Published on
20 May 2014 19:14 GMT
Press Release Mistakes Can Have a Severe Impact on Your Brand Image
Writing a press release doesn’t seem like a difficult job. You’ve got a story, you’ve got sufficient information, and you’ve got a good press release distribution list. You draft it, proof read it, and spread it all round. However, when you measure the results, you’re disappointed. What went wrong? Why couldn’t you achieve what you desired?
The truth is that most press releases that you write are yet to achieve the perfection that is required for them to catch people’s attention. You write press releases that appeal you but may not interest other readers. Common PR mistakes are still being committed by almost every brand but the new and upcoming ones are more likely to commit them. Are you still making these mistakes? Let’s check it out.
Lack of information
This is one of the biggest mistakes that most companies make. It is very easy to draft a press release of 800 words but it is very difficult to fill it with worthy content. Many times you think you have really interesting information that people would like to know. However, the truth is that not everyone is interested. A business journalist may not be interested in the recent CSR activity that you hosted, whereas a city reporter may not be interested in knowing about your financial results.
If your press releases sound boring and more like sales copy that are full of hype and promotional language, they are sure to be ignored. Audiences are very smart and do not prefer reading just anything that they come across. If you want your news to be read, write something informative without blatantly advertising.
Not using the inverted pyramid style
Even if you have something worthy, if you don’t know how to present it, you are committing a costly mistake. The inverted pyramid style of writing is strongly recommended for press releases. You write the most important information at the top, followed by less and then, the least important information. No matter how interesting your release is, people will rarely read it till the end. It is now proven that most people just read the first few lines of any content and therefore, your opening lines and title should be information packed. This way, you will have more chances of people getting your information and not skipping it.
Not experimenting
Yes! Why do you hesitate from experimenting? Why stick to the same boring style of writing? Why not include the links of your social profiles and let people get complete details of what you are and what you have been doing these days? People love innovation. They would love it if you provide them something entertaining and creative to do. They will appreciate if you don’t waste their time and make it easier for them to do their research and draft their copy.
These are just a few mistakes that brands frequently make, thereby degrading the effectiveness of their press releases. To find out more about how to draft effective press releases, keep reading our blog.
