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Do you have a great idea for a story, but no clue how to write a press release that
gets it in the news? Are you tired of pitching press releases the news media
simply ignores?
After twenty years of beating the street as a TV reporter, I have
a scoop for you: the media needs good stories. But most stories are
pitched so poorly, they are lost in the blizzard of untimely or
weakly written press releases that blanket every newsroom.
So, here are five tips - and an example of
each - on how to send and write a press release that gets covered:
1) BE UNUSUAL
The old adage about "Man bites dog" still holds true. The news doesn't cover
what's normal. We cover the abnormal.
For example...
PR whiz Carolyn Alvey knew this when she was trying to raise money for a
charity several years ago. Instead of holding a garage sale, she decided to
write a press release announcing a "Celebrity Garage Sale." Everything from Bob
Hope's old golf clubs to Roger Staubach's long-neglected neckties were for sale.
By making an ordinary garage sale extraordinary, the media was instantly sold on
the story.
2) BE VISUAL
Reporters tell stories with pictures. If the pictures aren't there, chances
are the reporters won't be either. Even the most non-visual story can be made
visual if you're creative.
For
example...
A dog biscuit business? Boring. A dog birthday party complete with doggie
guests and party hats? Now you're barking up the right tree.
That's what Michelle Lamont did to boost her dog biscuit bakery. She began
baking huge dog biscuit birthday cakes and wrote a press release inviting the
media to cover the parties. She's had reporters hounding her for stories ever
since.
3) CHOOSE THE RIGHT REPORTER
Perhaps the most common mistake even some PR pros make is trying to sell a
good story to the wrong person. Most reporters have a specialty, like "crime" or
"business."
So, seek out the reporter who will have the most to benefit from your story.
Start studying the news. Before you call a TV station or write a press release
to pitch the paper, become familiar with a reporter's work.
For example, don't try and sell an investigative story to a reporter who
covers entertainment.
4) WRITE LIKE A REPORTER
If I were going to send a press release to a reporter, I'd write the kind of
headline that a newspaper would run. And I'd make the rest of the release so
conversational that a TV anchor could read it right on the air.
Why is this so important? A major market newsroom gets hundreds of press
releases every day. Often the decision on whether to cover your story is made in
a matter of seconds. Many times that well-crafted sentence in the third
paragraph of your press release is never read.
5) WAIT FOR A SLOW NEWS DAY
The holidays are the slowest "news times" of the year. When government
offices are closed, so are most of our sources. Take advantage of it.
In fact, take out your calendar and begin circling government holidays. If
the government isn't making news, we reporters are scrambling to find something
to cover. Write a press release to pitch even an average story on a day when the
media is starving for news, and you're much more likely to get coverage.
There you go - five tips to send and write a press release that gets covered.
If your idea is unique, visual, and pitched to the right person when the supply
of news is running thin, you're in!
Jeff Crilley spent 25 years in TV news reporting in Dallas, Minneapolis, Omaha and Lansing. He's made hundreds of national news appearances
including CNN, CNN Headline News, FOX News, The Discovery Channel, Good Morning
America and The CBS Early Show. Visit his public relations agency's Website at
http://www.realnewspr.com
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