Top Ten Rules For Brilliant Press Releases

  1. Make sure that your message passes the critical “Is it news?” tests:
  • Is it topical and is the message timely and relevant?
  • Is it going to be relevant to the audience that you are sending it to?
  • Is it unusual and will it attract attention?
  • Is it Unique? (If it is that is far better than being unusual!)
  • Does it mean trouble for someone and will this excite the audience? Or does it mean news of Tragedy, Triumph in the face of adversity or Triumph over Tragedy?
  • Where is the human interest?
  1. Keep it short – on side of A4 is more than enough!
  2. Make the layout clear and concise – one font, one size of print. Use 12 point and a nice plain style.
  3. Tell the whole story in the first paragraph; this is vital as it grabs attention. Consider the who, what, when, where, why and how of the issue.
  4. Use simple language – avoid waffle, avoid piffle and avoid jargon. The ONLY exception to this is if you are writing a technical and industry-specific Press Release.
  5. Present the document so that it can easily be sent in the body of an email. Never write something that needs to be sent in an attachment – busy people never have time to open them!
  6. Put in a quote from a spokesperson – these make interesting sound bites for onward transmission. 140 characters or less is ideal.
  7. Always use a short, attractive headline.
  8. Include technical details and explanations only as supporting notes.
  9. Provide 24/7 contact details.

Good Luck!

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