Happy Social Media Day
I’m going to take some time over the July 4th weekend to come up with a better blogging strategy then posting every 4 months! Stay tuned 
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More Media feedback on good and bad press releases
Part two in a three-part exploration of what media professionals report as their likes and dislikes as it pertains to press releases submitted to them by the PR community.
The final insight in this blog is my favorite because this reporter provides rich insight into how he looks at a press release. He is articulate and honest as he provides insight to his motivation and tells it like he sees it – I love straight forward answers and people!
My final post will highlight research methods these men and women use when chasing down a story….a few of them may surprise you!
Anchor/Producer@ Twin Cities radio station
A great press release…Uses the journalistic device of the inverted pyramid, and immediately gets to the main point FIRST. Also, the best ones are embedded IN THE EMAIL – don’t make me open up something else…just give it to me NOW.
A press release I instantly delete/toss…Is too prosaic at the outset. Don’t paint any pretty word pictures for me – get right to the point. And if I see that it’s Tolstoy outta the chute…my desire to read it is in inverse proportion to its perceived length.
Comments:
Press releases are like Sgt. Joe Friday – “…just the facts, Ma’am…” – but that said, DO compel me to read it or at least check it out…..
Managing Editor @ niche lifestyle and trade magazines
A great press release…Is timely, but not “next week” timely; can come with high res images if I need them; provides a quote or two; provides a reliable person to contact if more information is needed; E-mail form is best.
A press release I instantly delete/toss…Has nothing to do with any of the publications I work on or the date the event takes place is not in the time frame of the magazine (meaning not more than two months out for the lifestyle pub and four months out for the trade pub). Also LOCAL is best for us, so press releases about national attractions, hotels, etc, don’t usually work.
News Assistant @ Twin Cities daily newspaper
A great press release…provides the most important details in the first paragraph so that an editor does not have to read to the end to get the information he/she needs. The news media receives too many each day to have the time to read each to the end.
A press release I instantly delete/toss….has no local tie-in or has forgotten pertinent information and does not supply a contact number for retrieving this information (which is only done if the news is very important to our community of readers).
Editor @ lifestyle magazine
A great press release……is short, sweet, and to the point
A press release I instantly delete/toss…..is one that is obviously sent to a mass audience with zero relevance to my specific publication. If I can tell the writer is sincerely trying to pique my interest and the headline looks like it might be something somewhat relevant to my publication, I will continue reading it.
Managing Editor @ minor market daily newspaper
A great press release is emailed to me and the appropriate reporter, explains why it matters to our readers, gives me the gist in a concise manner, gives me contact options for more information.
I toss releases that don’t tell me what the relevance is for my audience.
Beat Reporter@ Twin Cities daily newspaper
A great press release…is short, pithy, local and spot-on in terms of my areas of coverage. I far too often receive releases that are pages long and on topics that i don’t cover. That says to me that the sender did not do his/her homework.
A press release I instantly delete/toss…see above. Ha! I hate to admit this, but I toss probably 98 percent of them…mostly that’s because they don’t speak to my areas of coverage/interest or because they’re not local. For example, I seldom use experts from outside the twin cities if I don’t’ have to.
Editorial Director @ publishing house overseeing multiple business and lifestyle titles
A great press release……gives me all the info I need in the first graph.
A press release I instantly delete/toss…..is not remotely appropriate for my title.
Beat Reporter @ Twin Cities daily newspaper
A great press release.. If you want to do a great press release, think like a reporter. Or better yet, think like that reporter’s editor. Too many releases come from the point of view of the client. Unless you’re Apple or some similar company that can command the market’s attention simply by clearing its throat, that’s a non-starter. I like to see something that addresses an issue or development to which the average newspaper reader in the Twin Cities can relate — how does it affect them, not the company/client unless that company is either doing spectacularly well or about to pull a Titanic. I like releases that tell me the story. Most companies are not that interesting in and of themselves, so if you can explain what your company does that is relevant to the wider world, that’s key. We like stories with conflict, or that solve problems.
A press release I instantly delete/toss… Promotional stuff that looks too much like free advertising. What’s new? What advances the story about the company?
Stellar Press Releases Part 1 – A dozen top media influencers weigh in
Welcome to the first entry on elements and backstory on understanding and creating effective traditional press/news releases. I’ve been in the PR business for many years (all I’m saying is the first agency I worked for in downtown Chicago had a spin of the dial phone, 1 fax and the three computers that were to only to be used by the ‘secretaries’) and have enjoyed seeing the evolution of the media relations industry.
We at Sterling Cross have adapted our service offerings to reflect how the media and consumers are receiving and acting on relevant news so I don’t want to come across as someone that thinks that a great press release is the end all solution for getting your message to your end consumer.
With that housekeeping taken care of – let me get into the message of today’s blog – what the media thinks makes for a great and a lousy press release.
A few weeks ago, I surveyed a cross section of decision makers in the traditional media – radio, TV, and print (newspaper and magazine). I asked them what makes for a press release that they love and makes them instantly toss/delete a release. Here is a sampling of what they said. The full dozen seemed too long for a single post so I’m breaking it up into three different posts. Look for more soon!
Executive Producer @ television network affiliate
A great press release…… is short (1 page). And clear about what is going on. Clever is overrated. Clear is the key. It’s got the people involved (and their titles). It doesn’t try to hide who benefits from coverage by either omitting it, writing it really small at the bottom, or being unclear about the full story. Instead, it explains why the story is newsworthy. Links to read more or watch a previous story on the subject are very helpful for visualizing what is being pitched.
A press release I instantly delete/toss….. Is one that is blatantly a commercial that’s trying to pass itself off as news. Celebrities don’t usually make good hooks either. With all the cable TV and Internet availability of these “A-listers” it really isn’t much of a sell to say _____ star of the new ______ will be there.
Managing Editor @ Twin Cities daily newspaper
A great press release……is clear and concise, arrives several days before the event so we can plan to cover it or advance it, underscores why the event, person or idea is interesting and/or important enough to warrant coverage in the newspaper.
A press release I instantly delete/toss…..doesn’t have a local tie.
Editor @ lifestyle magazine
A great press release……grabs my attention in the headline and the first graph. It gives me the most relevant info to my coverage area immediately.
A press release I instantly delete/toss…if I can tell it’s a national, mass release that doesn’t relate to my area.
Beat Reporter @ Business weekly newspaper
A great press release……Strong news impact in the subject line, headline and lead. I should be able to tell why it’s a story with just a quick glance. Provide as many details as possible, so I can do some research. If a new store is opening, provide the address, owner’s name, product offerings, opening date, web address, contact info, etc.
A press release I instantly delete/toss….No idea why I should care. Doesn’t provide any useful information — basically just says this company exists. Also, press releases that ramble. If the news is in the last paragraph, I probably never made it that far.
I’m smart enough to know finding success in your work may start with knowledge derived from books, but in the end relies on surrounding yourself with really smart people. I have a strong respect for the people I work with in the media and work extremely hard to make that respect mutual.
If you’re in the media or in the business of communicating with the media – what are your ideas on what makes for a great press release or what makes you toss one?
quick update
I’m still off on maternity leave with the twins…promise to get a post in soon!
My three things
I poised a challenge to you, my faithful reader, as to the things you do to keep your business running on target. I’ve had some time to think of it and realize that to widdle that answer down to three is going to be a great challenge to me – the often long winded storyteller.
Here goes anyway!
1) Communicate and have checks and balances for accountability.
2) Have both intangible mutual respect backed up with tangible reporting tools with your clients to ensure that the work you’re doing is meeting and exceeding their expectations.
3) Don’t keep your nose so close to the grindstone that you loose sight of the fun and joy of your work.
I’m not going to wax poetic about these points as I think they will need to be interpreted in a way that is useful and pertinent to you. Drop me a line and we can share a cup of coffee if you want to talk more about this topic. I’d also be interested in hearing additional thoughts on finding and maintaining success in the workplace.
WIFI me
I’m writing this blog as I sit in the doctor’s office awaiting results of a series of blood draws my doctor has ordered for me. Ahhh the joys of pregnancy! The virtual nature of how we work has changed over the years allowing one the ability to set up shop where ever and whenever he/she chooses.
The key is – can you unplug from your work when you need to?
I know I’ll be tethered to this waiting room for 2-3 hours so I’ve brought both my laptop and a business book that’s been sitting on my night stand for the past week. These steps ensure that I will be productive to my workday as I am armed to both expand my business knowledge and knock out a few blog thoughts. As a business owner the million-dollar question remains – can you remain productive yet balanced?
I spoke with a long lost friend from New York yesterday. He has recently gotten out of a creative freelance career and is diving into a more creative yet corporate route. I know for a fact business acumen like planning the work and then working the plan is a concepts that is completely foreign to him. His definition of balance and mine are worlds apart….but yet still a concept that every man and woman that has to make a living must examine and personally evaluate.
The difficult part about being in a career that mixes a strong part of its success mix on being a strong relationship builder, is the ability to quantify tangible goals (aka fulfilling the campaigns for my paying clients) with the intangible of building bridges with targeted audiences of (in my case) the media, new business prospects and business partners.
My question to you is – what are the top three things you do that help you keep your business running on target? I’ll share mine next week (promise!).
