Before you write your press release ask these questions

There is a lot of ego in press releases. Businesses who insist their PR issue a press release despite being advised to the contrary.

Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Here’s the thing, just because you did something doesn’t mean anyone else actually cares.

Just because it’s interesting to you, doesn’t mean anyone else will find it interesting – or useful information.

It might make a nice bit of content for your blog or social media but that doesn’t mean it’s going to set a journalists world on fire and have them holding the front page.

Have realistic expectations

When it comes to press releases, you need to be realistic in your expectations.

A journalist’s job isn’t to do your marketing for you, your press release needs to be helpful to them for the job that they are doing.

Which is giving their readers useful and interesting information.

So how do you decide whether a story is worth the time spent drafting and approving a press release?

Here are some questions to ask:

• Is your story genuinely interesting to the journalist’s audience?

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What a B2B press release is – and isn’t

When it comes to press releases I’ve seen both sides. I’ve received hundreds, possibly thousands in my career as a B2B property journalist and I’ve also helped property PR’s write them.

The purpose of a press release is clear, to tell journalists your story so, hopefully, they will think it is interesting enough to tell their readers.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

What journalists are looking for is the facts and figures and a good, usable quote (more on the latter in a moment).

Your press release, once it has pinged into a journalist’s inbox is theirs to do with what they will. It becomes their story, not yours.

A journalist will most likely want to add their own take, expand on it with some research, additional information, comment or opinion.

It may involve interviews with you, your peers, your rivals, a person on the street or anyone else they feel has value to add to the story.

Value-add for readers

They aim to write something that best serves their readers. What value can they add for their readership, not what they can do for you, your business and brand.

Once, when out doing interviews for a regional property feature, I was told that I should be doing my bit to boost a particular area.

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What journalists look for from expert sources

Screenshot 2019-06-05 at 13.19.06Having been a B2B journalist and editor for 20 years I often get asked for the inside track on life as a journalist, what ‘we’ are looking for and how to get quoted.

I was interviewed recently by specialist communications agency LexRex Communications for their blog, specifically about what journalists look for from expert sources which are pretty much the life-blood for those working in B2B press.

You can read what I said over on the Lex Rex website.

Related reading:

Learning to teach my first content writing workshop

Why engagement is an important part of content marketing

Why you should park the ego when writing B2B content