Now That's a Good Release!

"As many of you know," begins an article in a recent edition of the Editorial Emergency newsletter, "[cofounder Julia Rubiner has] been cranking out publicity communications—bios, press releases, one-sheets, corporate missives, you name it—for a good decade and a half."

The article then lays out a series of Rubiner's PR dos and don'ts like these:

• Do make it easy for the media to run your story. "Within reason (space limitations are always a consideration)," says Rubiner, "include every bit of hard data a representative of the media will need to know about your client."
• Do verify facts, run spell checks and proofread your copy. She recalls an instance when she erroneously used the American spelling of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours in a bio sent to thousands of media outlets. Though it happened a decade ago, she says, "[I]t still stings."
• Don't cry wolf. Send a press release only when you have an actual story. "If you don't have something indisputably newsworthy to impart," she advises, "put your hands on your head and step away from the 'send' button."
• Don't write a headline that looks like a paragraph. If you write a subject line that exceeds 50 characters, it will likely be cut off in a recipient's in-box. That never looks good. Says Rubiner, "Think about how many e-mails YOU delete—really, any excuse will do."

The Po!nt: A good press release is relevant, informative and carefully vetted; anything less might do you more harm than good.

Source: Editorial Emergency. Click here for the full post.

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