Press release writing courses – six surprising things that will boost your coverage

In our press release writing courses one of the first things that we look at is how journalists view press releases these days. Do journalists still use press releases? How many do they receive every day? (The answer is around 300 to 400 by the way).Most importantly, what makes a journalist read a press release?

The bad news is that journalists are busier than ever and receive more press releases than they have in previous years. The good news is that press releases are still useful and if they’re well written, can earn positive media coverage.

How do you write a good press release?

So how do you write a good press release? In our press release writing courses, we look at the dos and don’ts. Our trainers are experienced, working journalists and so they receive press releases every day. Most have PR experience and so they’ve also written their fair share of press releases. 

Here are six things you should include when writing a good press release.

1. Think of a catchy headline – and that doesn’t just mean what’s happening

This might sound obvious, but the fact is that the headline is still what will decide whether the journalist bothers to look at your press release or not. A good headline will not just be about what is happening but will talk about the impact on the audience. It might include a buzzword or intriguing phrase.

2. Go negative – look for the bad news

This is often a challenge to the participants on our press release writing courses. Very often public relations professionals steer clear of risk or threat because it associates their client with something negative. However, as the trainers on our press release writing workshops point out, with their journalistic experience, they know that bad news grabs attention more than good news.

This means that identifying a risk, threat or a danger is more likely to appeal to a journalist or an editor than good news. This is particularly true of surveys – identify a risk or threat to your target audience from the survey findings. You can then offer a solution to this problem, and this is a good way of positioning your client in a positive light.

3. The first paragraph has to be about someone doing something.

Again, this might sound obvious but so often press releases begin with something happening or, even worse, in news terms, the background to the situation. As we explain in our press release writing workshops, a press release needs to mirror a news story and its content and its layout. The news is always what’s happening now and how it affects the audience. The background can come later. Very simply, the first paragraph has to be about someone doing something. This something should be unusual and it should be happening now or in the near future.

4. Make sure you have a quote – and that it says something

What do we mean by this? Every press release should have a quote from a named individual, usually in the third or perhaps fourth paragraph. What’s the point of a quote in a press release? People often ask in our press release writing courses. It does a number of things. First it adds a human angle. In a news story or feature article a quote provides something natural, conversational and human alongside what we call the “running copy”, in other words the more formal language around it.

This means that the quote you use in your press release should be punchy and conversational. It should also go beyond telling our audience that you’re delighted about something. We’re sure you are, but so what? The fact that you’re delighted about a launch, a merger or a partnership is stating the obvious and is not therefore news. No, the quote should give us an insight into the subject of the release or tell us why your client has decided to do something. In other words, it should provide some additional useful information.

5. Put your contact details at the bottom of the press release

When we sat around and discussed, as journalists, what we like and dislike most about a press release this was something that came top of our hate list. So often people send out a press release without providing any e-mail address or phone number. This means that a journalist who has a question, wants clarification or is seeking some images, for example, is left cursing and swearing. “It’s actually quite insulting to put out a press release but then to say, in effect, ‘We don’t want to hear from you’,” one of our journalist press released trainers explained. So always include an e-mail address and ideally a mobile phone number. Just one final thought on this – make sure that you’re not going on holiday or stuck in meetings for the hours and days after the release is distributed. Please make yourself available to speak to journalists.

6.Think about search engine optimisation

Even if your press release isn’t picked up and used immediately a journalist could easily find it and quote from it, months after you’ve issued it. We journalists are always looking for research findings, surveys and what we call “good talkers” to contribute to any report we’re putting together. Like anyone, our first action is probably to type some relevant terms into the search engine and see what pops up.

If you’ve included some relevant search words in your press release, then we may well find it and use it. In our press release writing workshops, we look at how to include key search terms in a press release. We also show how to avoid “key word stuffing,” in a way that not only makes the copy ugly but can even cause Google to push it down the page rankings.

Press release writing courses

A good press release is, in many ways, more useful than ever these days when it comes to gaining positive publicity for yourself or your client. Our press release writing courses help you to write quickly and effectively and gain the best possible leverage from your press release. Let’s talk! You can follow us on LinkedIn here.