you for additional information if necessary.

7. Say it with words and pictures – sometimes the visual side of your story can have the same or greater impact than the words, so you may wish to commission a photographer to capture your story. If you’re taking the pictures yourself, make sure they are of high enough quality to be used in print. And remember: NEVER send unsolicited attachments, including pictures, via email to a journalist. Simply include a ‘Note to editors’ section at the bottom of your press release saying that photography is available on request.

8. Add your contact details – sounds obvious but so many people forget this one! Provide as many ways as possible for a journalist to contact you for further information about your story/business. Include both landline and mobile numbers if you have them, an email address and your website address.

9. Check for errors – do proofread your press release before sending it to make sure it is devoid of any embarrassing mistakes. If you have written it, you are much more likely to read what you expect to see rather than what is actually on the page so if you can, ask someone else to check it over for you as well.

10. Manage your expectations – writing and sending a press release does not in itself guarantee coverage in your target publication(s). If the promise of column inches is what you’re after, pay for an advert. That said, if you follow these tips on writing a press release, you should stand a better chance of it being picked up.

Good luck!

Vicky