8 of the worst press release mistakes
Writing style, timing, editing, research and being selective all matter. Here’s how many professionals get those things wrong.
This story first appeared on PR Daily in May, 2015. As much as I would love for the press release to die, it’s still a very effective tool when used correctly.
As Mickie Kennedy from eReleases wrote last month, Google has saved your news release. Gone are the days of keyword-stuffing to make certain you rank high in search results. Google now rewards beautiful prose again.
That said, people still make huge mistakes with their press releases. It’s not just limited to PR pros, either. Top-level executives all the way down to interns get them wrong at times.
Let’s look at eight of the top news release mistakes.
1. Your release has no style. Refamiliarize yourself with the inverted pyramid.
Too many news releases try the storytelling tactic of “owned media” and fail. Begin with the most important information—why this story matters—and work down. Most journalists will not read too far into your release if you don’t get your news in the lead paragraph.
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