A lot of work goes into lovingly crafting your press release. First there’s the fact-finding, then the drafting and, last but not least, sign-off from all those involved.
Once you’ve pressed the ‘send’ button, it’s tempting to heave a sigh of relief, sit back and think ‘job done’.
But what if you find that, after your release disappears into the ether, it doesn’t get coverage? Below we take a look at the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
1. There’s no newshook
Your press release will often fail because it’s missing a newshook. What do we mean by that? Simply put, it’s where a release has no obvious link to what is current or relevant to your target media. The classic example of a newshook used in journalism college was the difference between ‘dog bites man’ and ‘man bites dog’. With the second scenario, there’s an obvious news interest whereas the first is very much a ‘so what?’
‘So what’ is the key question to ask yourself before you draft your release. Why should anyone care or bother to read your release? Who is your audience? What interests them? What is their agenda?
Always remember that many journalists receive thousands of press releases a week. Back in the days of snail mail, newsrooms would often have what was jokingly referred to as the ‘circular filing cabinet’. This was a massive dustbin – the last resting place of unread press releases. A journalist’s email in-box too often now fulfils the same role.
Also bear in mind that what interests those in your organisation, including the CEO, may be of limited interest to those outside it. For example, a team rebrand, an anniversary or a staff charity run are not breaking news.
But if you can identify a strong newshook, you may be able to hitch your press release onto it. Take care to research what is currently newsworthy for your target media. Is there a newly announced piece of Government legislation? Or an announcement from an important body such as the Bank of England? Are there some new research or stats? The key word here is ‘new’.
2. Poor or missing contacts
You’ve got a strong newshook , you’ve written a good release and it’s still not got coverage. Another pitfall is a patchy, irrelevant or out-of-date media database. Has it got the right names for the right roles? Has the database been refreshed recently – journalists move around fairly frequently. Which are the latest media outlets, the ones that have closed down or merged? If you’re subscribing to a media database, can you vouch for how accurate it is or how often they update it?
Also essential is the strength of relationships, and access, your comms team have with journalists in your target sector. They should be able to pick up the phone and ask a journalist what press releases and stories work for them.
3. No pitch
A ‘strong pitch’ is the third essential piece of the press release jigsaw. This is similar to the sales ‘elevator pitch’.’ Your comms team should either flag or follow-up the press release with a call or message which succinctly pitches its essential messages and newshook. This should never ask ‘have you got my press release?’ – a question guaranteed to irritate most journalists. Instead, remember the ‘circular filing cabinet’, and assume they haven’t. Cover the ‘so what’ question. Tell them in a few words or minutes why the story is important, why they should bother, and then ask if they need anything else.
Avoid the pitfalls above and your release should gain coverage. Unless, of course, a ‘man bites dog’ story breaks that day in which case all bets are off.
Read our next blog on: The difference between press releases and articles (bclear.co.uk)