Are your press materials among the 3 percent to 45 percent that actually work?

How to write press releases, pitches and e-mailed releases that get the word out

Dear PR professional:

Depending on which study you look at, 55 percent to 97 percent of all news releases sent to media outlets are never used, according to Dennis L. Wilcox and Lawrence W. Nolte's Public Relations Writing & Media Techniques.

No wonder!

Most of the releases I review for my training programs and consulting work are old-fashioned, formulaic and dull.

Never mind the enormous changes in media technology, vast increases in information overload and almost complete transformation in readership habits. Virtually all the releases I see rely on the same writing techniques PR pros have been using since Ivy Lee invented the press release in 1906.

You'd almost think the folks who wrote these releases haven't learned anything about PR writing since they took PR 101 when they were 19 years old! No wonder PR managers say that one of the top two abilities lacking in entry-level PR pros is strong writing skills, according to a study by WorkInPR.

But we can't blame this entire problem on individual writers. Some of this is the industry's fault. We've adopted a clichéd, fill-in-the-blanks formula for writing press releases ("XYZ company today announced that ...") that makes every release look just like the one before it. This assembly-line approach has become the industry standard despite evidence that it's not as successful as fresh, thoughtful approaches. It certainly doesn't make your message stand out in the crowd of the 300 to 500 releases a reporter is likely to receive in a month!

So how can you create press releases and other media materials that are among the 3 percent to 45 percent that actually get the word out?

Now you can put together winning media relations materials with Ann's new toolkit, "Anatomy of a Press Release, Pitch and E-mailed Release."

With this toolkit, you'll be able to test your own copy against our checklists to make sure it includes everything it needs to include — in the right order, using the most effective approach — without including too much. You'll walk away with formats, do's and don'ts and rules of thumb for effective PR writing based on the latest research. They didn't teach you this in PR 101!

Specifically, you'll learn:

1. Three types of headline approaches to choose from — including two that may surprise you
2. Why the traditional news release might hurt your chances of getting good coverage
3. The secret to getting your story into Forbes
4. Dozens of examples from Silver Anvil-winning releases, including great headlines, decks and leads you can model
5. How to write the ultimate evergreen release that has an almost limitless shelf life
6. What kind of stories more than half of business-to-business editors are looking for. (This probably isn't what you're sending them!)
7. Six tips for writing a better headline
8. The most important word in your headline and how to make sure you're not burying it
9. How long your headline should be to communicate your point at a glance
10. Observations from media professionals who share their frustrations with today's news releases. (When was the last time you placed the word "leading" in front of the word "company," for instance?)
11. An essential element of a news release that many PR pros drop
12. Six tips for writing a better deck
13. Two old-fashioned, unsophisticated, formulaic lead approaches to avoid. (Chances are, you've used one of them this week)
14. The two W's every reporter wants to know — and how to put them where they'll do the most good in a news lead
15. A simple sentence to add to your lead that will demonstrate the value of your information to the reporter's readers
16. The magic number: How long should your lead be to entice an overloaded editor?
17. Two alternatives to the inverted pyramid that may generate more and better coverage for your topic
18. A quick test to run on your release to make your information more credible and interesting
19. Five tips for writing better quotes
20. Techniques for writing engaging soundbites to make the reporter want to call the subject matter expert for an interview
21. Ten tips for making your e-mailed releases more effective
22. How to write a subject line that gets your e-mailed release opened
23. A tool for staying out of the media outlet's spam filter. (Your release can't get the word out if it can't make it into your media contact's in-box!)
24. How can you beat the odds and impress your media contacts? Only 41 percent of pitches are considered good by news professionals, according to a recent survey.
25. A quick test to run on your pitch to make sure it's not so long that it will make the reporter's eyes glaze over
26. How to pitch to a BlackBerry
27. And more!

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Why learn this from Ann?

Admittedly, there are some skill sets that Ann lacks and some subjects about which Ann may be the last person on earth you should get advice from. (Her fondness for chocolate and for lying around on the couch probably means she'll never be a successful diet-and-exercise guru, for instance.)

But as the Public Relations Society of America's national writing coach, Ann has spent thousands of hours researching, developing, testing and sharing techniques for writing better media relations materials and otherwise improving your writng skills. Among other research projects, Ann reviews the PRSA Silver Anvil award winners each year, identifying world-class approaches to PR writing and sharing them with her clients and readers. In addition, Ann has:

• Taught more than 250 writing workshops to the PR pros at such organization as NASA, Nokia and Motorola
• Produced award-winning communications for such clients as Hallmark, the Mayo Clinic and Northern Funds
• Taught graduate writing classes for 10 years in her "spare time"

Each year, Ann spends hundreds of hours — several work weeks — researching and writing about communicating more effectively. Frankly, you don't have time to do that. After all, you have a job. (You have a life!) You can't commit hundreds of hours to spend finding ways to improve your PR writing.

Fortunately, the thousands of hours Ann has spent analyzing, reading and researching can cut hundreds of hours off your own learning curve.

Now you can learn the tricks and techniques Ann has used to earn more than 40 awards — including two IABC Gold Quills — in Ann's "Anatomy of a Press Release, Pitch and E-mailed Release" toolkit.

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Get ALL the tools you need to write a better release, pitch and e-mailed release.

"Anatomy of a Press Release, Pitch and E-mailed Release" toolkit is a collection of ready-to-use tools to jump-start your PR writing skills. You'll receive:

• "Anatomy of a Press Release, Pitch and E-mailed Release" cheat sheet of formulas and checklists — all the action steps of the "Anatomy of a Press Release ... " toolkit on one sheet of paper. Keep this checklist by your computer to use on every piece you write and edit. Our clients tell us that this job aide is one of the most valuable tools they use for applying new skills to their daily writing.
• More than 30 real-life samples to model — headlines, decks, leads and quotes from Silver Anvil Award-winning releases and pitches. Use their success secrets to develop and craft your own winning media relations materials.
• "Anatomy of a Press Release ... " audio workshop and guide. You'll be able to "attend" a workshop outlining the key elements of the "Anatomy of a Press Release ..." system.
• "Anatomy of a Press Release ..." manual — 45 pages packed with tricks, tools, techniques and tips for getting the word out through the media. Use this information to reinforce the skills you learn in the audio workshop. Plus: You'll get pages and pages of additional techniques and resources that just wouldn't fit into the workshop.
• BONUS: "Yes, You Can Make Your News Release Creative: How does John Armato sell his inventive releases to clients and the media?" In this bonus Q&A, you'll learn secrets from a master PR writer who successfully writes, gains approval for and places creative pitches and releases day in, day out.

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What do these people know that you don't know?

With the "Anatomy of a Press Release, Pitch and E-mailed Release" toolkit, you'll soon be writing PR materials that get the word out — just like these PR pros who have practiced Ann's techniques:

I came away with many new tips that immediately attained results — the first press release I wrote using your techniques landed a feature story in the Detroit News.

 

— Sharon Waldrop, director,

Fibromyalgia Association of Michigan

 

 

I truly believe that one tip I learned from Ann has enhanced the interest of the media at least threefold, as we received better media coverage than expected at several events.

— Carl Walton,

U.S. Postal Service

 

 

I've used one technique to promote my next radio interview. A publicist called me after getting an e-mail and commented it was a great promotion.

 

— Elisa Southard, APR

 

 

Want to know how to spice up your news releases? Try this jar of release salsa!"

 

— Michele Jimenez-Holtz,

public affairs specialist,

Plumas National Forest

 

 

Writing good press releases is an art, not a science. Having said that, there is a checklist and there are objective criteria you can apply to see if you're on track. Anyone who's been writing release after release and needs some inspiration will benefit from Ann's simple, well-reasoned suggestions. I've been writing press releases for 15 years and I got great new ideas that I was instantly able to incorporate into the next release I was writing.

 

— Peter Vertes,

publicity manager,

Cleveland Botanical Garden

 

 

Rather than write to a comfortable, historical template, I now focus on the recipients and find ways to rise above THEIR noise level.

 

— William S. McCue,

president,

Innovative Marketing Inc.

 

 

My releases are tighter and much more attention grabbing. I've received compliments from even the biggest critics. I learned more from Ann's workshop than from all the books I've read. This is down-and-dirty information that tells you all you need to know to write a great release. No fluffy stuff — just the tools you need to get the job done.

— Kim Schwalje,

public relations specialist,

National Comprehensive Cancer Network

 

 

Within days of receiving Ann's information, I had a press release to issue. An often-difficult publication did run my release. The editors even followed up on an offer of photos included in the e-mail and ran that too.

 

— Judy Gretsch,

director of communications,

Associated Builders & Contractors of Metro Washington

 

 

The information regarding e-mailed releases was extremely useful. I realized that I was making many of the mistakes that you highlighted. Now ... I'm able to craft my pitches for this medium. With the increase of anti-spam sentiment, it's important to know how to attract media attention from your e-mailed information and not create new enemies.

 

— Jennifer Starkey,

public relations coordinator,

Academy of General Dentistry

 

 

Ann's information delivers valuable ideas and insights into current press release writing styles and new methods of delivering pitches and news releases.

 

— Vikki Ford,

staff writer,

Truckee Meadows Community College

 

 

Ann's information is succinct and pragmatic; packed with solid, practical and professional tips to put into use immediately.

 

— Marta Kaufmann,

executive director of marketing and public relations,

Bucks County Community College

 

 

Good, solid information on how to get editors' attention.

 

— Martha Wilson,

John Lambert Assoiciates

 

 

Valuable information to help you get your point across to reporters and get your releases read.

 

— Tanya L. Nelson,

communications specialist,

Howard University

 

 

I had just gotten back into product publicity after about 10 years doing trade association and financial PR. Your course gave me a tremendous boost in understanding current practice.

 

— Evan Bane, APR,

public relations manager,

InPro Corporation

 

 

Whether you're new in business or an old hand, you can benefit from it.

 

— Larry D. White,

Alltel

 

 

The last time I wrote a press release was in 1994. When I stepped out of PR for a decade, my peers did not go on a hiatus with me. The profession grew. New ideas evolved as the marketplace changed. Your program was a great way to get back up to speed in a hurry.

 

— William S. McCue,

president,

Innovative Marketing Inc.

 

 

You'll be able to work faster because you'll have formulas to think and create with.

 

— Elisa Southard, APR

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Learn to write better PR materials for a fraction of the cost of getting this material any other way.

Such organizations as NASA, Nokia, Motorola, Principal, AOL and AT&T pay Ann thousands of dollars to share her writing secrets with their professionals.

Communicators have paid up to $250 to attend one of Ann's "Anatomy of a Press Release ... " teleseminars. (Of course, they didn't receive the manual or cheat sheet. And they weren't able to listen to the program again and again to review and master key concepts.)

Now you can receive the entire "Anatomy of a Press Release ..." toolkit for less than the cost of the audio program alone when you take advantage of the special introductory price of just $127.

Gold member discount price: $97. You save $30.

Not yet a Gold member?

Would you like to share "Anatomy of a Press Release ..." with your entire team?

This toolkit is a self-study program. Each toolkit comes with an individual license. That means you may listen to the audio workshop as many times as you like and even pass the toolkit around for your colleagues and friends to hear and read. However, you may not play the audio workshop for a group or make copies of any of the printed materials.

Would you like share "Anatomy of a Press Release ..." with your entire team? Contact Ann's office to receive a 10 percent discount when you purchase 10 or more toolkits. Plus, Ann will send you a one-page guide for getting the most out of your toolkits in a group-study program.

Would you rather bring Ann in to present a customized on-site workshop on "Anatomy of a Press Release ...," where your group can ask questions, get feedback and hear Ann's analysis of your storytelling efforts? Or would you like to have Ann present a customized teleseminar to your group? To get the details, contact Ann.

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Start writing better press releases today.

Order "Anatomy of a Press Release ..." toolkit today, and we'll rush it to you immediately. There's no reason to wait another minute to make your press release one of the 3 percent to 45 percent that gets the word out.

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