How can you make your press release more newsworthy?

Ask yourself, "Is your release NEWS or is it a STORY?" If the answer is NEWS, then ask yourself... "Does anyone REALLY care?" If the answer is YES, then ask yourself... "WHY should they care?" These three questions are part and parcel for how I counsel about the current state of news releases. If the audience is not defined with a reason for being, then don't write it. Find another channel.

Start with Step 0, not Step 1. Step 0 is asking yourself, "Is this news? Do people care?" If people won't care, journalists won't care. And by people, I don't mean your marketing team, your research team, your advertising team, or your C-suite team. It has to be newsworthy to some portion of the public that, hopefully, is an audience for whatever journalists you are thinking about pitching. Start by asking yourself the big "So, what?" question. If you can't answer the so what with an excited response that you feel you want to tell all your friends, family, and neighbors then you probably haven't got any "news" worth sharing in a press release.

Remember, the goal is to create a story that is not only informative but also engaging and compelling to your intended audience. So, To make your press release more newsworthy, consider these key strategies: Timeliness: Align your press release with current events or trends. The more relevant it is to what's currently happening in the world, the more likely it is to catch the attention of the media and the public. Impact: Focus on the impact of your news. How does it affect your industry, community, or the general public? The greater the impact, the more newsworthy your release becomes. Uniqueness: Highlight what sets your news apart. Unique, unusual, or surprising elements make your story stand out.

Crafting a press release? 🚀 Know your audience first! Identify the media outlets and journalists in your field. Understand their interests, preferences, and the kind of stories they seek. Tailor your content to align with their focus and demonstrate the relevance and value of your news. #PressReleaseTips #MediaRelations #TargetedCommunication

Only use press releases for newsworthy items. It can dilute your relationship with reporters and your true news. "The brand that cries wolf." Consider other tactics for non-news media-worthy news.

As a former columnist and now a PR practitioner, I usually write my headline after I complete a fact sheet with the five Ws. The fact sheet clarifies my mind, especially the “why” of the release. I start it with “To.” Then comes the headline - catchy but informative. However I can’t see including the first four Ws in a head - too bulky and honestly, kinda dull. Be sure to use AP style and proofread before you send anything out. And remember - you have only one exclamation point in your lifetime so use it wisely. Let your words convey the enthusiasm not the punctuation.

If the headline isn't matched and mirrored in the first paragraph summary/intro then I often won't read further and will assume the headline was clickbait.

No utilizaría el término pegadizo, más bien adoptaría "impacto" y ojalá que estuviera amarrado a una emoción que se desea transmitir, cuidando mucho el manejo de la marca del autor

I think it's especially important for the headline to address why the news matters to a particular public or audience. I like to write the headline first to get clarity on that and then it's easier to write a release that's compelling for both reporters and the end readers.

Your headline is the first thing that your audience will see, so it needs to be captivating and relevant. To craft a catchy headline, you need to know what words and phrases your audience is looking for. Use these keywords to write a concise and compelling headline that will make them want to read more. Remember, you only have a few seconds to grab their attention, so make it count.

Always make sure that someone is able to get the summary of what your media release is in the lead. A strong lead will draw people to read more, to understand or to empower self.

Lead with those directly affected. People are naturally drawn to stories that involve other people. Adding a human element to the first paragraph makes it more compelling and relatable.

Use superlative words in your lead that will the capture the sustained interest of your readers. Follow up with backgrounders that will further arrest your readers’ interest

A good lead is worth more than half a press release. The more effective, comprehensive and captivating it is, the easier it will be to capture the attention of journalists. The rest will be done by the modular construction of the press release with paragraphs that have a 'life of their own' and invite copy-paste. In my experience, in order to write a good lead, I always try to put myself in the shoes of the journalist to whom the press release will be addressed, thus striving to speak his language and to be as incisive, immediate and journalistic as possible.

The opening paragraph should be data-driven. It's crucial to bear in mind that what journalists truly seek is information. While crafting an engaging narrative is important, without substantial and relevant data or a fresh perspective on the topic, the content may not hold significance.

When quoting Subject Matter Experts or leadership voices from the C-suite in your press release, make sure those people are willing and able to go on the record and have a next-level conversation with a journalist. Press releases are a gateway to deeper conversations, and an opportunity to tell your side of the story. It is a best practice to have a prep session with your SMEs and C-suite spokesperson before your press release goes live. During that time I recommend reviewing anticipated questions, and go over your plan on who will be available when your news breaks.

Data driven... Basar el artículo en una información real, que se sustente en datos claros, honestos, comparables y basados en fuentes conocidas y con legitimidad (que su interés, conocimiento y vinculación sea conocido por todos).

By including supporting facts from a thought leadership expert, company research, or third party research, it lends credibility to your press release. These supporting facts should tie in with the main theme your press release is addressing and highlight the importance of what your company is announcing. (For example, if your company is announcing a tool targeted at consumers looking to save more, it would be beneficial to include stats or a quote on how much the average consumer has saved/how much they should be saving).

In my experience, enhancing the newsworthiness of a press release involved incorporating compelling and verifiable facts. For instance, when launching a sustainability initiative, we didn't just highlight our commitment; we provided concrete data on carbon footprint reduction and resource conservation achieved during a pilot phase. Journalists and readers respond to tangible results, and these supporting facts bolstered the credibility of our press release. By offering quantifiable evidence of our efforts, we not only captured media attention but also showcased a genuine and impactful story, making our press release more compelling and newsworthy.

After establishing a compelling headline and a robust first paragraph, it is essential to maintain focus on the information you provide and clearly attribute it to your sources. Journalism requires transparency; you cannot simply pull information out of thin air. It is crucial to explicitly state the source of your information and ensure its credibility

In my experience crafting a clear and urgent call to action is a key element of the press release that will compel your target audience to take action. Indeed,It should be precise and to the point, Including specific benefits and value of the product/service you are communicating. One should have explicitly studied and understood their target audience/needs in order provide a worthy call to action hence increasing the likelihood of conversion. I

A Call-to-action in a press release??? Not in Germany! If you want to convince journalists that your topic is relevant, you need to demonstrate how it will benefit the readership. These can of course be topics that need to be addressed - but please don't use them as a flat call to action!

Boring but important. Make sure it is properly 'tagged' by your web analytics tools so that you can get good quality data on performance. Don't assume your tools are properly configured. This will help you track the success of your call to action.

The final paragraph should be straightforward, succinctly summarizing the main idea of the press release. Conclude by guiding the journalist on where to access additional information or how to contact you for further details on the news or story.

Instead of a call to action, include your PR rep or by implementing these strategies, you can increase the newsworthiness of your press release and improve your chances of getting media coverage. Keep your press release concise and to the point. Journalists are often pressed for time, so make sure the most important information is easily accessible. Consider offering exclusive content or interviews to certain media outlets to make your news more appealing and to increase the chances of coverage. After sending your press release, follow up with journalists in a professional and respectful manner. Be prepared to provide further information or arrange interviews if there is interest.

Omitting jargon in a boilerplate is just as important as avoiding it in the body of the news release. Keep the boilerplate concise and update it regularly; this helps journalists contextualize the information and provides a quick reference.

What is needed is new content, exciting news and the whole thing should be clear and not too long. Press releases need little emotion, but good quotes, data and facts. No journalist wants to read a PR novel brimming with promotional material.

I've seen demos of press release writing and targetting/distribution tools that are powered by AI. By learning from databases of journalists, what they write about and what their audiences are, AI is able to identify the best targets for your release and help you to tailor it to their needs. Early days for the technology and will not replace people, but it can make you more productive and harness the digital marketing technique of personalisation to increase engagement.

Even the best crafted press release will not likely garner media coverage on its own, especially if it’s distributed over the wire. A compelling pitch, tailored to the recipient’s audience is an important accompaniment to a press release.

If you are placing your news into a press release format realize that it's a signal to some reporters that it's not exclusive to them, that it's broadly written and it's likely being emailed to a large database of media contacts. They're getting it at the same time as their competitors. Before trying the press release approach, consider targeted outreach first, offering a brief and tailored story idea with supporting information and images.

Journalists are not interested in your product or service and will not write about it (even if they are your "friends") unless it offers real-world results that make life better and/or easier for the user. A press release is only newsworthy from that perspective. And those results and benefits need to be backed up with three (or a few more) supporting proof points.

Hire a journalist to review it. Listen to what they say. If necessary take it back to the client and tell them the truth about the journalist’s feedback. Save yourself time and credibility by not sending out bad content.