Write press releases for today’s media, not yesterday’s

 

In the pre-digital age (ancient history, I know), the function of a press release was straightforward: to entice a reporter into doing a story. Back then, newsrooms teemed with staff writers and editors eager to fill space. Reporters hopped in their cars with pads in hand, heading off to interview you about your refurbished facilities or whatever the news may have been.

Unfortunately, that kind of reporter has largely gone the way of cassette tapes and dot-matrix printers. Traditional print media is struggling to stay afloat in a digital world. The workforce is trimmed to meager levels and the busy journalists switch from one role to another throughout the day.

So, the business editor (probably one of several hats a given editor wears) is probably not going to dispatch a staff writer and photographer to your establishment. The press release should be as “ready for publication” as possible.

The traditional, stilted release is hardly ideal for today’s reality. You’ve seen them and maybe churned them out yourself. They begin with such snappy ledes as, “Such-and-such company, a subsidiary of such-and-such parent company, is proud to announce …” 

Here’s what works better: Craft the release the way a media staff writer would. Make it an article, not a business communication. That means it should be as factual and objective as possible. Not promotional, not self-aggrandizing.

There are a couple ways to accomplish this. You can write it straight, just giving out the facts in a logical order. Or you can be a little creative: an interesting lede to hook the reader, followed by a compelling quote, then a paragraph summarizing what you are about to say.

If you do a splendid job, the editor may not have to redo it. That boosts your chances of getting the release in print, because editors are pressed for time. You may even find that it’s more fun writing it that way, too.

Incidentally, ZCorp PR & Digital provides all kinds of business communications for clients, including press releases. If you need some help in this area, don’t hesitate to contact us.