5 PR mistakes to avoid when sending a press release

Press releases are still a fundamental cornerstone of the PR industry, and while social, digital, events and meetings may yield strong results, the humble press release is here to stay.

PR pros are generally well-practised in the art of sending a press release but there are still common mistakes that can easily be avoided.

1. Don’t be generic
Journalists, editors, bloggers and influencers are already receiving an ocean of content from brands and agencies looking to secure coverage. On top of this, they’ve got their own story agenda – few professionals are just waiting for the next great press release to land on their lap. As such, good content needs to be original, unique and ideally include strong research – at the end of the day people want to read interesting stories and the latest iteration of your office move might not cut the mustard. Your company excels at something, otherwise it wouldn’t be an operating business; tell that story and coverage will come.

2. Don’t forget to know your targets
This ties in with our first point – you need to know your contacts before you send, or your press release will be from a stranger. Good media relations start with knowing your target audience and the right influencers to reach them. The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of contacts across thousands of outlets and includes detailed bios and content topics. Find the right people, give them a call to introduce yourself or, better still, take them out for a coffee (when they’re available) so in future it’s not a stranger pitching to them, it’s a friend.

3. Don’t forget to proof
Any media contact worth their salt will rewrite your press release, use your comments as just part of a feature or expand in their own ways. That said, if your press release has spelling mistakes, uses poor grammar or is just full of unreadable jargon, you may put your journalist contacts off before you’ve started. Keep it simple, and before you send it: proof, proof, proof.

4. Don’t fail to follow up
This doesn’t mean you should call up seconds after pushing ‘Send’ and lead with: ‘Hi there, I’ve just sent a press release…’

Make sure you’re monitoring the content with Vuelio Media Monitoring. That way, if the story is used online, in print or even broadcast, you’ll be able to track all of that coverage in one place. And, if a journalist uses your press release, send them a little note to thank them for the coverage – that lets them know you’re reading their content and also available to help with future stories. And if you’re working on a paid-for campaign with bloggers and influencers, you can ask for metrics to help measure the success of the campaign – work with the bloggers to get your results.

5. Don’t be sales heavy
Your ‘amazing product’ or ‘innovative solution’ is not what a journalist wants to print. The more salesy the press release, the more it will put off a journalist who is looking for a great story for their readers, rather than an advert for your buyers. While a journalist will probably just take these terms out, having too many in will make the whole thing seem like an advert and the journalist could skip it altogether. If you don’t have anything but sales content, then it’s not a press release.

What top tips would you give someone for a perfect press release?