Most people know the basics of a good press release: keep it short, get to the point, and edit it thoroughly.
But the actual execution is much more difficult than it sounds. Here are 3 tips for more concise, powerful press releases.
1. Write out your dream news story headlines.
Forget about all the details of your pitch. Instead, try to imagine what kinds of stories might be written about your company.
- “Local Ice Cream Shop Turns Chocolate Into Hope.”
- “New Software Company Creates ‘Tool of the Century.'”
- “Lemonade Stand Disrupts the Industry.”
By focusing on your end-goal, you can make better decisions about what information is critical, and what bits you can cut out.
2. Remove every opinion.
Editors don’t want to read you bragging about your product, and writers don’t want to regurgitate your thoughts.
More importantly, opinions are essentially “fluff.” If you increased sales by 42% in the last year, it’s not necessary to say that this is a significant event.
Let the writers come to their own conclusions.
Here’s an example paragraph with the opinions removed.
Company XYZ has generated 42% more sales this year,
an amazing turnaround that has industry leaders excited. Over 23 million new customers have started using Product X,and we think this is a sign that lemonade stands are the future.
3. Pretend you don’t care.
We naturally pour our hearts into our own businesses, but that passion can often work against you.
Remember that the strangers reading your press release simply don’t share your inherent love for your company. Imagine you’re someone who simply doesn’t care about your business or the news, and try to write the press release in such a way that it’s not difficult to read.
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Simply fill out the contact form below, and we’ll help you spruce up and cut down that old press release (or start from scratch).
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