The Expert Guide to Writing an Effective Press Release Part 3

Common press release mistakes and how to avoid them and additional tips for success

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Press releases are a powerful tool for getting your message out to the right people but are often used ineffectively. This three-part series draws on the insights of three UK-based PR and communications professionals – Veronica Hannon, Founder and Director of Transform Comms and colleagues Sarah Jane Chapman and Kimberley Gray – to help you craft an impactful press release that achieves results.

Read part 1: when should you use a press release, and what are their benefits?

Read part 2: five cardinal rules for writing a press release and how to maximise coverage.

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Common press release mistakes and how to avoid them

Give your PR agency time

A good, succinct press release requires time and consideration and cannot be turned around in an hour or so. Mark Twain’s famous sentiment, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead” highlights the irony that succinct and simple writing is often more time-consuming and laborious than writing at length. As such, you should give your PR agency ample notice of any developments that may require a press release.

You should trust your PR advisors with confidential information and to help manage any potential scenarios. Veronica Hannon’s rule of thumb is that if something requires you to notify your HR and legal teams, you should also involve your PR agency. PR professionals are skilled at handling sensitive information and are legally bound to protect it – they didn’t sign that NDA for nothing!

Media coverage may not be instant

With media being predominantly digital these days, people often assume distributing a press release will lead to immediate coverage, but this is often not the case. Journalists need time to find the right opportunity to feature your news, and publications will have different lead times. Your PR agency is best placed to help you understand these lead times as they have the required knowledge, expertise and relationships. Align your schedule to the publication’s schedule, rather than expecting them to work to yours. For example, monthly publications require at least six weeks’ lead time so there is no use reaching out to them to promote an event occurring in a week’s time.

Strike while the iron is hot

Don’t hold back when you have an exciting development. While some businesses prefer to stay out of the media as a protection strategy, the opposite is often true. Being featured in the media is a better protection strategy – it stakes your claim as a market leader and positions you as an authority in the industry. Kimberley Gray’s advice? Be bold – if you’re prepared to stick your neck out, you will receive better coverage.

Do your homework

Research is important to the success of a press release. Consider the following -

Quality over quantity

A common error is sending out a press release simply because it’s been a while since you last distributed one. This is an ineffective and impractical use of the tool. Sarah Jane Chapman suggests using the following questions as a guide when deciding whether to write a press release “is this a strategic move? How does it move our commercial strategy forward? Does it serve our overall strategic objective? Are we solving problems or moving debate forward?”

Avoid clichés and overused language

Avoid overused words such as ‘thrilled’, ‘delighted’, ‘groundbreaking’, ‘unique’. Be inventive with your language – using cliched terms weakens your message.

Small mistakes can lead to big problems

The quality of your press release reflects your professionalism. Have someone review your press release to check the grammar and spelling, then check it again. If you want to be perceived as an authoritative and credible source, ensure your press release is written to a high-quality standard and with the same authority and gravitas as your other communications.

Additional tips for press release success

Further tips to improve the quality of your press releases include:

• Maintain consistency while the tone of a press release may differ from your usual communications, Sarah Jane Chapman emphasises the importance of aligning the messaging, language and style of your press release with your existing marketing collateral and other public-facing communications to ensure consistency.
• Use supporting materials such as images, graphs and survey results. These are helpful and provide journalists with additional context. They should be shared via a link and not as an email attachment – you don’t want to risk your email being undeliverable, or overloading journalists with too much information.
• Tailor your content for different audiences by creating different versions of your press release for different publications. The information that is most interesting and relevant to one audience, will be different for another. Tailoring your approach gives your press release a better chance of being picked up by multiple publications.
• Stick to the truth once your press release is distributed it enters the public domain and cannot be withdrawn. Veronica Hannon emphasises that all facts, statistics and claims must be accurate, justifiable, verifiable and objective. She cautions against overclaiming, greenwashing or using biased information.
• Target the right publications and understand how your audience consumes news. In many cases, niche press and industry-specific publications will be more effective at reaching your target audience than large-scale or national news outlets.

Key takeaways

• Prioritise quality over quantity and ensure consistency in tone and messaging.
• Plan ahead – for the best results, give your PR agency time to craft a compelling press release.
• Always have someone check, and double check your press release – poor grammar and typos can damage your reputation.
• Ensure all facts, statistics and claims made are honest, verifiable, credible and unbiased.
  

Download our full guide to crafting an effective press release

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Veronica Hannon

Veronica Hannon is the Founder and Director of Transform Comms, one of the UK’s leading integrated B2B marketing agencies, specialising in public relations and communications, digital marketing, branding and design, content marketing and ESG engagement. Veronica has over 25 years of experience as a B2B communications and marketing expert.

Discover more about Veronica

Sarah Jane Chapman

Sarah Jane Chapman works with Transform Comms and is the Founder of The Good Copy Company, a Strategic Communications Consultant and Senior Writer and Editor. Sarah Jane specialises in industries with complicated or technical language and concepts – such as medical science, the financial services industry and the sustainability sector. Sarah Jane has worked for the World Health Organization and the Department of Health and has advised many leading independent schools and high-profile school leaders. Recent clients include the NHS, The Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology (Basel), and the British Menopause Society with Transform.

Discover more about Sarah Jane

Kimberley Gray

Kimberley Gray is the Founder of Gray Matter PR and has worked with Transform Comms for more than fifteen years. Kimberley brings twenty-five years of communications experience working across B2B and B2C markets. Kimberley has worked with a variety of clients within human resources, professional services, hospitality, logistics and distribution. Recent clients include the British Menopause Society, Talogy and CHC Global, with Transform Comms. Also Mars Drinks, Harvester Restaurants, BIC and Costa.

Discover more about Kimberley