Press releases can be a love hate relationship. Due to the resources and knowledge required to create a successful newsworthy filled 1 pager, not all of us have the time to keep cranking these babies out. Ensure your precious press release writing time isn’t going to waste.

Are your press releases being ignored? Here are 5 possible explanations, and our simple solutions.

1. It’s poorly written. Don’t just start pumping out press releases without first understanding the art of writing and formatting them. As with anything, there are certain rules to be aware of before hitting that “send” button.  The most basic rule, write press releases in the third person and avoid words like “you” and “I.”  Also, keep paragraphs between two and four sentences and don’t make the entire piece over 500 words.  Making sure that the creation is well written and proofread from top to bottom is step 1 in ensuring your releases aren’t being ignored.
2. It’s a snoozefest. Press releases are newsy by their nature but that doesn’t mean they need to be snoozefests! Start the press release off quickly by stating the most critical points right away.  Press releases aren’t read for entertainment, so being concise keeps them from being boring. Throughout the entire body of work, don’t bother using flowery language or trying to get into too much detail about one specific thing. A press release should be informational; it’s not for selling!
3. It’s in the wrong inbox. The number one way to ensure a press release gets ignored is to send it to the wrong inbox. Studies have shown that people will ignore 100% of the press releases that aren’t sent to them.Did you catch that? Before hitting send, make sure the file is going to the right person. This could mean double-checking the spelling of the email, or that the email is for the right department.You wouldn’t want to send a press release to a company’s customer service email. Don’t overlook this minute detail!
4. It’s not newsworthy. Sending a press release just for the sake of sending out a press release is a waste of your time, our time, your resources and our resources.  These written pieces should be about company news. Topics that are release worthy include high-level position changes within a company, a brand new product, and industry-related awards.  Don’t even try to use a release simply for the purpose of link building. Google has their googly eyes on you!
5. It’s a slow-starter. Reporters can read up to 100 press release-filled emails a day. Yes, per day!  Thanks to this popularity, press releases need to captivate right from the start. And by “the start” we mean beginning with the headline. A headline should be brief, straightforward and creative. Provide a solid idea of what the press release is presenting, but also don’t be afraid to think outside of the box.  The first paragraph of the piece should be concise and forthright. Provide the facts right off the bat and avoid writing a vague intro that would be more fit for a blog. Get the ball rolling quickly and no reporter will be able to ignore your captivating words.

Is your newsworthy filled 1 pager headed straight towards Snooze Ville? Take notes on a few of these reasons why your press release is being ignored. Apply a few of these, and your announcement could become headline news. (Give us a call when that happens.)