Tidbit Press Release – Is your release too short?

While some press releases seem slow, others may be too short. Don’t make this mistake! News announcements should be long enough to get your point across and educate publishers and the general public. Most press release writers realize this, which is why thousands of companies turn to a professional news writer instead of writing their own.

Consider this… a press release should be attractive to news publishers. These can be publishers of newspapers, websites, or even magazines. An editor will view your pitch as one of the lead stories in the niche or as filler news. He’ll want the release to be long enough to meet the post’s word count requirements. A good rule of thumb is to make your release at least 300-400 words or longer. This will depend on how much detail is needed to get your point across and will vary from version to version. The key is to pretend you are an editor reading your story and try to read it objectively. Even if you hire a press release writer, put yourself in the editor’s shoes when reading your draft. If you’re still not sure, have a friend read it aloud to you.

While publishers can add to your PR story, you need to provide enough information to spark interest and get your creativity flowing. And always leave it open for an interview either by phone or e-mail. Some editors like to include a lot of direct quotes in their stories and can’t make them up themselves.

Make sure your release covers all the main questions: who, what, when, why and how

Also, don’t be afraid to include details like the date, time, place, and people. Press releases flow through the media on a daily basis and publishers are always on a tight schedule to publish the most up-to-date material. A release with a defined purpose and date demands that it be published immediately, giving publishers a sense of urgency if they find your story compelling enough to publish.

In conclusion, make sure your press release gets to the point quickly, but also reveals the full purpose of your ad. If you’re having trouble creating a press release on your own, you should definitely hire a professional writer who understands how to put together a well-written release. The publicity you will receive from a professional pitch will be well worth the investment.