By Steve Lundin/CEO BIGfrontier Communications Group;
[email protected]
The sad journey of the typical press release is not that of a
proud salmon, expiring on the final swim back to the birthing pool,
but of a wheelchair bound deaf mute being rolled out onto the
battlefield for combat. Better have a body bag ready. How did the
venerable document that created a path out of the secretarial pool
for ambitious office workers of the post-WWII generation become a
neutered, overwritten garbage can liner? It happened when the
crafting of the company news was placed in the hands of keystroke
managers, not writers, who had quotas to fill and Web site
"newsrooms" to populate. Here are four things to look for when
Harry Flack, your company's PR firm representative, delivers the
weekly allotment of releases to justify that five-figure monthly
retainer.
Overwritten: The typical press release is longer than
most articles because it's written like a spec sheet, not a news
story. For fear of missing a valuable "messaging point," releases
run on to lengths of 900-1300 words. Ask any reporter, you'll be
lucky if your company's release is read past the headline or the
first paragraph. It's impossible to cover up for bad writing by
overwriting. Tell Harry Flack that size matters and less is
more.
Boring: Most press releases are devoid of drama, which is
the essential element of storytelling, which, in turn, sells
newspapers and magazines (and even trade publications). Most PR
people can recite the AP stylebook like Billy Graham reading the
bible during a national prayer meeting, but think Shakespeare is
the name of a fishing reel company. Is your PR firm delivering
releases about your company that want to make you read more? If
not, send Harry Flack packing with a copy of Dostoevsky under his
arm.
Misses the point: Does your company exist in a vacuum?
Most press releases ignore the rest of the world and focus solely
on a company's product or service. Why? Because Harry Flack hasn't
taken the time to learn your industry, and may be working on five
different unrelated accounts at once. The best kind of release is
one that positions your company within the context of the real
world, and that takes some research.
Crying Wolf: Complaint numero uno (from any reporter who
will have cocktails with you) is the diarrhea of news that spills
across their desks. If your company is being advised to cry wolf
and send out a release every time your company's CEO goes to the
bathroom, get a new PR firm. Selectivity in news is just as
important as the dramatic element. Tell Harry Flack to toss out the
quota sheet and start reading editorial calendars. It's not about
the numbers, but number of hits.