This post was originally posted on April 18, 2016. It was updated in July 2022 with new/additional information.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret – trade and business publication editors aren’t reading your press releases.
Yes, I know you spend good money to get your press releases published in the trade press in your industry, so this may come as a shock. But, let’s be clear, while they aren’t reading your press release, they still read plenty of others that land in their email inbox each day. Some of those press releases even get editors assigned to do a more in-depth story.
So how come editors aren’t reading your press releases, but they are giving time to your competition’s information?
Well, it’s probably because you wasted the editors’ time in the past – likely on more than one occasion – and, as a result, they have come to expect nothing of value in PR from your company.
But, how do you avoid wasting their time? Ask yourself if your press release contains solid news.
The No-News Press Release
The biggest mistake companies make with the distribution of press releases is failing to differentiate between what is a marketing message and what is news. Press releases should contain solid news and never be a substitute for marketing.
What type of press release elicits the ‘delete’ response?
Well, it’s usually the ones that describe an existing product’s features and goes on to describe how their product is better than their competitor’s similar product. Is that something your company should be proud of? Certainly. Is it news? Is it something a thick-skinned editor who sees 50 press releases a day is likely to send along to a reporter to dig into? No, absolutely not.
Company Celebrations Are Not News
Another example of information that is not a good fit for a press release is any company celebration. If it sounds like you are patting yourself on the back, it’s not what an editor wants to cover in their trade publication.
This includes events like celebrating your 5th anniversary in business or a ribbon-cutting ceremony on a newly expanded warehouse. Yes, I know you bought cake and brought in employees from satellite offices. So go ahead and share that cake with your employees and celebrate. Share the events on your social media. But, don’t expect editors to care. They don’t.
And they don’t care for one very simple reason – these events don’t have an impact on the industry as a whole. They don’t change the competitive balance, they don’t bring a new class of product or service to the market that fills an existing void, they don’t represent moving into a new geographic market, etc. In short, they are not the kind of information that might cause a reader to consider changing with whom or how they do business, or the way they do their job.
Your Timing is Off
Because editors deal with so many press releases each day, you do need to consider your timing. There will be times where you send in a perfectly good press release and it doesn’t run because there’s a bigger story you couldn’t have known about. That’s just life.
However, when sending your press releases, do think about your timing. That might be the difference between getting your press release published or deleted. Try not to send in news just before or during major holidays, for example, unless it’s holiday-specific news.
Keep an eye on your industry publications. Get to know the rhythm of their news cycle and when their deadlines are. Keep an eye on your competition, too. If you know they always make a major announcement in January, don’t send in your press release to compete with that.
This is particularly important if you’re hoping to get the press to come to an in-person press event for a big announcement. You don’t want an audience of one.
Your Press Release is Full of Errors
Every piece of writing software has a spell checker nowadays. You can also use sites such as Grammarly and Pro Writing Aid to run a check on your copy before you send it.
There really is no excuse for poor, error-riddled copy. It affects your chances of getting a press release published. Faced with two similar value stories, an editor will pick the error-free copy. They don’t have the time to correct your errors.
Even worse is the press release that contains untrue facts or incorrect statistics. Check and double- check that you’ve got everything right. This kind of error will not only affect your chances of getting the current press release published, but you’ll likely scupper your chances of being published in the future, too.
Editors need sources they can rely on.
You’re Targeting the Wrong Market
Pro tip: When sending out your press releases, use a wire service. If you do this, your press release will automatically be translated to other languages, increasing your reach. If you include correct, relevant hyperlinks, you will also get an SEO boost. Search engine bots will crawl your press release and your hyperlinks, associating your press release with your company. This increases your SEO in an organic way. You can also get an SEO boost from using your press release on your social media channels.
However, when you use a wire service, you need to think about where you want your press release to be sent. If you have no market or industry impact in Germany, for example, you’re wasting your time sending a press release to German industry publications. This mistake will cost you, as the more markets you add to your wire service increase your overall cost.
Target your press releases wisely and ensure that you’re sending them to the right publications.
The Information Editors Do Want
Editors want information that is important to their readers. It has to matter to the industry. News should be game-changing – filling market gaps, introducing disruptive technologies, and giving the industry a reason to question how they do business or who they might want to do business with in the future.
If you have questions about your press releases, give Brandwidth Solutions a call. We’d be happy to help you sort out your PR.
Co-Author – Debra Harrsch
Deb founded Brandwidth Solutions in 2005 after two decades in sales and marketing roles for science-oriented organizations.
Co-Author – Chris Anderson
Chris Anderson has been writing for more than 20 years as an editor, storyteller and content creator for precision medicine and the life sciences.
Brandwidth Solutions serves the healthcare, life sciences, technology, and contract pharma industries. We work with companies that want to make the most of their marketing – who want their marketing empowered to help drive leads – and ultimately sales. If you want to move your product or service forward in a smart way, we want to work with you. Call us at 215.997.8575.