Are you struggling with getting press releases together or finding a newsworthy topic?  Well, don’t make what be one of the most common mistakes small businesses make when trying to craft a good press release:  don’t make it boring.

The Keys to a Good Press Release

I don’t want to spend a day explaining all the nuances of a good press release, but I do want to point out the two main keys to writing a good press release:

• Less is More:  The typical press release length is shortening and shortening.  I read recently that the average length is somewhere around 200-400 words!  That is not much.   But it means taking out the fluff and getting to your point.  Your press release does have a point, right?
• Don’t Be Boring:  I am on both ends of the spectrum here, sending and receiving releases.  And there’s nothing worse than writing or reading a boring release.  Have a little fun with it – a release that makes somebody laugh isn’t going to kill you.  And it might be the thing you need to stand out from the crowd of all those other boring new clips.

Examples of Not-So-Boring Press Releases

Nowfly is one of my favourites for press releases.  Why?  Because I always notice them.  They have catchy, clever headlines and there’s always a bit of a funny story involved.  I’ve never needed them or used them in an article or editorial piece, but you know what, if I did, they would be top of mind. [The cynic would point out that I'm using them in an editorial piece right now.]  And that’s the whole idea, staying top of mind, right?  Here are a few snippets from previous releases; compare them to your releases and see what you think.

• Don’t Lose Your Shirt:  ”There is nothing more terrifying than arriving at your chosen destination, only to find that your luggage has strayed off-message. “Get with the programme!” you will want to shout, but the luggage isn’t listening. It’s busy jetting off somewhere else. And secretly you fear that your suitcase is already semi-conscious on a sun-lounger, soaking up the warm sun while you are pacing the airport, wondering if you will ever see that favourite stripy jumper again.”
• In Flight Food and Drink Up in the Air:  ”Remember the days when everyone looked forward to being handed their plastic airline food tray on a charter flight to somewhere hot that did a great line in congas?  Compartmentalised into three or four delightful courses, the starter was usually a bullet-hard bread roll with a limp lettuce leaf. The main course would be a variable hot meat stew, topped with a slab of pastry and accompanied by a cocktail of tinned vegetables.  Dessert was a pink dollop of something you could grout the bathroom with, followed by a nervous-looking slab of cheese which had been sweating profusely. All washed down with a gin and tonic (no ice of course) and coffee so hot it could melt the table. Ah yes. Those were the heady days of fine dining in economy.”
• The Little Fish with Big Ideas:  ”Funny word, “now.” Feels rather immediate. Almost urgent. “The fierce urgency of now”, some American bloke said recently. And this sense of hurrying is commonplace nowadays. Rush here, absorb a little more information or advertising there, until your feet hurt and your brain is saying “remember that hammock on Koh Pha Ngan?” Clever things, brains.  And so we get used to big brands, sometimes even like them and feel comfortable with who they are and how they make us feel. Until we discover they sell guns or eat polar bears. Big isn’t always beautiful. So what if there was a new company that people didn’t know about? The new kid in the class who is looking at his shoes but knows he can knock the socks off the competition? Here at www.nowfly.co.uk we think it’s worth telling people about.  That’s why we are sending you this press release about our newly re-launched and very fast travel search engine. But what makes us different? If you want the version with technological whistles and bells on, just ask and we will shimmy it over to you.”

If you haven’t noticed, these guys aren’t writing press releases.  They’re telling stories. They are writing to one person, not to the masses.

To Learn More

Are you interested in learning more about making your online PR efforts (a.k.a “storytelling”) more successful?  Then be sure you’re on our mailing list, as we have a DIY guide coming up you’ll probably want to check out.