“If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.” The quote has often been attributed to Bill Gates and, apocryphal or not, he should know what helps businesses succeed. A key part of PR is the notorious press release, the tool of PR professionals and welcome treat (or inbox invader) for journalists. As a way of businesses telling the world what they’re up to, the premise of the press release – to announce a new product, gain media coverage, and generally get their own brand out there – is unlikely to disappear.
But when everyone is playing the same game, how can companies make their press releases stand out?
Ask any journalist what they want, and they’ll probably tell you that the first port of call is to make sure you’ve really got something newsworthy on your hands. “Before you write a press release, ask yourself: ‘Will the media care? Is this newsworthy? What’s the story?’” advises Umika Verma, account manager at The PHA Group. Writer and PR consultant Emily Cleary agrees: “Journalists want a story, not a sales pitch. It can’t just say: ‘We’re brilliant’, it needs to have a news hook.” That “hook” could be anything from new research to polls you’ve commissioned, she says. “New figures and statistics make headlines. Ask yourself: ‘What’s the story?’ For the reader, not the company.”
The timescale is important, too, says Claire Jones, MD of Jones Consulting, which works with fast-growth tech companies. “Never forget that the objective of a news release is to give journalists ‘news’. News is only news when it’s ‘new’.” That idea of “now” is exactly what Gemma Briggs, product affairs manager at SEAT – who issues releases to UK motoring press and the national media – is always aware of. “If I were to pick one key piece of advice, it would be to focus on the ‘now’ angle, so that the media understands why they have to publish today. You need to make the most of opportunities and ensure that journalists understand why the story is relevant. This summer, we had great success with a news release on how to properly use air conditioning – timed, of course, with the start of the heatwave.”
Once you’ve got your “hook” and your “now”, make sure you get to the point. Journalists are tight on time – they need to know what the story is, and quickly, too. “The first paragraph needs to have the summarised news, and then each paragraph should give more detail,” advises Jones, while Cleary adds: “Get to the point straight away and write a first paragraph that will grab the reader.” Steer clear of jargon, making it as easy as possible to be understood. “It should not be a document that’s adjective-laden with buzzwords,” says Jones. Her advice is to keep it “top level and factual” and add some insight on what it means for the company and industry.
Lending a “voice” to the business with a quote from someone who works there is a must, agree most of our experts – all part of making it as easy as possible for journalists to assemble a story. “Create a quote that is punchy and can be cut and pasted,” says Cleary. On top of that, her advice is to pay attention to the details. “Always, always, spellcheck. Don’t use abbreviations or assume people understand corporate speak or acronyms. Make it simple.” For Verma, too, it’s about keeping it simple. “A good release packages up the story for a journalist in a way that they’d want to publish it. Ultimately, you want to grab a journalist’s attention, so make sure you have a killer headline, supplemented with key statistics and expert quotes for context and insight on the subject.”
While all these tips might help when it comes to assembling the “perfect press release”, sometimes it’s about turning things on their head. “The ‘who, what, where, when, why’ is less important than people suggest,” says freelance journalist and media trainer Heidi Scrimgeour. “The truth is, most journalists are after the information that isn’t mentioned in press releases. Not a quote from a CEO that tells us he’s ‘thrilled’ about a ‘unique new product’.” Instead, most journalists want the backstory behind the product, or the challenges that were defeated to lead to its creation, not “the glitzy, airbrushed success story in releases”, she says.
Equally, rather than shouting about how “momentous this announcement is for your business”, journalists are most interested in how the story fits into the bigger picture. “So, if you really want to write the perfect press release, pick up the phone and talk to a journalist about the kinds of stories they’re interested in hearing about,” she says.
SEAT believes in helping people move forward by making it easier to get to the good stuff. To find out how SEAT Business could help your enterprise achieve more, visit seat.co.uk/business
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