Smart Start: Are You Making These 5 Press Release Writing Mistakes?

In this guide, you’ll learn about common press release writing mistakes and how to avoid them.

Press Releases are a Valuable Marketing Vehicle

Since you downloaded this resource, we’re confident you understand how press releases can help brands of all sizes and industries deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.

Not to mention, when press releases are published using distribution networks like the ones we offer at Newswire, companies can effectively communicate their news and information to their target audience and reporters and in return, boost brand awareness, attract website visitors, improve SEO performance and increase sales.

Now, when it comes time to put pen to paper or type away at your keyboard to develop press release content there are certain steps you can take to ensure the messaging is newsworthy and is hitting the mark and speaking directly to your target audience.

If you need some inspiration, we published a Smart Start on How to Develop a Newsworthy Angle. You can download it here.

But, just as there are best practices, tactics and approaches to press release distribution when you boil things down to the basics, press release writing is simple in nature. And to keep that simplicity intact, there are common mistakes you can and should avoid to maximize the effectiveness of your next press release campaign.

In this Smart Start, we’re covering five of them.

5 Press Release Writing Mistakes to Avoid

Using too much jargon

It seems as if every industry has its own glossary of terms and phrases. There’s an acronym for this, a word for that.

In our Press Release Readability Smart Start, we discussed how jargon can have a negative effect on the performance of a press release.

That’s because using too much jargon in a press release can be confusing, and frankly, hard for audiences to understand and keep up with. This added layer of ambiguity can hurt the perception of a brand and tarnish the level of trust consumers have in a company.

When editing your press release copy, pay special attention to the verbiage you use. If you can remove jargon without losing meaning, we encourage you to do so.

Content lacks structure

Reading a press release that lacks structure can feel like you’re stuck in a game of pinball aimlessly bouncing from idea to idea without any rhyme or reason.

If you feel like your press release content lacks structure and flow, leaning on the inverted pyramid will help you get back on track and focus your writing.

The inverted pyramid is a way for writers to structure a press release to ensure the most important information is addressed at the beginning and the other pertinent details are shared in order based on the level of importance. This formula gives writers a structure to work from that addresses who, what, where, when, why, and how (5 W’s + How) quickly and efficiently to give readers the information they want right away.

Download our Press Releases Smart Start to learn more about the inverted pyramid.

Ignoring basic SEO practices

Press releases are a valuable SEO tool as they contain important information that when published on reputable websites is good for your brand and visibility online.

The potential to create high-quality backlinks is one of the many benefits of including consistent press release distribution into your overall marketing and communication strategy.

Here are a few basic SEO tips to get started:

• Pick a newsworthy topic - Always keep the end-user in mind. This will help you uncover ideas your target audience will find interesting. When you write content that provides value to the reader, the odds of them interacting with and sharing your press releases are much higher.
• Choose a relevant keyword - Each press release should focus on an overarching SEO keyword. This keyword should be included in the headline, first paragraph and at least one to two additional times throughout the content.
• Include multimedia - High-quality images and videos in a press release can increase shareability on social media, which in turn boosts impressions and brand awareness.

The more your content is shared, the more search engines will take notice and point to your content as a viable resource for particular search queries.

The content is too long or too short

Press releases are an informational marketing vehicle that’s intended to deliver a message directly to a target audience and the media.

If the content is too short, it might be missing important details and strong quotes. If it’s too long, you run the risk of boring the readers with too much information. The sweet spot and ideal length of a press release are between 300 and 400 words. Forgetting to promote your content on social media

Distributing your press release on the wire is not the last step in the process. Give your press releases extra at-bats by sharing and linking back to your content from your social channels. Use your press release as pillar content to craft additional social media posts.

Here are some ideas to consider:

• Create a branded image of an important quote from your press release.
• Share a statistic in the caption and encourage people to read your release in full.
• Film a quick video clip that highlights the topic of the press release, and in the caption, include a link for users to read more.
• If you earned a media mention, share the link to the feature and tag the publication in your post.