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Mickie Kennedy of eReleases.com used the subject line "7 Reasons Your Press Release Sucks" in a recent email and I thought it was the best attention grabber - so I used a variation here! That slap-in-the-face headline was irresistible, and of course is a great example of - yes, a great headline. Case in point for one of the items he discussed in his message. I'll summarize here what he had to say:
- TMK: Too many keywords. Yes, you can have too much of a good thing. Use keywords, but judiciously. Make sure your release reads well and isn't weirdly overloaded with your carefully researched words and phrases.
- Too sales-y: If your press release reads more like a sales pitch, pull back and tone it down.
- Too many releases: The plethora of free distribution services makes it tempting to send out multiple releases. Remember that a multitude of poorly conceived or poorly written releases can hurt your image.
- Too long: The first paragraph should include the classic who, what, when, where, why & how. Add to that whatever extra information is relevant in the next few paragraphs, and keep it short overall.
- Too much jargon: If you use acronyms or terms of art, define them.
- Boring headline: 'Nuff said.
- Typos: Proofread, do something else, then come back and proofread again. THEN send your release out.
Ann Baker is CEO of Publicity Pros, and creator of the small-business publicity building services PR-123, SocialMedia-123, and WebTraffic-123. She is a Savor Mastermind Leader for Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Costa Mesa in Southern California. She can be reached at Ann@PublicityPros.net.
7 Reasons Your Press Release Sucks
August 12, 2010
