We all know how effective press releases are when it comes to public relations. The evolution of digital media has made press releases further effective, but since the number of press releases has increased, it is fighting for its life in the world of spammed inboxes and 140 character tweets. Although it has not much to do with the viability of the press releases, there is need to educate press release writers to come up with press releases that can gain the interest of reporters and editors.
There were many fans of press releases before the invention of the internet and surprisingly the number has increased after the advent of new press release distribution platforms like NewswireNEXT. There are some basic tips that press release writers can follow to come up with effective releases.
Answer questions in your press releases:
The need is to adopt the changes that are required. People these days look for something interesting and to make sure of this you have to answer questions in your press releases. Let the readers know why this is news and why they should care about it. The basic rule of writing a modern press release is to answer five W’s and H in your press releases. The five W’s refers to What, Which, When, Where, Why and H refers to How. So, if journalists are ignoring your press releases, then you are missing up on this important rule. You also have to put a little effort on the first line of your press releases. It is the first line of the press release that will help a journalist to know whether it is good news to follow or not.
Include quotes from relevant personalities:
With quotes, you can include color and human element in your press releases. Quotes give press releases a chance to stand out from the rest, but you have to be very careful with the quotes. You have to make sure that you are coming up with quotes that are realistic. Avoid exaggerating things in your press releases and don’t use words like thrilling, exciting, delighted in your press releases. Journalists hate press releases that contain unrealistic quotes in it, and the chances are that your press release might end up in their spam folder.
Show why your news is important:
If you are using leading press release distribution platforms, make sure that you are putting verifiable facts and figures in your press releases and try to provide links that verify those figures. This will make your press release more credible, and journalists love such press releases. Even if you are writing press releases for the digital media, this will work very efficiently for you. Further, you can optimize your press releases with keywords along with the backlinks. You can increase the visibility of your press releases, and more people will be able to see your content.
The subject line of your press release will also play an important role as journalists will get an immediate idea about your press release. It is better to come up with a good subject line rather than attaching supporting documents in your mail. Keep the language of the subject line simple and clear and send your press release directly. Keep your target audience in mind and don’t forget to add complete contact details at the end of your press release.
