Believe it
or not a lot of construction product magazines charge you for printing your PR.
It’s true! They call it a colour separation charge. As a result it
really is up to you to get your PR right and properly engage with your
potential customers.
Here's a few pointers towards writing a successful press release.
1. Proofread. Write
your PR in word or similar to ensure that you’ve got the spelling and grammar
right. There’s nothing worse than spotting a mistake in your release once it’s
been printed.
2. Get
the headline right. This is the first thing that people read. Get this
right and people will read what you have to say. Get it wrong and they won’t.
3. Make
sure you are in there. There’s no point in paying for PR and then
not telling the potential reader who it’s from. It’s not editorial so you are
OK to include your business and product names but make sure you’ve read 11.
4. Is
it really news? Great. It’s a milestone for the company. One of your employees has ridden
around the World backwards. You’re launching a brand new product. Brilliant. Get
writing that press release. Oh, it’s just that you want some leads for your
product so you are telling people about it, there’s no real news as such. That’s
still OK. Many magazines have a product section and some are
dedicated to products alone. Just remember to pick the magazines running
features on areas of construction where your products are likely to be used and
you will be fine.
5. Is
it on time? I once saw a little PR that
had the words see us at Ecobuild in the text. Trouble was Ecobuild (a UK construction exhibition) had happened the
month before. On another occasion I read a little piece about an award someone
had won which hadn’t officially been awarded yet. Remember your timings and
check when the magazine will hit peoples desks and also what the shelf life is
for it. I know of at least one magazine that sits around for at least a couple
of months and is doled out at numerous shows.
6. Remember
the image. Now this is important. Without looking. What image is used on this post?
See get it right and you’ll attract many more people towards your little cube
of text on the page.
7. Tell
the world your story. What was that? You’ve been in business for how many
years? Congratulations. Now go tell everyone.
8. Don’t
give everything away. Got a new product? Its great? Sucker people in. Tell
them enough to entice them to interact with you. Offer them a brochure
or catalogue or ask them to visit a webpage for more information. Give them too much and they will think they
have all the info they need. They might do but they’re likely to forget it in
30 seconds.
9. Stick
to the Facts: This one is simple. Tell the truth and don’t
rubbish your competitors.
10. Remember
your word count. Yes you’ve paid for the PR but it only covers from 80 -120 words. This is
quite important. If you’ve written 500 your release will get chopped up and
served as a 120 word summary. The word count is different for many
magazines. Check the count and alter yours before you send it over to the
magazine. Otherwise someone who doesn't know your products will be altering it for you.
11. Don’t
use jargon. This is another simple one. Don’t use jargon and abbreviations unless you are
absolutely sure people will know what you mean. Nobody likes to feel stupid or
confused. If they do they will simply stop reading your PR. If you use product names make sure you explain what the product is.
12. Think about your keywords. You’ll see
why after reading the next point.
13. Send it out to the world Use the free
PR release sites online and promote it via social media and the news section of your website. See, now No12 makes
sense doesn’t it?
