Focus on the News with Press Release Creation

By Amy Trainor

Considering press release creation, the first question that should be asked is why is the story newsworthy? The only reason journalist care about your story is if it's news that applies to their audience. If you can't prove the importance of yours story, you'll be lost before anyone even reads it.

Quality press release creation spells out why the story is important from the beginning sentence. Provide useful information about the product with direct words that command attention.

The press release shouldn't sound like a sale. Press releases with something to sell get deleted or sent to the trash.

Good press releases start with strong language that clearly state the story from the first headline and lead paragraph. If the journalist can't tell immediately why he or she should keep reading, you'll be lucky if your press release gets used for scrap paper.

Make sure your press release illustrates the relevance of your story through concrete examples. Make sure the illustrations directly relate to the media branch's market. Answer the question of why their audience should even care in the first place.

Good press releases stick to the facts. Warp the truth, and you'll lost the journalist's trust. Once you've lost it, you can never recover.

Quality press release creation also avoids the hype, an immediate give-away that your story doesn't warrant attention. A story that's worth anyone's time should clearly illustrate the facts through concrete language.

Good press releases stick to angles that are timely. In the journalist world, timing is everything. Late news smells like bad cheese. The deadlines journalists face are tight, which makes the news always hungry. Feed the hungry with concrete, factual stories that hook the interest. As news is shared, hooking the right media outlet is the first step to getting the world to listen.

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