Yes, please, say journalists in one study
These folks are frustrated that they’re too often forced to hunt through long rivers of gray text to find the news. No wonder more than half of them said they’d find it helpful to have a bulleted list of key facts in a release. And more than one-third more were open to the idea.
So give reporters what they want: Add bullets. While you’re at it, why not add subheads, bold-faced lead-ins, callouts and other display copy to make it easy for reporters and others to scan your release?
Cut Through the Clutter in PR
Measurably boost readability with our targets, tips & tools
Regardless of what you’re writing, Cutting Through the Clutter is the No. 1 way to keep readers reading.
But the stakes are even higher when it comes to PR pieces. That’s because, say, if your lead is too long, Google News might reject it. If it’s too short, Google News will reject it.
Leave this session with “the numbers” you need to measurably improve your readability.
At NOT Your Father's News Release — our two-day hands-on PR-writing master class on Sept. 6-7 in Atlanta — you’ll leave this session with “the numbers” you need to measurably improve your readability. Specifically, you’ll learn how to:
- Pass the Goldilocks test: Write a headline that’s not too long or too short, but just right. (Google News ignores one in five releases because the headline is too long!)
- Write a one-minute release: Journalists rarely spend longer reviewing releases, according to a GreenTarget survey.
- Stop using the most overused PR buzzwords: Journalists and bloggers — not to mention readers — will love you for it.
- Write by number: What’s the right length for your release? Your paragraphs? Your quotes? Your sentences? Your words?
- Use a cool tool (to quantifiably improve your copy’s readability. PR pros in our Master Classes have improved readability by up to 300% with this resource.
Learn more about our
Atlanta master class.
Ann, I think a bulleted list of key facts in a release is the most important factor in order for customers to find the release useful! If they opened it, they know what they are looking for and it sure should be easy for them to find it!
I agree that the list was a great improvement!