Introduction
A press release is a document which is published in order to get your business or product noticed by journalists and the public. The purpose of a good press release format is not just to inform, but also highlight something you wish to promote. Whether it be a new product launch, an exciting new campaign, or even just your company's latest achievements – all of these can be effective when written accurately and professionally. But there are some mistakes that amateur press release writers often make. Here are seven common mistakes made by amateur press release writers:
Writing for a broader audience.
When you're writing a press release, it's important to remember that your target audience is not just the people who will read it. You need to write for media and search engines as well.
You may be tempted to write in a way that appeals only to other marketers or business owners—but this won't work when trying to break through the noise of other PR efforts. If someone comes across your article on their own, they might be confused by all of the technical jargon in your prose (and they should expect some of it!), so try making sure each sentence sounds like something an actual human being would say instead of "marketing speak."
Not writing news that is of interest to the media.
Don't send out a press release template that is not newsworthy. If you have something to share, but no one will care about it, then don't waste your time sending it out to the media.
Don't send out a press release that is not relevant to the media you are sending it to. This can be especially tricky if there are multiple outlets who could potentially cover your story, so make sure each one knows what they're missing by not including their name in any way (e.g., "XYZ Company" instead of just "Company").
Make sure each piece of content in your release includes keywords related directly back towards your business or industry so search engines can find them easily when users start searching for relevant information on those topics--and if possible include hyperlinks within those pieces as well!
Writing in a pushy or self-promotional way.
You should avoid writing in a pushy or self-promotional way.
Write to the media, not to yourself. Your press release is meant for someone else – someone who may be unfamiliar with your company and its products/services. If you can't keep it simple and clear, don’t even bother sending out any releases at all!
Keep it simple and don’t try to impress the reader. Avoid using jargon or industry terms unless you are writing for an audience that understands them (and even then, keep things as plain English as possible).
Failing to get their message across.
Using jargon or industry-specific language. This is a big one, and it’s easy to get lost in the weeds of “industry speak.” However, if your audience doesn’t know what you mean by something, they won't understand your message either.
Not using words that are too long or complicated. If a word needs more than two letters or syllables (like “or" or "is"), then it's probably going to make your release hard for people who have limited reading comprehension skills (like yours truly). Also keep in mind that readers will skim over material they don't need to read—and if they skip over something important? You've lost them!
Not using acronyms at all costs! Acronyms are used by companies as shorthand for their products/services/organizations; however there's no need to use them in the body text of an announcement because most audiences aren't familiar with these terms yet anyway so why risk alienating potential customers?
Failing to personalise their press release.
The most important thing to remember when writing a press release is that it should be focused on the reader, not you. If you want your readers to take action after reading your press release template, they need to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves and can relate their own story or experience with yours.
To achieve this goal, use their name and address in the first sentence of every paragraph (or at least start with some form of salutation). It also helps if there’s an easy way for them to contact you - either via email address or phone number - so make sure those details are included somewhere within your text as well!
Not having a hook, angle or story.
An effective media release example is one that grabs the attention of readers and makes them want to read more. It's important to have a hook, angle or story that will get your reader excited about reading your release.
A good hook can be anything from a funny anecdote or an interesting factoid (such as "I got my first tattoo at age 7"). A great example of this is how The Onion used satire as their "hook" in their first ever article:
""For today’s generation, growing up seems like it’s never going away — which is why we need some ways to keep our youth entertained by keeping them off the streets."
Forgetting the basics
Forgetting the basics.
Including a contact name and number.
Including an image or graphic with your press release. You can use this to help readers understand what you are talking about, but make sure it isn't too busy and distracts from the rest of your content!
Using active voice instead of passive voice for sentences and paragraphs (e.g., "I am pleased to announce that..."). This makes it easier for people who aren't familiar with writing business communications, since they will understand why something happened in those words rather than having someone tell them why something happened by using passive phrases like "was announced."
Takeaway:
A catchy, memorable takeaway statement. Your press release needs a takeaway that will help readers remember what you're talking about and get them excited about it. This can be as simple as "The top 10 reasons why X is better than Y."
A call to action. The last part of your sample press release template should be an offer for readers to take action—whether they want to learn more or make a purchase, or both! If they don't do anything after reading the entire thing, then there was no real point in writing it in the first place (unless there's some kind of reward system involved).
Promise of solution/solution offering/solution benefits
Conclusion
These are just some of the mistakes that amateur event press release template writers make. They can be easy to make, but if you keep these tips in mind, your chances of getting published will increase dramatically.
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