Early in my career, I worked at a PR agency on a large technology account. One of my mentors was Gary Grossman, an incredibly smart communicator who didn’t have to wave his arms or speak in a loud staccato voice to make an impression. When Gary talked, people listened.
One of the most valuable things Gary taught me was how to write a press release that would actually generate coverage. He shared with the account team his “Ten Commandments of Press Release Writing” and it’s been my go-to checklist for nearly every press release I’ve written over the last 18 years (thank you, Gary!)
With Gary’s permission, I’m publishing his Ten Commandments here on the WordMaven Marketing blog, because his tips are still valuable today. I’ve made some edits and updated a few things, but these rules still apply for creating an effective press release or story pitch that will generate coverage.
1. Thou shalt be newsworthy
We’ve all seen press releases announcing…nothing. Is it any surprise they don’t get coverage? Be sure to stress what’s new and why it’s significant. If your pitch or press release isn’t compelling, the editor will go no further. Topics that have little impact on their readers – such as announcing a new VP – are not likely to be covered.
Make sure you wait until you have something with enough substance to issue a release. It’s a journalistic sin to issue a press release without compelling news.
2. Thou shalt recognize less is more in thy editors’ eyes
Press releases or PR pitches are often long and complicated—especially in the B2B technology or industrial space. Editors receive hundreds, if not thousands, of press releases every week. They appreciate a pitch or release that’s brief and to the point.
Limit your release to 600-800 words, not including the boilerplate. If you can’t share your news in 800 words, you don’t know how to say it. Keep refining the story until you have it down to the limit. That said, give enough detail of the news so your editor knows why it’s important to their readers. Editors only print what they think will interest their readers.
3. Thou shalt make a first good impression
Editors are just like us when they look at stories: they start with the headline. It should be exciting and dynamic, and immediately convey why this news is important.
Make sure the first 10 words of the release are effective, as they are the most important after the headline. They must summarize the release, with the following paragraphs providing more details. That’s why starting a release with “X company, the leading provider of XXX, today announced…” is a big no-no. Get to the news first.
4. Thou shalt never be a bore
“If you read this, I’ll pay you $500.”
Now that’s a lead! It does what a lead should do: it makes the document stand out. Pick a lead that fits the story. Don’t settle for a lead that makes the reader ask, “So what?” or “Who cares?” Make sure the release is conversational rather than technical and full of jargon. Use short sentences and paragraphs so the release can be read easily and quickly.
5. Thou shalt not commit hyperbole
Cut any claim that can’t be proven and provide facts editors can report. Delete the words “revolutionary” or “first” unless you are absolutely sure it really is. Stick to logical and substantiated claims, avoiding statement of belief: “We’re the best, the cheapest,” etc.
At best, hype in press releases or a PR pitch will be ignored as speculation. At worst, it will cast doubt on whatever news you have. Releases need to inform people, NOT sell them something. Selling is the role of other types of content. A release is meant to inform the customer exactly how the product will benefit their lives.
6. Thou shalt avoid BS
This is the rule against buzzwords: no more “solutions!” It is the most overused word in press releases today. Companies used to sell products; now they sell “solutions.” Similarly, if a product is revolutionary, that will be evident from the story, rather than declaring it. Meaning, some things are best said OF you, rather than BY you. Let the editor write it, not you. When veteran editors and broadcasters see these words, they usually move on to the next pitch or press release.
Also strictly limit or avoid using terms like “collaboration,” “empowerment,” “enabling,” “robust,” “customer-centric,” “leading,” “mission-critical,” “leverage,” “value added,” “end-to-end,” “best in class,” “seamless,” etc. Yes, I just made it a lot harder to write your press release, but you’re not looking for easy; you’re looking for effective.
7. Thou shalt rejoice in simplicity
State the story as simply and factually as you can, avoiding flowery language. Beware of complex sentences, and always be thrifty with your words. Use simple declarative sentences: Subject-verb-object. If an adjective is absolutely necessary, that’s fine. But be careful about the words you use. They are like pearls, carefully chosen; even more carefully worn.
8. Thou shalt strive for clarity
Consider this sentence: “The underlying server-based location of components and the technology use is completely transparent to the requester of the service.”
What in the world does that even mean? It means, “Complexity is masked so the system is easy to use.” Boom – done.
A clear, concise statement of news is more easily written into an article (and that’s what you’re aiming for). Remove unnecessary words that don’t add anything but length. If you can cut out dead words, you’ll have more room for words that add value.
9. Thou shalt remain focused and concise
By now, you’re starting to see a trend. Keep the news in your release to one or two main elements. You don’t have to pack everything in there. For example, a release announcing a new customer, product momentum, new functionality, and upgraded features is ineffective, because each element is diluted by the others.
10. Thou shalt use A.P. Style
Journalists learn very early in their careers to forget everything they ever learned in grammar class. The Associated Press Stylebook (AP Style) becomes their guide. It differs in many ways from grammatical rules that “non-journalists” learn in school. It’s important to write in journalist style because it shows respect for the journalist’s world.
And since you’ve read this far, here are two BONUS commandments from me:
11. BONUS #1 – Thou shalt make it easy for the editor
If you follow all the above commandments, you’ve got a head start on this one. Your goal is to get coverage of your news, so make it as easy as possible for the editor to write the story quickly. Journalists are more time-strapped than ever, covering multiple beats and expected to produce error-free articles in record time. If you write your press release as if you were the journalist, then he or she won’t need to spend a lot of time crafting it into an article.
Similarly, if you’re pitching a story, have all the building blocks of the story lined up for the editor: customer reference, prebriefed analyst to provide commentary, 3rd party facts, art (images or charts), etc. You will get more coverage when you do more of the legwork involved in creating the final story.
12. BONUS #2 – Thou shalt always tell a story
Yes, this seems to go against all the preceding commandments but stay with me on this. Whether it’s a fiction bestseller or an effective press release, there’s one thing both documents have in common: they tell a story. Human beings are natural storytellers and because of that, we’re story listeners, too. Before the written word was invented, we passed down knowledge via verbal stories told over and over.
I’m not saying you should consider your release or pitch a literary effort. What I am suggesting is edit with a critical eye toward painting a picture with words. Your product was designed to solve a real problem, so share that problem in vivid terms. Create some drama and tension to show why the problem matters and why your product is the hero for solving it. Don’t be a slave to the same old tired verbiage.
So, there you have Gary Grossman’s 10 Commandments, plus a couple of my own. I guarantee if you write and edit your press release or story pitch with these guidelines in mind, you’ll be more successful in generating coverage.
If you have any other guidelines or tips for compelling press releases or story pitches, please share below!