Comments on: How to Write a Press Release: Part 1 – What is the Purpose? http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/12/how-to-write-a-press-release-part-1-what-is-the-purpose/ Freelance Writing Jobs for All Writers Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:52:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: How to Write a Press Release Part 3: Distribution « RobertZwick.Com http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/12/how-to-write-a-press-release-part-1-what-is-the-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-151925 How to Write a Press Release Part 3: Distribution « RobertZwick.Com Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:28:22 +0000 http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/?p=6245#comment-151925 [...] How to Write a Press Release: Part 1 – What is the Purpose? [...] [...] How to Write a Press Release: Part 1 – What is the Purpose? [...]

]]> By: Phil http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/12/how-to-write-a-press-release-part-1-what-is-the-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-119430 Phil Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:14:23 +0000 http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/?p=6245#comment-119430 Elisa, Absolutely right. And, as I mentioned, I've been the journalist "gatekeeper" on those releases. I'm always stressing that anything over two pages is largely wasted. Placing a full article is a whole different animal than issuing a press release. Elisa,

Absolutely right. And, as I mentioned, I’ve been the journalist “gatekeeper” on those releases. I’m always stressing that anything over two pages is largely wasted. Placing a full article is a whole different animal than issuing a press release.

]]> By: Elisa Peimer http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/12/how-to-write-a-press-release-part-1-what-is-the-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-119419 Elisa Peimer Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:02:51 +0000 http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/?p=6245#comment-119419 I wrote a press release for a client who, when he saw the first draft, said "I know where you're going with this. Let me make some changes." He then proceeded to give me a ten page revision that read more like a full length article than a press release. I had to remind him that a)editors won't have the time to read a ten page press release and b)publications don't have room to run a ten page press release. The trick is to come up with something short and interesting to inspire the editor to want to get a full story - and to convince your client that that's the right strategy. - Elisa Peimer I wrote a press release for a client who, when he saw the first draft, said “I know where you’re going with this. Let me make some changes.” He then proceeded to give me a ten page revision that read more like a full length article than a press release. I had to remind him that a)editors won’t have the time to read a ten page press release and b)publications don’t have room to run a ten page press release. The trick is to come up with something short and interesting to inspire the editor to want to get a full story – and to convince your client that that’s the right strategy.

- Elisa Peimer

]]> By: Freelance Writing Jobs for December 2, 2009 : Freelance Writing Jobs for Web and Print http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/12/how-to-write-a-press-release-part-1-what-is-the-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-119392 Freelance Writing Jobs for December 2, 2009 : Freelance Writing Jobs for Web and Print Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:58:22 +0000 http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/?p=6245#comment-119392 [...] How to Write a Press Release Part 1: What is the Purpose [...] [...] How to Write a Press Release Part 1: What is the Purpose [...]

]]> By: Phil http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/12/how-to-write-a-press-release-part-1-what-is-the-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-119376 Phil Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:59:57 +0000 http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/?p=6245#comment-119376 Lucy, That's a question that PR firms have to deal with all the time. The best advice is to educate the client about the need for ongoing releases, but ones that will catch the attention of an editor. Even the best releases may not get picked up because of the news of the day. I was working on deadline the day the Challenger blew up. A local bank had done much more than a release; it had set up a big press conference for a new low-income lending program. Once the shuttle disaster happened, all efforts of the local press (two competing afternoon papers, plus radio) were placed on that -- no one went to the press conference. The situation is even more difficult today because so many pubs have cut back and there's a lot of "noise" on the Internet. So it's best to learn what print/Internet sites will pick up and run releases and try to target those as much as you can. Also, follow up press release with a phone call to the targeted pubs. Editors and beat reporters are busy. They can easily miss a release in the crush of daily e-mail. Lucy,

That’s a question that PR firms have to deal with all the time. The best advice is to educate the client about the need for ongoing releases, but ones that will catch the attention of an editor. Even the best releases may not get picked up because of the news of the day. I was working on deadline the day the Challenger blew up. A local bank had done much more than a release; it had set up a big press conference for a new low-income lending program. Once the shuttle disaster happened, all efforts of the local press (two competing afternoon papers, plus radio) were placed on that — no one went to the press conference.

The situation is even more difficult today because so many pubs have cut back and there’s a lot of “noise” on the Internet. So it’s best to learn what print/Internet sites will pick up and run releases and try to target those as much as you can. Also, follow up press release with a phone call to the targeted pubs. Editors and beat reporters are busy. They can easily miss a release in the crush of daily e-mail.

]]> By: Lucy Smith http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/12/how-to-write-a-press-release-part-1-what-is-the-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-119366 Lucy Smith Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:40:12 +0000 http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/?p=6245#comment-119366 "if the client insists on a lot of superfluous information, or press releases that provide no meaningful information, they’re unlikely to be noticed." - I remember this from when I used to work in PR for a university. You'd get people wanting press releases for all kinds of minor things, to be sent out to the country's major newspapers, when in reality they'd be lucky to make it into a community rag, then wonder why they didn't make it to the front page. Especially when it HAD to go out on Friday afternoon! We'd usually just send an advisory, like a watered down press release, to individual beat reporters, rather than editors. The best part was when papers would run your press release verbatim...with their reporter's byline at the top :-s (Then we'd get charged copyright for the clippings we got from media agencies!) Interesting question: how do you all deal with a client who has an overinflated sense of their newsworthiness? “if the client insists on a lot of superfluous information, or press releases that provide no meaningful information, they’re unlikely to be noticed.”

- I remember this from when I used to work in PR for a university. You’d get people wanting press releases for all kinds of minor things, to be sent out to the country’s major newspapers, when in reality they’d be lucky to make it into a community rag, then wonder why they didn’t make it to the front page. Especially when it HAD to go out on Friday afternoon! We’d usually just send an advisory, like a watered down press release, to individual beat reporters, rather than editors.

The best part was when papers would run your press release verbatim…with their reporter’s byline at the top :-s (Then we’d get charged copyright for the clippings we got from media agencies!)

Interesting question: how do you all deal with a client who has an overinflated sense of their newsworthiness?

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