StuntWomanInAPencilSkirt
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02:20:42 pm on January 11, 2010 |
The best way to make sure that your news releases put journalists to sleep, (that is if they even read them), is to write long, wordy, dry, and non-descriptive texts that nobody cares about, and that have just about as much excitement as a vanilla ice cream cone has next to 31 flavours of rainbow coloured gelato.
(Zzz…)
I can promise you that if you write never ending sentences that go on and on, that do not paint a mental picture, that do not inspire or motivate your readers to take any action, or even leave them feeling lifted by what they have read, you will lose their attention after the first sentence, even if it is a paragraph long, because they will need to come up for breath especially if they are reading aloud to their friends, colleagues, coworkers, or pets.
(EXHALE…)
Furthermore, I can not stress enough the necessity in which one must compose their texts, albeit a professional tone may seem relevant however fifty dollar words may be used creatively if were you a rap artist in Compton, or a slam poet in Greenwich Village, yet the purpose here is not to alienate your audience but rather to engage them and stimulate their perhaps already over charged minds, is it not?
(Exhale again, followed by a confused slap on the head.)
Content is everything and the media is looking for a good story. Writing a press release about a new newspaper stand that has opened up on the corner of Bank and Fifth Avenue may seem exciting to its owner, but the truth of the matter is, why should anyone care?
Would you consider the following blurb “news?”
‘Mr. Smith’s newspaper stand on the corner of Bank and Fifth Avenue specializes in selling newspapers to the public. He is thrilled about his new business.’
(So what?)
A good release needs a hook.
‘Mr. Smith aims to get people off their laptops and back into the streets with Ottawa’s only vintage newsstand. “My business is not just about selling papers, it’s about revitalizing an old- fashioned forum for dialogue in our community.”’
What you write in your release is crucial. How you write it is even more important. Use a clear voice and descriptive words. Don’t expect day-to-day business to be seen as news, because it isn’t. Identifying the problem that you are attempting to solve is a good beginning. Providing information on how you intend to solve it is even better…especially if it is innovative and cutting-edge.
