News outlets and publications rely on press releases for their news-gathering routines. However, sometimes you’ll send a relevant text that’ll still end up in the trash.
Let’s ensure that doesn’t happen by going through the essentials of making your articles stand out.
What makes people take note of a press release? The headline. Use bold fonts and capture attention by summarizing primary points in seven words or less. Make sure you avoid clickbait, though.
Optimization with keywords can help. As Click Intelligence explains, SEO can rank you above the competitors no matter how ruthless your industry is.
Press releases are short and to-the-point. When you’re trying to get noticed by media businesses and the general population, remember the point of news, of telling stories, as clearly as possible.
If possible, add pictures – either graphs or actual event photographs. They don’t say that a picture is worth a thousand words for nothing.
Although you’re keeping it concise, being informative and reliable is a MUST. Never forego the basics of ‘who, what, when, where, how.’ Rules to follow also include:
Depending on what you’re writing about, it might be tempting to use jargon or big words. However, you’re generally better off using plain language.
Your goal is for the general public to understand what you’re saying. If you’re dealing with a complicated subject matter, add infographics instead of more words to explain the gist of it.
Once you write the text, ask yourself the following to ensure you made it clear:
Edit until the answers to all of these questions are ‘no.’
Finally, if you want to make your press release stand out, you have to put in some work to share it.
Write a killer text, try the big news outlets, and reach out to smaller ones. It’s your goal to get published, making yourself recognizable in the eyes of big industry names in the process.
You can do so through social media, as it’s arguably the best channel for reaching a broad audience. People use these networks to check breaking news. Why not announce or comment on them on platforms where viewers already are?
Moreover, press release distribution channels on the Internet are generally more receptive. There are hundreds of them online nowadays, letting you reach a wider audience across the globe.
As long as you’re selective, these can be a fantastic source of new opportunities. Plus, most paid platforms include SEO services, which do wonders for boosting visibility.