Seven steps to more effective media releases

Over the years I have 'done time' as a talk radio producer and magazine editor. I believe the above statistics to be very, very optimistic. Turn these numbers around and the statistics suggest between 3 percent and 45 percent of media releases are used.

Three in every hundred releases being used is closer to reality if you are talking about a major media outlet ... possibly as high as 20 percent if you are looking at a niche trade publication.

Put aside - just for a moment - the enormous changes in technology, the impact of information overload and the transformation in the way consumers read their chosen media and look at the format of the release itself. It's very likely that you are looking at a document that hasn't changed for many, many years.

Here's seven quick checks that will place your media release at the top of the producer's or editor's 'possible' pile.

  1. Think like the editor. The editor is trying to think like the reader, listener or viewer. They are thinking "What will add value to my reader's experience today?". One concept is to write a 'how to' story. This format provides immediate value to the media outlet's readers, viewers and listeners while at the same time building your position and branding as the expert in the field. Start your story with the benefits: what will the reporter's readers get out of your story?
  2. Steer clear of the who, what, where, when and why approach. Don't misunderstand me ... you must still answer the basic questions, but try framing your story within an exciting, fast approach. Scour the news for current events in your industry that you can comment on or that your product addresses. Be fast. Be nimble.
  3. Craft a sentence that can be used as a 'grab' - the sound-bite that gets everybody's attention. Be prepared to deliver it over the phone in an instant if a radio reporter should call. Have two or three prepared so they can use them in sequential news bulletins without fatiguing the listener. Try using alliteration or a metaphor to tell your story ... but keep it to one sentence.
  4. Take out your editor's pen and attack the bios of your executive team. They may be fine for your annual report (probably not) but to support a media release, they should be more profile than résumé.
  5. For print and online journalists, the availability of an image is crucial. In Bennett & Company's 16 th Annual Media Survey, the company report their findings that visuals dictate content for 41 percent of journalists "and a whopping 90 percent of journalists told us that visuals are somewhat important or very important to them. The choice seems obvious - images may tell their very own story and the media want to see them."
  6. Conventional wisdom tells you to write a 'news' headline or lead. Change the rules and write your lead like it's a feature story. Producers, editors and journalists won't discount your story based on the fact that it's written differently. They will discount any story that is weak and self-serving.
  7. Define your audience. The shotgun approach to media releases is a false economy. Not everyone is interested in your story, but the correctly selected and targeted media are very interested. Unless you are truly contributing to the news of the day, don't send your story to the major newsrooms. Begin with features editors and journalists that cover your industry. Local newspapers are always looking for good-news stories from their area. It doesn't have to be where your office is located, it could be where one of your team lives ... or even where they grew up!

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