What DOES make good press release content?

[DiamondKing]

What DOES make good press release content that will get noticed by the media?

Is it the product? The story behind the product? Or how the product can change peoples lives?

How can a business maximise the chance of getting itself and its products noticed by the printed media (eg. UK national daily press)?

I'm sure all the businesses on this forum would love to get as much publicity as possible for their services and products, but what does it take in terms of the story to be told?

What DOES it take to have the perfect press release content that news editors will fall over themselves for?

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

A story which the entire media's target audience will be gripped by and find exciting, captivating and very exciting/interesting/amazing.

You can dress up the same story anyway you want but for real PR gains you need a solid, core story for it. If you product/service isn't that interesting or innovative (remember you have a large audience to satisfy) then you will need to come up with some information which is interesting enough for the press.

Survey's, stunts and statistics related to the product/service are what many businesses come up with to get their name in the press.

 

[thedesigntailor]

A good stunt can be a great opportunity for PR. Your sig says something about diamond studded Ipods - Our PR guy did some work for a white goods manufacturer and got great coverage producing a small run (about 8) diamond studded fridges - they even sold so ended up making money before the PR.

 

[realmaverick]

A De Vere diamond encrusted iPhone 3G is a girl's best friend.

Is this the Diamond encrusted iPhone featured on Macrumors?

 

[thedesigntailor]

I assume this:
http://www.deveresoflondon.com/html/diamond_iphones.html

If so I'd look at simply branding and designing a website before worrying about getting visitors. It really isn't of a standard to sell a £300 quid phone. Excuse me if I've found the wrong site.



Dan

 

[realmaverick]

I couldn't agree more with Dan.

And

The prices for supplying an unlocked Apple 16GB iPhone 3G complete with a diamond inset bezel are:

Totally cheapens the product.

You should really work hard with an expert marketer and designer to get the look and feel of the site to match the product you're selling.

I think you'd do well to add some kind of exclusivity to the product too. It needs to be given more allure.

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

I agree with realmaverick. You need to get a website and marketing campaign sorted out which presents a very high quality brand and premium product. Then target the relevant market audience.

 

[LowcostPR]

If you are looking to write a Press Release yourself, here are a few pointers for you:

• The story must be relevant to the publication it is sent to. There's no point sending a story to a national paper that is only relevant if you live locally.
• It must be interesting to read. I cannot emphasise this enough and I have seen many press releases sent that are so boring to read that they should have a health warning attached.
• You must remember that a press release has no interest to the Editor other than an interesting news item. He won't care about the company itself so if you are sending what is clearly an advert in disguise then you will only annoy him and make him reach for the delete key.

These are the main points I stick to. A good piece that is well written could be very useful.

Here at Lowcostpr, we write press releases for small companies who do not have the time/skills to write a good press release, so if you want to have a look at this option and are unsure about writing it/distributing it yourself, feel free to email/call us and we'll happily see what we can do for you.

Otherwise, best of luck!
Max

 

[VickyL]

Hi DiamondKing,

There's some really good advice here. Yes press releases do need to be interesting and objective to make them enticing to journalists.

It's worth bearing in mind that busy journalists may only read the first paragraph of your release, so it is really key that you offer all the key information, including your URL, in the opening sentances. This way, if a journalist stops reading they still have a good grasp of your announcement.

A good way to ensure that you include all the vital information up top is to employ something like the SOLAADS format, with information appearing in the following order: subject, organisation, location, advantages, applications, details, source.

Hope that helps.

Best of luck.

Vicky

 

What DOES make good press release content that will get noticed by the media?

Is it the product? The story behind the product? Or how the product can change peoples lives?

How can a business maximise the chance of getting itself and its products noticed by the printed media (eg. UK national daily press)?

I'm sure all the businesses on this forum would love to get as much publicity as possible for their services and products, but what does it take in terms of the story to be told?

What DOES it take to have the perfect press release content that news editors will fall over themselves for?

You make the assumption that a press release is about a product...and that is generally not a way to ever get published at all.

First and foremost you need something newsworthy....and linking into the news is good..

eg if you can find a novel link between your product (no idea - dont have time to look, is it diamonds??) and either the credit crunch or the election in US, you will get them to read...the read will result in clicks, and if relevant to the mindset of your buyer , maybe sales too..eg diamonds as an investment are soaring in value

 

[adam_uk]

Some great suggestions already been mentioned.

Just liked to add - having a great headliner can really hook them in first.

Then if that works, the summary and following the body.

You can write an amazing press release body but if the headliner doesn't grab them, you're in trouble.

Also I got more response, when I used like a story within the press release with an added personality, humour to it. Worked really well for me.

The thing is, what makes a good press release is the call of action to visit your website. Best to test things out but also, have fun too.

 

[barney1]

remember the: who what why when where

AND the biggest thing is know your audience, know your paper/mag etc, ring or email the journo and offer your story. Send press releases for news snippets and comment but also get in touch with a story idea and if its good they will use it (easier in trade). See yourself as being helpful and think about what they might need - some insight from an industry insider, case study etc. Have the press release ready as well as a synopsis and don't dither if you get a bite, journos are a fickle ole bunch.

You can do it yourself but it takes time, great writing skill and a thick skin. If youve got that go for it.