Why Do Press Releases Fail?

Since I manage Imediafax, the Internet to Media Fax Service, many of you may recognize me. Over the course of a year, I send out more than a million faxes and emails to my clients. You may suppose that my news releases fail on a daily basis. This is not the case.

My answer is no. A lot of individuals are happy with the press releases I produce and distribute. My clients are pleased with the results of their outreach initiatives thanks to my help.

My issue is with the drafts of press releases that others provide me.

It takes a long time to fix the issues I notice in the press releases people send me. It's also a lot of work.

As a result of seeing many news releases fail, I have a better understanding of what to look for and how to solve it.

Having to spend so much time teaching clients how to deal with the media is a frustrating experience for me as a publicist.

The press release is where the rubber meets the road since this one piece of paper serves as the central point of contact for all media relations efforts. You cannot stress the value of a press release's copy. It must be free of any unfavorable concerns or circumstances that might diminish or obliterate media attention and reaction. The game is over if one mistake is made.

If you don't know what the issue is, then you can't fix it. I put in a lot of time and effort to make sure that none of my press releases get out with errors.

Often, when people submit me news releases, it takes a long time to identify and express the issues, and then more time to explain and negotiate all the word changes with the customers, and still more time to finish the news release and get it authorized for transmittal. This is a problem.

Let's face it; it's painful for everyone concerned. Since nothing means more to me than my customers' success, I'm not afraid to be harsh with them. When it comes to dealing with people, I don't flinch. As a result of this process, I've had to deal with a number of individuals with inflated egos who otherwise would have been quite successful in their respective fields. There are many individuals who believe they can write a press release. Very few of them are capable of doing so.

Simply put, they haven't paid enough attention to how the media reacts to their press releases to have picked up on common blunders. Continuous improvement cannot be used since they have not yet identified their faults.

This is where the heart and soul of the copywriting industry may be located. When a professional publicist authored the press release for the client, it became much more difficult. As a result, the customer now has the benefit of hearing from two experts who provide conflicting opinions. There are two options: "Make it hot" and "Cool it."What should I do as a public relations professional?

As a result, my reasons for writing this post are purely self-centered. I'm reducing the amount of time I'm putting into it. Please, please, please give me news releases that can be fixed in less time and effort. For each and every news release that doesn't have these issues, I'll be able to spend more time doing the things that are more profitable for my clients and I.

All of the problems on this list have been cited as causes for a press release's failure. Based on more than two decades of dealing with the aftermath of a news release, here is what I've learned throughout that time.

Here are some of the most prevalent reasons why a news release doesn't go over well:

You put up an ad in the newspaper. It's not even close to a press release. It generates revenue. However, there is nothing of interest or value to be gained by reading it.

You wrote for a minority of the audience, not the majority. To compete in the media, you must write for a wider audience than the one you're targeting.

Rather than focusing on the media audience, focus on yourself. Instead of focusing on what the editor and his or her readership will be interested in, you concentrate on your company and marketing.

There are a few things you might have done better. (WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, AND WHY IS THE AUDIENCE INTERESTED.)You failed to explain to the media why this would be of interest to the target audience.

Your writing is too long and deep in content. Instead of focusing on the most significant concepts, topics, variables, facts, and news angles, you got bogged down in the nitty gritty. You don't seem to care about the real-world consequences of your fiction.

Your press release has a font size so tiny that the editor requires a magnifying glass to read it because you crammed too much content into one page.

The editor was distracted from your main point by logos and other non-persuasive low-value visuals. An uncommon fancy typeface or file format that turns to gibberish when sent via fax machine may also have been employed by you in the past.

Instead of proposing the concept to the media and demonstrating why the media audience would be interested, you prepared a personal opinion piece for publication.

There was a lack of context in your description of characteristics and facts. Tell a tale based on the experiences of actual individuals. Human interest is a nice touch.

I like how you tied in someone else's success with your own. It's time to move on. Don't be a bystander to someone else's success. Bring light into your home by constructing it from scratch. Tell a tale that only you can tell.

You want your press release to be relevant to the current events in the world. You've already missed your chance. You've already lost the battle. It's time to put it out of your mind. Get ahead of the story.

Too much hype, self-congratulatory words of affirmation, trite phrases, or jargon were used in your piece. Remove it from your life.

It's possible that you've seen previous media coverage, indicating that this isn't a brand-new problem. Remove it from your life. Take a step back and let each piece of news speak for itself.

Despite your best efforts, you came out as nave, uninformed, prejudiced, flippant, arrogant, or all of the above. Reduce the volume. Straighten up.

You made unclear and unproven statements, or wild and outlandish accusations, or added a comment that merely irritates the media. 16. Get rid of them!

You're trying to stand out for all the wrong reasons, and it's showing. It's time to put it out of your mind. Don't exaggerate or exaggerate your achievements. Don't be afraid to be yourself.

It was more like a letter to the editor than a feature item, with your rant and ravings over something. The greatest way to get what you want is to put in the time and effort necessary to get it.

You have no credibility whatsoever. Perhaps your thoughts aren't well-considered, or you've presented tired stuff, or you're too radical or provocative, or you're just unqualified to speak on the subject. You may not be an expert or knowledgeable enough to make the comments in comparison to others in your field.You need to demonstrate your suitability for the position by providing relevant and accurate information.

Your contact information was not up to snuff. In order for interested journalists to reach you and get the greatest possible attention and reaction from you, you must designate the best single point of contact and the proper phone number. One contact person, one phone number, no fax, one email address, and one website URL are all that are needed to get things done (with no long string addresses).

There was no obvious media call for action in your post. In your press release, you didn't explain what you wanted the media to do with it. Describe to your audience what you're asking for, proposing, or providing. Afterwards, you need to provide the media incentives, such as complimentary review copies or test samples or interview questions and answers or media kits with story angles or numbers or photos that are relevant to the narrative you want to tell.

twenty-one. You did not include or integrate a primary response method.You must provide a compelling reason for the editor to publish or mention your contact information, which will result in calls, traffic, interviews, or requests for further information. This generally refers to anything that the editor feels strongly about bringing to the attention of the reader's attention. Free problem-solving reports are available online.

The release was sent to the incorrect media outlet. As a marketer, it is important to know which media outlets your target audience consumes when they are in the ideal mindset to hear about your news and ready to take action when they do. Your publicist can help you find the ideal media outlets for your story.

It's possible to generate an enormous amount of media attention by sending out only one email or fax message. You don't follow up with anybody. Get down to business. Your media response rate might be tripled or quadrupled if you follow up effectively. Simply ask the editors, "What can I do to help with a feature article and satisfy your needs?"

As a last point, a bad attitude might be the most common cause of a press release's failure. What do you consider to be a successful or unsuccessful endeavor? It's a term for what we're dealing with here.

Get down to business. One press release will not make you wealthy. The odds of you becoming renowned are approximately the same.

It's possible that you'll make a profit.

Take a look at your investment and see whether it's enough to make you money. For a $500 outreach campaign, if you need to sell a total of 100 books, you will need to write ten articles. So that's what you're aiming for. Fewer articles will meet your demands if there are more books per piece.

Realistically, you may have to accept that although you are passionate about the issue, the broader audience may not be as enthusiastic as you are. If you think the national media will be interested in a local story you published, think again.

To get on the Oprah Winfrey Show, you'll need more than just a press release. Your odds of landing an appearance are minimal to none. Get down to business. Congratulations are in order if she calls. However, don't put your faith in it.

Don't be shocked if the only media contact is the advertising manager who is giving you a package deal for a feature article and interviews. In this case, you receive exactly what you asked for in the first place. Oftentimes, what you provide is what you receive.

Even if you do receive media attention, it may not be what you expected.Contact information is usually less likely to be included in larger publications.

There are many situations when the quality is there but the numbers are lacking.

It's possible that a few high-quality media reactions are all you need or desire. This is a major accomplishment.

One item from USA Today may outperform every ten pieces in a tiny midwestern daily or weekly.

Then again, it may not. High-quality, short-form stories have the potential to outshine mainstream media coverage in the larger outlets.

Additionally, a 30-minute interview on a popular talk program in the Midwest will certainly outsell a 5-minute interview on an Arbitron-rated radio station during a big metropolitan area's morning discussion show. You can't tell how well the crowd is listening.

Please check your press release against the following criteria to determine whether you've made any of these mistakes while writing it. Make your own changes, and then send me the final document as soon as you're finished.Take a peek at it when you're ready.

Listen to your publicist. Reduce your chances of failing by following these tips. In the event that you do not pay attention to these points, you do so at your own peril.