How to write a press release, tips from a journalist

We get asked quite often what information journalists actually want in a press release. So, out we toddled and got in touch with a journo we know very well. Below is the interview we conducted. Hope you like it.

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Here we go then; 10 Yetis Interview with Journalist Louise Bolotin

One of the most frequently asked questions from small business owners who are unable to afford to hire a public relations person is, "What should I put in my release and how do I send it to journalists".

A Public Relations Agency such as ourselves will be able to waffle on for ages about what is the right and wrong way to do it and quite frankly, small business owners don't want to hear it from a PR agency; they want to speak to the main people, the journalists.

Louise Bolotin is a freelance journalist who also helps small businesses with their copywriting needs. She has written for the likes of The Guardian, Your Home and New Consumer and is certainly one of the friendliest journalists you could wish to meet.

Andy: If someone was looking to write a press release for the first time, what top tips would you give them?

Louise: There has to be a story! Just announcing that you've started trading is not a story. A story is you've started trading and you're offering free work experience to a local disabled person for two weeks. There really has to be an interesting element that we can we follow up and turn into an article.

What would you say is the maximum length for a press release before a journalist might nod off or delete it?

Louise: One side of A4 is more than enough. If we want more info, we'll be in touch to ask for it! Keep it short and snappy and relevant.

What one secret technique could a business owner use to make sure the release catches the journo's eye?

Louise: Keep it topical! If you can link your release to something else that's already in the news, we're more likely to be interested. For example, last summer I worked with a small business that makes workwear for women in manual trades and we were able to tie that to the great flood clear-up. They got some good press coverage as a result.

What is the best and worst day to issue a press release on?

Louise: Monday mornings and Friday afternoons are a no-no. There's not really a best time - if your news is very time-sensitive, you just need to get it out there quickly.

How do you prefer to receive press releases? Email, fax, post?

Louise: Journalists are highly suspicious of unsolicited attachments because of the risk of viruses, so always put your release in the body of an email. Faxing is a waste of time, it won't end up with the journo you want it to reach. Post has gone out of fashion because of email, but that means that a release sent by post just may catch a journalist's attention!

When you are starting out in public relations you hear all kinds of old-school scare stories about journos wanting to get releases in Arial size 12 font and only accepting releases when put in the main body of an email rather than an attachment, is there an industry standard?

Louise: Not really. The main thing is not to send attachments! Also, if you have pictures, don't send those either. Just say in the release that you have pix available and remember that anything below 300ppi is unusable for publication. If we want the pix, we'll get back to you. The other thing I really hate is being added to someone's mailing list when they didn't bother to check with me if I might be interested - today, for example, I received an unsolicited release from a travel company. I don't cover travel stories, so that was pointless!

One of the scariest things for business owners is making that first follow up call to a journalist. What tips can you pass on when it comes to ringing round... as a PR can I start by saying never say, "did you get my release", as everyone knows that winds the journo up.

Louise: Oh, boy, that is such a no-no! There's no need to phone just for that. It's ok to ring a few days later if you have more info to add or you just want a chat but remember to keep it short and to ask if it's a convenient time to call. Phone calls are always good just to cultivate a relationship, but make sure you can offer something, even if it's just to say "I might have some news on XYZ in two weeks' time".

How regularly do you think businesses should be issuing press releases?

Louise: The only rule here is only when you have something to say. I get about 100 releases in my inbox every day and only about 10 of them actually have something in them that might be worth following up. The rest are just hot air. So don't fire off releases just because you can, they'll just get deleted. But if you have real news, we do want to hear it!

What news gathering sources do you use, for example, PA, Reuters, DW Publishing, Gorkana etc?

Louise: I don't bother with PA and Reuters myself as I don't do news, only features. I use Gorkana and Response Source (DW Publishing). Like most freelances, I don't bother using those free sites you can upload releases to. They are for amateurs only and a lot of small businesses waste a lot of time sending releases to those sites, because sadly no journalist worth their salt bothers with them. My other useful tool is Bloglines, which I use for news feeds and blog feeds - I check it several times a day and sometimes I get ideas for features because of something I read in a blog.

The days of long boozy lunches with journos are long gone, sadly! Are you still ever partial to the odd sneaky lunch with a business owner to hear their story?

Louise: Yes, of course! Networking is vital for journalists and we are all keen to cultivate good contacts, especially if they are buying the drinks! But seriously, sometimes those meetings can be a lot more useful than a press conference.

Finally, ever thought of selling your soul to the devil and becoming a fully fledged PR?

Louise: Not really. It's a very different job. I do the occasional bit of low-level PR for small businesses, such as writing press releases or (more likely) copywriting their website for them. But if I do that, I can't do stories on them for the press because of the conflict of interest. Certainly not at the same time anyway. If the company is genuinely interesting and the PR job long since done and dusted I could be interested in doing a story at some point. I'm always interested in the story - I've been a journalist for almost 30 years so I'm unlikely to switch careers now!

To hear more from Louise, or to get an idea of how she can help your business visit www.plaintext.co.uk or email louise@plaintext.co.uk, or call 01244 341964.