Even seasoned public relations pros sometimes need to be

reminded what makes for the most effective press release.

Whether you're a press release newbie or have written

hundreds of releases during your career, the following tips

should serve as a reminder of what to do--and maybe more

importantly, what not to do.

1. Don't put an important press release out on a weekend.

The press release wires are slow on the weekend and

generally companies who are trying to hide news or put out a

press release to satisfy a contractual commitment with a

partner send out something on the weekend. The weekend press

release will get ignored and it will be a waste of money and

time for all involved.

2. Is Friday a good day to put out a press release? Yes and

no. Yes if you put it out first thing in the morning and

work the phone. Friday is a good day to work the media

because you'll usually find people in better moods with the

weekend coming up. But be careful. I've seen people put out

press releases on Friday and then inexplicably take off

early and not return calls until Monday. What was the point

of letting the press release fester for sixty hours while a

voicemail message about it sat unreturned?

3. Should I put my press release out in the morning or

afternoon? Mornings are best, but don't do it too early. If

you put out a press release at 7:00 AM, it may end up

ignored. By the time journalists get through everything in

their inbox, there are already 200 other releases that have

come after yours. Public companies generally put out

releases before 9:30 AM EST if they want to beat the opening

bell on Wall Street. Private firms should wait until after

9:30 AM and let the big guys have their say. Afternoon press

releases should hit before 4:00 PM EST to avoid after the

market close releases from public companies. And of course

to give journalists enough time to meet daily deadlines.

4. How about putting out a press release around the

holidays? Avoid press releases the day before Thanksgiving,

Christmas and New Year's and on the Friday before a

three-day weekend unless the release has something to do

with the holiday or is absolutely necessary because of the

timing.

5. The vacation press release. Here's a simple tip: Do not

put out a press release and then go on vacation. No joke,

I've received press releases and called the contact info

listed on the release only to find the contact has gone on

vacation. If you're planning on going on vacation, any

releases in the two or three days preceding your departure

should list someone else as the contact.

6. Contact information. Ask any journalist and they will

tell you that they want the following contact information

listed on all press releases: a single person of contact

with a direct phone number and direct email address. You

should also include your web site's URL in every press

release if applicable. And to those who don't put contact

info down for strategic reasons, you should know that from a

journalist's point of view it makes your company look shady.

In fact, most newswires won't issue a press release without

an actual press contact and telephone number.

7. If I've partnered with a company, should we both put out

press releases? I've never understood the concept of dueling

press releases. I'll often see a partnership or deal

announced and see both companies involved put out a press

release. Sometimes it's necessary, as with a merger or

acquisition. Other times it's a waste of time and money.

Work with your business partners to put out a single,

coherent press release announcing a deal. Put out the

release with contact info for both companies and devise a

plan ahead of time for both public relations teams to

communicate and deal with media inquiries effectively.

8. A press release is an announcement, not a marketing

gimmick. Think of a press release as an oral statement.

Imagine having to read the release in front of a room full

of people with cameras, microphones and tape recorders. A

press release should be unemotional and to the point, not

full of catch phrases and attempts at subtle advertising.

9. Should I post the press release on my web site

immediately after putting it on the wire? Yes. Why wouldn't

you? As soon as that sucker hits the wires, put it on your

web site. Often times I'll see a press release on the wire,

read the headline, and then move onto something else. But

the headline will stick in my mind, especially with a

deadline fast approaching. I'd rather be able to just go to

the company's website and find it than sift through the

wire.

10. Need to send out a correction? Why did you screw up in

the first place? The first press release I ever sent out for

my web site included an incorrect date that confused

journalists and basically ruined the release. The fault was

all mine because I didn't check the release for factual

errors. I was excited and my brain froze. But that's no

excuse. The press release failed and journalists were even

more miffed when I sent out a correction, further flooding

their inboxes with a release they had already read or

ignored. Take the time to fact and spell check your press

release. It will save you time, money and grief.

Once again, these are just some basic press release tips and

pointers to make your life easier. In a perfect world, every

press release gets media coverage and every journalist reads

every press release. This is not a perfect world, but by

following some basic rules, you'll be able to accomplish

your public relations tasks easier. The payoff will be a

press release that screams, "Read me and write about me!"

Peace and progress,

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

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