How to write a great press release…and get coverage

Before you start writing your press release check it has news value and is a real story. If not, then the media just won’t run it.

If you’re not sure then a good PR professional can tell you if your story warrants a press release or is more something you would share on social media, on your website or in a newsletter.

There are key things that a journalist looks for in a story – does it have a good human interest angle? Is it about an interesting person or can you prove that your news will have an impact on people? Is it an interesting fund-raising event? Have you won an award?

Vital statistics

Once you have identified your story, make sure it contains:

  • Who?Who are the key players — your company, anyone else involved with the service/product/event? Who does your news affect and who does it benefit?
  • When?What is the timing of this? Does this link to any national related events?
  • What? What is it? What’s new?
  • Why?Why is this important news — what does it provide that is different?
  • Where?You need to make sure if you are targeting regional media that you are in their patch – if you’re not sure call them and ask. They won’t cover something if you’re not. Include a road name and town/city.
  • How?How did this come about?

How to write a press release that’s used

I find it easier to write a heading and then the rest of the press release, but some people write the release first and then go back to the heading. Maybe start with a draft heading and you can always go back and change it.

The heading should sum up in one line what the story is about.

Your first paragraph should capture the essence of the story and be a couple of lines. You want to ensure that your press release is used, so you need to grab the reporter’s attention straight away.

Once you have written your first paragraph, the rest follows, with each paragraph providing more information using the who, why, what when etc.

Your press release shouldn’t run onto more than two pages. If you need to include more information you can include a Note to Editors section at the end – but include this in the two sides. Reporters don’t have time to read pages of text.

Try and include a comment from the key person involved, including their job title. Read similar publications to the ones you are targeting and write it in a similar style. You want to make it easy for the journalist to use your story.

Remember that stories are cut from the bottom up so ensure the most important points are at the top or higher up in the release.

Always include your contact details in case the reporter wants more information.

Sending your press release

Generally, it’s best by email and I put the heading of the press release into the subject line to grab the reporter’s attention.

A good idea is to paste the press release into the main body of the email – that way the reporter can scan it and if the organisation blocks attachments, it can still be delivered.

Images

 Good photos will give your story a far greater chance of being used so ask a professional photographer or a friend to take a selection of photos – some landscape and some portrait  so reporters have a choice of two shapes.

Compress high-resolution images so they still reproduce well in newspapers and magazines – websites and online publications can accept much lower resolution files.

The image should convey your story in photographic form. Try and go for something a bit creative if you can.

Always include a caption for your story – explaining who the photo shows – left to right.

Follow through

 We have a 100% success rate on all the press releases we send out – partly because we always contact journalists after we have emailed them the press release.

Be friendly but never pushy. Journalists are busy people and you want to try and build a good relationship – also you may want to send them further news.

We always check a release has reached the right person – never assume it has! When we call to check we also explain the bones of the story and often this generates some interest and makes the journalist look out for the press release if we re-send it.

Always follow through with a phone call. Sometimes the publication may have a relevant feature coming up and you’ve just called at the right time. At the very least, it helps them to get to know you and what your organisation does.

With rich pickings of news to choose from, personal contact helps to push your story to the top of the pile.

Examples to help

If you’d like some examples to help you write your press release, you can get an idea from our case studies. You can also see some of the resulting coverage from the releases.

I am a fully-qualified, former journalist so I know what will make a good story and how to write and pitch it in the most effective way. This gives me the benefit of knowing exactly what the media are looking for and how best to deal with them.

Contact us for more information about editorial and PR campaigns. We run campaigns in West Sussex, across London and the South East. We have also run national campaigns, resulting in national and international media coverage.

Make a fresh start in 2016!

Firstly, Happy New Year! I hope the start to 2016 has been a positive one.

We were delighted to welcome Bluebird Care (Guildford and Waverley) on board in December and we have already got some great media coverage over Christmas .

It restores your faith in humanity when you talk to the care assistants and staff that work for organisations like Bluebird Care, to hear how rewarding they find their jobs and how much they genuinely care about making a difference to their customer’s lives.

It’s fascinating to hear about the new technology that leading care providers like Bluebird Care are using, to ensure customers are looked after to the highest standards and about what led some of the carers to choose caring as a career.

Some have worked as engineers, in sales and in hospitals, before choosing to retrain as care assistants, because they wanted a more satisfying job where they knew they were making a difference.

It’s a privilege to be able to tell their stories and share the special work they carry out in our communities. Social media is a great platform for this, but also editorial work, using press releases and images to bring the story to life.

The staff get a real boost too when they read about their efforts in the media and on their company website – leading to improved job satisfaction and in the longer-term staff retention.

We are lucky to be starting this year with a number of new business opportunities, as well as retaining all our original clients – who we enjoy working with so much.

Now is a great time to think about what you want to achieve for your organisation in 2016. Can you increase your presence on social media? Do you want to try a new channel such as Instagram, or start doing some PR. We can help you achieve your goals and be a helpful addition to your team.

Start by thinking about what you want to achieve – we are full of bright ideas to get you there!

 

 

2015’s been a great year – roll on the New Year!

Quite simply, 2015 has been a great year!

It certainly didn’t start that way – I was working in a job that wasn’t the right fit, putting in long hours, travelling and then suddenly… I lost my job.

I had been thinking about going it alone, so I set about getting in touch with old contacts and fortunately picked up some work working for a PR agency specialising in communications and publicity for jewellery and luxury men’s accessories. At the same time I also started working for Health Champions Training, through a contact from my days at West Sussex Primary Care Trust. They were working with various Wellbeing Teams in West Sussex, teaching overweight people how to change their diet and lifestyle for the longer-term.

Through interviewing people on the courses, I could see what a difference it was making to their lives and how much happier and healthier they were. We managed to secure great publicity across a raft of newspapers, magazines and on social media and course uptake doubled.

Performance psychologist Miranda Banks (Excel in Exams) was looking for someone to do PR and publicity – primarily to promote her exam preparation plan, Smartivate (TM). The programme, which has seen 80% of her struggling students achieve or exceed their target grades, is now being rolled out across schools in the South. It not only enhances performance but it also reduces students stress and anxiety, at a time with stress among young people is at an all-time high. We’ve picked up their social media, secured great publicity – getting Miranda on TV and are now helping with YouTube and other areas. Smartivate (TM) is now being offered in the U.S and there is also interest from India.

Previously these services wouldn’t have been available to most students and currently it is being offered free to all secondary schools. The more we publicise it the more people hear of it and the more students benefit.

Having previously done the Corporate PR for Bluebird Care for three years, I approached some of their local offices and quickly started working for their Slough, South Bucks and South Wycombe office – this has recently been followed by their Guildford and Waverley office. Both teams are incredibly caring people, who work tirelessly for their customers at all times and in all weathers.

I really enjoy writing about homecare as it provides an essential service to millions of older people who would otherwise be alone, struggling or be forced into moving into a care home. I also have personal experience, with my late father and now mother, using care services.

We enjoyed writing a website for Achieving Together (West Sussex), a professional development, hypnotheraphy, counselling, coaching and mentoring organisation and we can’t wait to see the website when it launches in the New Year.

We are also doing the PR for Carey Braham, a teacher of the Alexander Technique, as well as Nola Granola, an organic West Sussex food producer – all very exciting for 2016.

In late summer, I was delighted to start working with Lyndall King – an experienced communications, advertising and social media professional. Having her on board meant we could double the offering and expand.

What all my clients have in common is a need to communicate details of their work and services with their audiences, at home, nationally or internationally. What we love doing is working with them to get the most from their PR and give them the best possible communications and PR service we can. We love telling their stories and can’t wait to tell more in 2016!

Thank you to everyone who worked and supported us in our first year.