Your Press Release Checklist
When you’re working with something as important and structured as a press release, it’s great to have some resources. A press release needs to be newsworthy, and it hopefully supports you to achieve your marketing, press and public relations goals. We’ve put together a checklist to help you make sure you’ve checked all the boxes and written the best press release.
- Does your headline grab attention?
- Does your headline leverage:
- Keywords?
- Your company name?
- Your location (if targeting local media)?
- Does your headline clearly convey your main point?
- Does your first sentence quickly summarize the story?
- Does your first paragraph grab interest?
- Does my first paragraph cover the 5W’s? We’re talking about who, why, what, when, and where.
- Does your press release follow the traditional format and flow?
- Do you have quotes from experts?
- Do the quotes add personality, interest, and credibility to your news?
- Do you have relevant facts, statistics, and data to back up your news?
- Have the facts been cited and are the sources credible?
- Have you used active voice?
- Have you identified the goal for your press release and does your current plan support your goals?
- Can you get a trustworthy third party to comment on the importance of your news?
- Do you have images that support your news?
- Do the images add interest?
- Are your images tagged appropriately to facilitate search?
- Can journalists easily access high-resolution photos or graphics?
- Is there an opportunity for video?
- If your news release focuses on the publication of a report or research paper, can journalists access a preview copy?
- Do you have supplemental materials like case studies, reports, or fact sheets?
- Are those supplemental materials accessible by media reps?
- Is your contact information clear and accurate?
- With regards to branding, have you added the right logos?
- Is there a link to your website homepage?
- Have you included your company’s boilerplate text?
- Does the release have the approval required?
- Have you proofread your release, checking the spelling, grammar, clarity, and accuracy?
- Do all the links work?
- Is your release ready for social media?
- If using social media, have you integrated your social profiles?
- Has your release been proofread by someone else?
- Have you chosen a press release distribution service?
- Do you have a media pitch plan in place?
- If so, have you pitched your press release to your chosen representatives before the date your press release is scheduled to be release?
- Do you have an analytics plan in place to track and evaluate your press release success?
You can use this checklist to help make sure your release has all of the elements that are important for success. It’s comprehensive and a great way to end every release before you send it out into the world.
Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278
