Why your press releases aren’t working (and what to do about it)

Tired of your press releases being ignored by journalists? Here are some of the main reasons releases don’t get picked up, and how to make sure yours do.

As all marketing and comms professionals know, writing and issuing a press release is a great way to get free publicity for your business or brand – if it gets picked up by journalists, that is. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done these days, especially in a digital media landscape driven by clicks and advertising revenue.

The media’s penchant for clickbait is not always to blame, though. Beyond the tabloids, there’s a vibrant ecosystem of specialist publications, trade titles and local news outlets that rely on business-related content to function, and their journalists are constantly on the lookout for stories that will appeal to their audience.

With this in mind, there are a few key questions you need to ask (and answer) before you get down to the serious business of writing your release. There are also several common pitfalls that should be avoided at all costs, as certain bad habits could cause journos to hit delete before they’ve even finished reading your email.

Here are some of the reasons why said journos might be ignoring your news, along with a few rules of thumb for writing press releases with appeal.

You’re not saying anything new

You’re wasting your own time if you plan to write and send a press release that isn’t newsworthy. By which I mean it not only has to include actual news; it also has to feature news that has relevance beyond your business. How will it affect the public, or at least your customers? Is there any way you can tie the story into current affairs? Could it be given a seasonal twist?  

Have a look at your target media outlets and take note of the type of news they choose to cover. Find an angle that plays to your audience, and make sure this ‘top line’ is the very first thing your journalist contacts see when your email hits their inbox.

You’re coming across as too ‘salesy’

I’ve said it before (see the previous paragraph) and I’ll say it again: journalists are only interested in press releases that carry a genuine story. They don’t care about your organisation, and they will merrily bin a press release full of sales messages.

They’re looking for compelling content that their audience will want to read. So, keep it factual and avoid overt plugs for your business. If you remain focused on finding a sharp news angle, attention for your products or services will come organically.

You’ve given too much (or not enough) information

There’s no need to ramble or take circuitous routes to get to your point in a press release. If your story is worth sharing, you should be able to summarise it in one sentence. Ten words or fewer is perfect for a killer headline , which should give someone the gist of your whole release while enticing them to read more.  

When it comes to the body of your release, it’s best to keep it concise if you want anyone to actually read it. That said, journalists need enough content to form the basis of an article. ‘Concise’, in this context, equates to approximately 400 to 600 words, or between one and two A4 pages.

You haven’t sent high-res images

When I was a journalist, one thing guaranteed to stop me from covering a story was an unusable (or, worse still, the complete absence of a) supporting image. When you’re working to strict deadlines, there aren’t enough hours in the day to chase photos or go trawling through stock image libraries, so don't assume journalists will be willing to do your job for you.

Make sure you send everything they need off the bat. Sharing relevant, high-resolution, properly named pictures along with your press release will dramatically increase the chances of your story being published. Use WeTransfer or Dropbox when sharing multiple large files so the recipient can download them easily.

Your press release is not well written

Sometimes, as a journalist, a press release would land in my inbox that was so poorly written I couldn’t work out what it was about. Nine times out of ten, these releases got deleted because I didn’t have time to figure out what was going on and then rewrite the bloody thing.

A release that’s not only concise and factual but also well written is a godsend for most journalists. There are certain conventions and expectations that, when followed, make the process of covering a story much more straightforward, but these are not always obvious if you’re not a PR professional or former journalist yourself.

You’ll find plenty more pointers on writing press releases that get picked up in Chatty Duck Creative’s free downloadable guide. And if you’re still struggling, there’s no shame in calling the experts (that’s us!). We’ve written press releases that have been published by media outlets across six continents*, and we’d be happy to lend you our expertise.

* Why don’t you like us, Antarctica?

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