Press Release Blunders...Top 10 Error That Make The Media Scream

PRESS RELEASE BLUNDERS   (Or "Top 10 Errors That Make The Media Scream")

Nothing discourages a journalist from reading your release more quickly than errors, either typographical or grammatical. You will want to proof - and proof again - and then ask someone else for assistance. If you would like to take advantage of our copywriting services, note that we charge just enough to cover the cost of our time - and even then, we often go the extra mile for no additional fees. When writing your release, keep the following pointers in mind:

Write headlines and content directed to journalists, not consumers. Press releases that address the endusers of your product or service are inappropriate and will most likely be disregarded by the media. Addressing your audience in the third-person - which means eliminating the use of the word "you" from your vocabulary - can be a challenge. A well-written press release encourages the media to take note of the information you are communicating, and it increase the likelihood the media will be encouraged to follow-up for more. While your ultimate goal is to increase business, a press release forum is not the medium to disseminate advertising or to sell. If you struggle with writing, use our writing tips or contact our staff to request copywriting services. Don't be flagrant. Aside from sounding like a sales or marketing piece, using characters outside the standard alphabet to emphasize certain points in your headline or in the body of your release will likely be caught by spam filters, preventing your release from reaching the intended recipients. Exclamation points (!) and asterisks (*) do much to detract from the message you are trying to convey - aside from damaging the credibility of your press release. Overuse of words like "exciting" and "unique" have jaded the media - use alternate vocabulary to make your product or service stand apart from your competitors. Be sure if you make claims about your company that the claims can stand up against the intense scrutiny of journalists. Avoid using UPPER CASE characters. Studies have identified that text written in all upper case characters is not only significantly more difficult to read, it evokes an emotional response from readers, as if you are screaming at them. Headlines and content releases must be provided in mixed case - upper and lower case. Clean up grammatical errors - alone or with professional assistance. While you may be working against a deadline to submit your release, note that the extra time allocated to ensure your release is error-proof will pay off in the long run - by appearing professional and polished. Using a spell-checker is not enough. Words like "from" are easily missed when spelled "form". A time-proven method for error-checking is to start at the bottom, and read from RIGHT to LEFT, moving UP the release. We have a tendency to read quickly when proofing - using this method ensures you take the time to actually read each word and check each punctuation mark. If you are tempted to write your release during the submission process - don't. Our copywriting staff is available to help you prepare or edit your release either at 973.252.0999 or copyedit@prfree.com. Use industry lingo sparingly. Using a lofty vocabulary to impress the reader with your written prowess doesn't - and doesn't make it easier for journalists on a tight deadline to use your release because they then must translate it into layman's terms. Communicate your information in terms that are easy to understand - many people write the way they speak, ensuring a larger population grasps the concepts or ideas. If however, there are industry-specific terms that will be lost if translated, or they are accepted in the industry, use them. Don't, however, make up words in an effort to catch journalists' attention - those kinds of things interrupt the reader's train of thought. And if it's confusing, more likely than not, you've lost the reader. Address content issues. Releases that either communicate an offensive message or don't provide enough detail about the subject will be rejected. You may be tempted to believe your release will be effective at enticing a journalist to visit a website for additional detail if your release only contains a few words - you would be mistaken. Although it is important to be concise in conveying your message, leaving out pertinent information that addresses the who, what, where, when, why and how can do as much harm as submitting a 2,000 word release. A good rule of thumb is to keep your release around 500 words when possible, as long as it meets that criteria. Consult our hints for additional ideas. Clear up non-ASCII characters. When you copy & paste your release, special characters may be converted - for example, the trademark, copyright and registration mark symbols. Be sure to review your release before submission to be sure you replace this conversions with characters in parentheses - (TM), (R), (C). Eliminate manual line breaks. Affecting the display of your content are hard returns at the end of a line of text. Be sure to remove them - use returns only at the end of each paragraph. Include contact information. Incorrect or incomplete contact information for a release is discouraging to the media. Be sure to include current information for at least one person designated at your company to field inquiries from journalists who receive your release.  Make product/service detail available online. It's important to make additional information available online - and to include that reference either in your release or contact information. The industry also recognizes the value of including multimedia elements - photos, charts, graphics - and journalists are always looking for these. If you don't have a website, contact us about adding a custom company newsroom and your company logo affordably.