Four tips to maximize your press release
The ability to effectively communicate and coordinate with traditional media remains a valuable skill, in spite of the prevalence of social media and the smartphone.
If you wish to target senior management or business leaders, print media can still help inform the public of your uniqueness in the market, along with your events and advocacies wherein the public can participate.
We asked Pennie Azarcon-dela Cruz of the Inquirer for some tips on how to ensure your press release gets noticed, or better yet, published.
1. Don’t oversell
“Love your own” may be a great corporate morale booster, but for press releases, tone down the rah-rah factor. Remember, a press release is an announcement of a new product or service, an event or a significant achievement in which you’d like the public to take an interest. Present the facts briefly and accurately and let them speak for themselves.
2. Have a target audience
in mind
Tailor your announcement or press release to the readers you’d like to reach by choosing the print or online publication and respective sections that cater to them. Do some research on these possible outlets before sending out a one-size fits-all material to make sure your materials are properly appreciated by their intended audience.
3. Edit, and submit early
Although there is no guarantee that your announcement will be published, to increase the chances of it getting used, make sure it’s publication-ready: Submitted days before the event and in time for the deadline of the particular section or publication you are targeting. Make it short and accurate, and with hardly any grammatical error so minimal editing is needed.
4. Something new ‘sells’
If you are a new company, try to create a buzz that media can’t ignore. The best way to do that is to come up with goods and services that have a unique selling point: Something new, novel and newsworthy. If you’re confident enough about what you’re offering, you could even have a small media launch that would showcase the distinct qualities of your product which the media can then report or write about. You can also use this launch to solicit comments and suggestions on how to further improve your product before you market it.
Pennie Azarcon- dela Cruz is senior desk editor at the Philippine Daily Inquirer and was Executive Editor of the Sunday Inquirer Magazine. She has been writing for popular media for the past 30 years and has handled writing seminars and workshops for at least 20 years. Pennie has a National Book Award for Anthology as well as a Quill Award for travel writing.
Pennie will be the resource speaker for the workshop on Effective Corporate Communications: Building Relationships with Media on May 11. The workshop will focus on writing effective press releases.
The professional workshop is brought to you by Inquirer Academy and would be ideal for entrepreneurs, PR practitioners, corporate communications and strategic marketing communications practitioners. Representatives of politicians and celebrities are also encouraged to join the workshop.
The Inquirer Academy is at 4168 Don Chino Roces Ave. corner Ponte St., Makati City. For more information about the workshop or if you would like to add your input on the article, you may e-mail [email protected], call (632) 834-1557 or 800-8110 and look for Jerald Miguel, or visit the website at www.inquireracademy.com.
