Doing your research

Before you even start to write your copy, make sure you have:

• Identified the target market and key journals. Who are you aiming your release at? If you want to attract more business from a particular sector then write for their journals, not yours. If you just write for your own trade media, then the only people who will read it are your competitors!
• Studied the style of the journal and copied it. If the writing style is in keeping with the journal you are sending it to, you will increase your chance of publication. Remember if technical stories are favoured then don’t send lightweight chatty pieces. You are wasting your time and your work will never see the light of day.
• Checked on the copy deadline. All media lives and dies by its ability to consistently meet deadlines. Make sure your work is received well in advance of the deadline and you will increase your chances of them using it.
• Looked at the feature lists. All trade and business-to-business publications provide information on specialist features they will highlight over 12 months. If your area of expertise fits into one of these features, contact the Editor and ask what story angles they are looking for. Offer to write something for them and check how many words they will need. Don’t forget, you must be able to meet their deadline.

Lay out your work professionally and with clear contact details. Don’t send them hastily scribbled bullet points because the only place these will end up is in the bin!

Published or binned?

Unless you have been specifically commissioned to produce a piece of work, it is very difficult to find out whether the press release you sent them will be published.  

National trade editors receive more than 300 press releases every day, so just think how they will react when you ring to find out whether the release you sent them two weeks previously will be published.  

The following suggestions should help you avoid the wrath of the Editor! 

• The easiest way to monitor your success and failure rates is by commissioning specialist press cutting agencies who employ ‘readers’ to track press cuttings in the journals you specify, which are then sent on to you with details of dates of publication.
• You have identified new developments since you sent the original copy and if the editorial is to be published, the new information will need to be included. This is a perfectly legitimate reason to contact them. 
• If they had already decided to publish it, they will be pleased with the extra information.  But if they weren’t going to publish, the new information may be just that little bit extra they were looking for and so they will now publish it. 

The real danger of mixed messages

Writing a press release or, even better, a case study about the latest successful project you’ve completed for your customer is a great way of raising your profile and attracting additional business from that same industry sector. But, before you sit down at your keyboard and write about the magnificent services you offer and how your customer has benefited, STOP and heed this word of caution: if you haven’t got your customer’s signature approving the editorial that’s going to press you could be in for a nasty shock – when they turn round and sue you.

Sounds unlikely? Not when you think about it! Companies do not like information about themselves being issued without their permission. After all, would you want your competitors reading your business and marketing plans for the next twelve months?