Editors and reporters receive hundreds of press releases all

day long. Every time they look up, another one is in their

inbox or on their desk. This means you have a lot of

competition. The more press releases that are sent out, the

better your story has to be to stand out from the crowd.

So, what can you do to give your press release the best

chance of getting noticed? What does it take to get your

story picked up? Here are 5 helpful tips to guide you when

writing and distributing your next press release.

1. A strong headline - Let's start at the beginning. The

headline is the most important piece of your press release.

If your headline sucks, your chances of getting media

coverage are flushed down the toilet. The best press release

headlines are short, clear, and catchy. They grab the

reader's attention, letting him know what the story is

about. Don't try to be clever. Focus on clarity above all

else, and ditch the gimmicks and sales hype.

2. Send it to media related to the topic - There are many

media relations mistakes you can make. One of the biggest is

to not know the types of stories reporters and editors are

interested in. Don't bombard every editor and journalist in

the country with your press release. Most of them won't be

interested in it. Instead, focus your press release

distribution on those who cover stories like yours. This

gives your story the best chance of getting noticed, and it

keeps you from annoying a lot of editors and reporters with

irrelevant pitches.

3. Keep it short - Newspeople are constantly strapped for

time. Between the hundreds of press releases they have to

sift through to the pressing deadlines, their time is

limited. That's why it's best to keep your press releases

short and to the point. Cut out any extraneous information

that doesn't add to the story. Just stick to the who, what,

when, where, why, and how of the story, and edit it down as

much as you can.

4. Be objective - Never forget, this is a press release, not

an advertisement for your company. There's no bigger turnoff

to a journalist than a press release that's filled with

sales hype and unsubstantiated claims. You have to be

objective when writing your press release. Don't deviate

from the facts, and make sure you always back up your claims

(statistics are your friend!). If you're able to maintain an

objective tone, this alone will set you apart from the

majority of the other press releases.

5. Always follow up - Even if your press release is great, a

busy reporter can lose track of it during a hectic day.

That's why following up is so important in public relations.

This keeps you in the mind of the reporter, so they're

likelier to think of your story when they need something new

to cover. But make sure you go about your follow up

correctly. Keep it short, and never be a nuisance.

What do you do to make sure your press releases don't wind

up in the trash?

Live long and prosper,

Mickie Kennedy
Founder, eReleases.com
CEO, eReleases.com & Press-Release-Writing.com

http://www.ereleases.com
http://www.press-release-writing.com

Toll Free: 800.990.5545
Phone: 410.931.2966