By Helen Weedon, Managing Director, Radical Moves
Many of our clients are technical companies serving the broadcast and satellite industries. As with any other business, they of course need to keep their target audience updated with their latest and greatest ideas. However, taking technical concepts and getting them into a press release in the right way to maximise its reach can sometimes be a challenge. You can read press realise created by Radical Moves on our news page
Why would you issue a Press Release?
There are many reasons you would want to write and issue a press release. First and foremost a press release should be about getting your news out to the media, and with that your target audience. Remember, they have the reach that your website likely doesn’t. That said, press releases can also improve SEO by adding content to your website as well as increasing the chance of reputable companies linking back to your site. However, like eating bananas, too many press releases aren’t a good thing.
When would you issue a Press Release?
A press release tells a story in a particular way, but you must first have a story to tell. A new product or partner can be a great source of interest to those in your industry. Also, if you are attending an event and will be demonstrating something of interest or launching something new, that too could be interesting to others attending the event. However not everything that is exciting to you is newsworthy. Does it have a big impact for your customers? Will it change the way they work or offer them new opportunities to improve efficiency, save costs etc? Does it deliver strong evidence that you know what you are doing? If it is not newsworthy enough, there are other ways to get updates out to your target audience, such as a blog post, newsletter, or via social media.
Laying out a Press Release.
Traditionally press releases are laid out in short factual paragraphs starting with the really important points and finishing with the finer details. Bear in mind that journalists get huge volumes of press releases every day. If they don’t know why it is news by the end of the first paragraph, it will likely end up in the trash. Equally, often press releases can be cut short when printed so if all the pertinent information is at the top, that makes life easy for the journalist.
Keep it factual.
You may think that your new-fangled widget is the best thing since sliced bread, but stick to the facts. Publications charge for advertising so don’t make it sound like an advert. And certainly don’t make claims you can’t substantiate – first, best, fastest, etc.
Adding quotes.
This is where you can add a bit of creative flair. Whilst telling the readers about the facts of your new development, your customer, or chosen spokesperson, may comment that it is the best thing ever and they can’t live without it. Quotes add interest and legitimacy to your story.
Choosing your audience.
You have to be pragmatic here. Everyone loves the idea of appearing in Forbes or Techcrunch, but do those publications care that you have launched an update to a product used by broadcasters? The chances are you will be ignored, along with many future press releases. Only send it to relevant publications.
Adding links
With many Press releases going online, why not add a few links in the top paragraph to improve your SEO. They are easy enough to remove if the publication wants to.
Spelling and Grammar
This has to be spot on. The editor isn’t going to want to publish spelling mistakes and, unless you’re a major player like ‘Apple’ or ‘Microsoft’, they probably aren’t going to go out of their way to correct it.
Getting a professional to do it
Radical Moves is an agency that specialises in writing press releases for the broadcast and satellite industries. We will advise and help you tell a story in a compelling way, increasing the likelihood of being picked up. Furthermore, we know where to send it. Radical Moves will also give you advice on furthering the story where relevant. This could be finding a good angle for an article or setting up meetings with the press, for example. Get in touch to find out more.