The PR Authority

What if I told you that your press release was a waste of time? What if I said that you literally just placed time and effort into something that was not going anywhere? Wouldn’t you be upset or angry about it? Of course you would. With today’s society, we see so many press releases that are considered fails. Why are they considered fails and do you fall in to the fail category for all of the press releases that you have done?

Substance Abuse

This isn’t a drug thing. This is the abuse that you bestow on your readers or audience with the lack of substance or depth in your press release. Ask yourself, “Would you read it?”, if not, don’t release it. Make sure that your press release is beefy and full of key knowledge and information.

I wouldn’t write a press release if I didn’t know what I was talking about. And I hope that you wouldn’t either. That would lead to false advertisement or maybe, just maybe it would lead to exaggeration or over-emphasis of minor points trying to make it seem as though it is something it isn’t.

Or you could go the complete opposite of exciting and over-emphatic… You could be totally boring. You have to find the happy medium. Don’t be too peppy and seem fake, but don’t be too sullen and seem grumpy or angry.

So there is such a thing as “substance abuse” in the press release world. Don’t let this happen to you. Make sure you are well versed in what you are writing about, whether it is your business or news about your business. Have a full knowledge of who, what, when, where, why, and how before you start on your press release.

Call Me Maybe

A common mistake that takes place is the call to action. A lot of times, without a call to action, there is a pointless article that is just full of useless information. Make sure that you give your readers something to do. Give them a reason to read! For example, if  you are a business and you are opening another branch, invite everyone to check out the new location or visit your website for more information about the whole process.

Think about it, if you don’t have a call to action and you were reading your press release, would you get anything out of it? A call to action also leaves a lasting impression because you are asking your readers to do something or complete an action to benefit the both of you. Be sure to include a relevant and resourceful call to action.

Let’s Jump!

You know when you’re at work and you get ambushed with requests but don’t get a lot of direction? Yeah… Now think about that… If you’ve ever written a press release with no direction, that is what you’re going to get. If you jump from one thing to another more than likely you won’t get a clear direction of what is being written.

So before you start writing, make sure you know what you’re writing about. Don’t jump from one thing to another without having the knowledge that you need. Stick to one topic and be sure to be smooth and just when you’re writing. Don’t let anyone guess what your press release is about. Make sure they know.

Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here?

Let’s set the scene… When you go to a store or a business and you wish to use their services in the future, you take a card, right? Now fast forward into the future. You go for that card and you realize that you don’t have the contact info for the services that you want to use. Kinda inconvenient right? Contact information is important!

Forgetting your contact information on your press release is a rookie mistake. This can be destructive to your company as when you release your press release there wont be anyway to contact you or the company with questions, thoughts, or concerns. I bet you’re one of those people that doesn’t cite your sources either….

Me, Me, Me…

Your business… Your brand… More than likely you will not be representing yourself as one single person, more than likely you will be representing your company. You are the face of your company so represent it as such! Don’t use “I” or “me”. Use “we” and “us” to show that you are part of a team.

By using “we” or “us” you show the public that you and your company are whole. Don’t be the person that shows off and uses selfish pronouns to take the credit. More than likely you’ll just shoot yourself in the foot. Be united with your company and be the face of your company by leading as a whole.

Missed Steaks

Missed steaks… I think I meant mistakes. But, hey! It got you thinking about why there would be steaks involved (other than to have a factually beefy press release)… Spelling and grammar mistakes are close to number one. But they mist… missed it by that much…

Free yourself of spelling and grammatical errors. It’s really unbecoming of you. You don’t want everyone to think that you aren’t capable of spelling simple words correctly. I mean… If you can’t handle that, what can you handle?

The #1 Biggest Mistake

The number one… The big one… The biggest mistake that you could make… I mean, this is so big that it could cost you big time. Not only cost you your big news, but it could also cost you a lot of money if you pay to have your press releases written. So what is the awful mistake that could have been avoided? What is this mistake that could literally cost you?

Well… Did you ask yourself if what you are releasing to the media is newsworthy? Probably not… So you’ve shot yourself in the foot. Like legit. You just wasted money on having a press release written that won’t make you any money or get you anywhere because it doesn’t have the means and the worth with the media.

So how can you make it newsworthy? Don’t release a press release if it doesn’t need to be release. Think of it this way, if you were to release a press release, would you want to read it? Would others want to read it? Is it something that you would see in the big newspapers or on large social sites?

Do not release a press release if you company came up with a new handbook. This isn’t beneficial to anyone but you and your company. Make sure that your news will benefit your consumes as well!

Brad Merrill

So not only is The PR Authority here to help you with this, but so is Brad Merrill. The PR Authority has shown you the top mistakes that are made when it comes to writing press releases, so now let Brad show you how to sweet talk the media so that you can get what you want.

This course will not only help you get where you want to be, but you will also learn how to write effective pitches, learn how to deal with negative publicity, and represent yourself and your company with class.

All you need is the ability and the drive to want to change your views on this matter, an hour of your time, and a connection to the internet. Super simple and super worth it if you are ready to write your little heart out, pitch it to the media, and succeed!

What Did We Learn?

1. Make sure that your press release has substance. Make it a “page turner”.

2. You must have a call to action.

3. Stick with one topic and make sure that you read well

4. Include your contact info directly on the press release.

5. Represent your company positively.

6. Make sure your spelling and grammar are impeccable.

7. Make it newsworthy.

8. You got this.

9. Keep going!

10. There isn’t a number ten, I just don’t like odd numbers… Yes, I could have stopped at number 8, but I know your press release will be a ten.

If you’re making these mistakes… Stop, collaborate and listen… Just kidding. But seriously, don’t continue to make these mistakes if know that they aren’t where you need to be. They can cost you not only what you are trying to promote or push out to the news, but it may even jeopardize the namesake of your brand. Don’t be that person or business! Try these tips and avoid these seven mistakes. Will you succeed with these tips? I would surely bet on it!