Most journalists will tell you that they HATE getting press releases.
This is because most of them are a waste of everyone’s time. When I was a reporter I used to be inundated with them and they clogged up my email. It took precious time out of my day to scan and delete them.
But news outlets are crying out for stories and content, right? Right.
So wouldn’t all journalists feel really lucky to be on the press release distribution list of a new start up or budding entrepreneur?
Erm, no.
But why?
1. They are often poorly written - the interesting bit is buried beneath a lot of ‘sales’ speak.
They will often read nothing like a news article and more like an advert. If the first line includes details about the product you are selling I will probably have hit delete.
There needs to be something in the release that’s of value to an audience outside a glowing recommendation of you or your product. Otherwise it’s content for your social channels not for the press.
2. They aren’t relevant to the journalist or their audience.
When I was working at This Morning PRs would often ask if Holly Willoughby wanted to come down and interview someone at a location and do some filming. They clearly hadn’t watched the show. Holly and Phil sit on a sofa and interview guests. They aren’t roving reporters! Which meant their press release wasn’t relevant to me at all. They had clearly never watched This Morning. Who has never watched This Morning??
3. They aren’t about anything interesting!
This is the crucial bit. Journalists and reporters write news stories. STORIES.
Too often people make the mistake of thinking that something that is interesting to them is going to be of interest to everyone else.
If Nando’s decide to give away free chicken to mums that are home schooling that’s a story worth a press release. It’s interesting AND relevant to lots of people.
If Nando’s decide to give their staff an extra two days of annual leave then that’s only interesting to people who work at Nando’s. So not worth a press release. It could be something for their LinkedIn page to attract potential employees. But not a press release.
So if journalists hate getting press releases how do you get them to write about you?
Well, it’s not easy, and it’s why PR agencies can afford to charge big fees.
But there are some simple hints and tricks you can easily follow to give you the best chance of success.
If you want a copy of my book 100 PR and Content Ideas for your Business click here.
For my FREE guide 10 Steps to Writing your PR Strategy click.
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