A study by the Oriella PR Network found that approximately 75 percent of “targeted” press releases were still useful according to an article from PRNewser.
As a reminder, follow these crucial tips to ensure your press releases don’t go unnoticed:
1. Find the appropriate contact. Pinpointing the contact that will care the most about your message is vital. Journalists are pressed for time. If you send your press release to the wrong person, chances are the message you have painstakingly taken the time to craft will progress no further. If you don’t know for sure who to send it to, find out!
2. Proofread, proofread, PROOFREAD! Grammatical errors damage your credibility. We have all read an article and found a typo that leads us to question the integrity of the writer or the publication. Journalists will do the same to you if they find a press release riddled with mistakes.
3. Give them a reason to care. Sending out press releases when they aren’t warranted is another way to earn a less than desirable reputation for you or your organization. If your message has been seen before, find a way to make it relevant. When in doubt, research, research, research!
The press release’s numbers may be down from the year before, but it’s not gone. Traditional public relations practices are still pertinent to know in a world of emerging new media.
