Are You Making These Press Release Writing Mistakes?
A key ingredient to effective press release distribution is crafting compelling content that speaks directly to its target audience and captures the attention of the media.
To consistently develop and distribute newsworthy press release content, everyone from seasoned writers to a novice should spend time refining their craft to improve their press release writing abilities.
In this blog, we’ll help you do just that by covering:
- The benefits of consistent press release distribution
- 8 press release writing mistakes to avoid
What are the benefits of consistent press release distribution?
Just like you don’t expect results after one workout, you can’t expect results after distributing one press release.
Both instances require a level of consistency to meet and exceed goals.
For press release distribution, in particular, a consistent cadence of newsworthy press releases is an excellent way for brands, both public and private, to build awareness, expand their digital footprints, attract website traffic, create trust with their target audience, generate leads and more.
8 Press Release Writing Mistakes to Avoid
There’s no structure.
Your press release format can either make or break your story. Press releases that lack structure can have readers feeling like they’re stuck in a maze aimlessly trying to find the exit.
To be sure that your next press release campaign is structured correctly and flows effortlessly, refresh yourself on the basics of the inverted pyramid.
Whether you’re unfamiliar with the inverted pyramid or would like to brush up on the basics our blog post, “A Guide to The Inverted Pyramid Press Release” has all the information you need.
Writing boring headlines.
Your headlines are the first thing people see when scrolling on the internet. Hook and reel them in to read with a headline that stops their scroll.
Here are a few tips for creating attention-grabbing headlines:
- Use numbers
- Be specific
- Use active voice
- Proper punctuation
- Create urgency
- Don't sell
- Be unique
Read our “Press Release Headline Tips” blog for all the details on these tips.
Overlooking SEO Opportunities.
When you distribute a press release, you better your chances of creating high-quality backlinks which can help build your brand’s visibility online. To reap the search engine optimization (SEO) benefits of writing and distributing a press release, consider the following:
- Start with a newsworthy topic. When writing a press release, always keep your target audience in focus. By doing so, you’ll uncover interesting angles that will provide your readers with value.
- Choose a relevant SEO keyword. A good rule of thumb when writing a press release is to choose one keyword per campaign. Always include your keyword in the headline, first paragraph and at least one or two additional times throughout the body of your press release.
- Add photos and/or video. High-quality multimedia adds depth to your press release. That’s because you can connect the dots of your main message and bring your point home with an informative video, for example. Not to mention, images and videos increase the odds of your content getting shared on social. The more a piece of content is shared, the more search engines will take notice and mark your content as valuable. When this happens, search engines point users to your content as a top result for particular search queries.
Not paying attention to content length.
The length of a press release is like a Goldilocks situation. You don’t want it to be too short or too long, just right. That said, the word count of your press release should be anywhere between 400 and 500 words.
Including lackluster quotes.
The quotes you include in your press release campaigns are more important than you think. That’s because quotes are easy to pull when the content’s shared. When drafting quotes, make sure they’re either from a senior executive in your company or a topic matter expert. Spend time writing quotes that are full of value and light on fluff language like industry jargon, for example. Your quotes should elevate the rest of your press release’s content by including additional details and information.
Skipping links.
Repeat after us: Every press release should include links.
Including links in your press release campaigns is an excellent way to drive quality and targeted traffic back to your website.
There’s some strategy that goes into including links in your press release. This includes making sure the anchor text (this is the clickable text in the content) is an SEO keyword you’re trying to rank for.
Relevancy is a major key in improving the odds that both pieces of content (your press release and what you’re linking out to) will rank for those keywords.
Ignoring performance.
Your campaign’s performance is worth its weight in gold. That’s because the data you extract from past press releases can be used to inform your strategy in the future.
Keep an eye on performance to identify what’s working, what’s not, and what you should double down on in your next campaign.
Choosing the wrong wire service.
Let’s face it, for the most part, every wire service out there offers the same services.
The difference maker is the effectiveness and the cost.
At ACCESSWIRE, we deliver on both distribution value AND monetary value.
When you work with us, you never have to worry about being nickel and dimed to maximize your results.
What you see is what you get thanks to our flat-fee, predictable pricing.
Our tried and true press release distribution services have helped thousands of public and private companies break through the noise of an overcrowded market and secure their piece of market share.
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