We’ve published the results (so far) of our experiment to crowdsource a guide to writing the perfect press release, from the perspective of the journalists who receive them.
Here’s the guide as it stands at the moment – feel free to leave additional comments in the box below the article or email me (laura [at] journalism.co.uk) with your feedback.
The tips were received via a couple of blog posts, which can be read at this link to the first and this link to the follow-up post; responses to our @journalismnews Twitter account; and in direct emails.
Any feedback from the PR community would also be very welcome.
Update (July 31): Some additional comments from:
- Simon Collister, head of digital with Weber Shandwick’s Consumer team – ‘Have we finally breached the symbolic ‘real media’ vs social media divide?’
- Lloyd Gofton from Liberate Media – ‘The trouble with press releases’
- Blogger and communicator Neville Hobson
As a PR in a grumpy mood I’d add the following intro to the guide:
Before doing anything else:
1) research the publication/site/broadcast outlet, etc, its competitors and read what the journalists are writing about, deadlines, feedback pages/reader blogs and comments, anything else. Check the marketing pages about audiences, readership, rates, etc.
2) phone the relevant journalists or news editors if not listed on all those publications, have a chat and get a rapport going with the journalists by asking them what they’re looking for and when they need it.
3) Read the guide listed here, stop spamming and start targetting.
4) re: 2) above, work with those folks who sound reasonable, give you the time of day, return calls. Do the same. Meet for a coffee. Give them exclusives. Saves writing press releases and gets more balanced coverage and your contact the inside track.
5) and 6) later, maybe.
Not rocket science is it…