You need to create a press release for your PR campaign. What tools can help you do it right?

Generating the headline for a press release is similar in many ways to generating an email subject line: -Less is more -Use relevant keywords -Get your #1 point across immediately When sharing a press release with a targeted media list, consider researching recent work from each recipient and noting common phrases and keywords they use in their writing. This is an effective way to make sure your press release quickly and easily resonates with them and their beat.

In the world of PR, the headline of your press release is crucial. Often, it's the only part your audience will read. A catchy headline is essential; without it, your press release might get overlooked. Think of it as your first and potentially last chance to grab attention. For crafting such headlines, tools like Prowly are a game-changer. Prowly not only helps create eye-catching titles but also offers comprehensive features for managing your PR campaign. Its headline creator tool is specifically designed to generate headlines that capture immediate attention, ensuring your press release stands out.

In my experience, the most important thing is to put a positive spin on events, and make small things look big (if you have a win; if you have a loss, then you do the opposite). Also, it is ideal to be able to quote someone else, as it is easier to sink third party opinions into the readers’ brains. Finally, be concise, above all. People don’t have time to read long stories anymore.

The best way to start a good press release is think about conceivably what outlets and reporters will find this story interesting and work backwards from there. I like to reverse engineer the release based on my ideal article. Then, I work with the business to fact-find for statistics and key points to help tell that story and work with the right executive to support the release with a quote and messaging. After that, bespoke pitches to the reporters are key - make sure you are truly providing value and not just broadcasting!

A headline should neatly summarize the most exciting part of your campaign and be as short as possible. If you run into a creative block and want to use a free tool, ChatGPT can sometimes be a helpful creativity prompt, as it can give you several options to work with (you just need to make sure you're comfortable with what data you're sharing, and give it a decent prompt to go off).

I know an increasing number of people turn to generative AI these days to churn out press releases or templates in seconds and use them religiously. I have resisted in making this a feature of the team's operations for two reasons. First, such generated press releases still require a fair bit of editing. I am not in favour of cookie cutter approaches when it comes to media pitching and prefer customising them for more effective outcomes. Second, there are probably hundreds of thousands using generative AI to churn out press releases right now and that figure is likely to increase. We could reach a situation where journalists receive multiple pitches a day with the same template. Imagine how disingenuous and repetitive that would look.

Press release templates are one place where AI really does help. There is nothing worse for me than staring at a blank page when starting a press release. I utilize ChatGPT by giving it a super clear overview of the company and what the announcement is. They generate something that looks like a press release. Then I edit. By the time I'm done, almost none of the words from the ChatGPT output are left, but the structure remains.

One key aspect of creating a news release that will be picked up by media is to first hone in “what is the news?” Too often I see news releases that completely “bury the lede” and focus instead on opaque “process” oriented pseudo announcements. Secondly, ask “why should people care” about this?”. How will it matter in their lives? Connect the dots. Finally, if it’s not news then don’t pretend it is. Save the content for other tools such as website and social media content or articles etc. If you flood the media with those kinds of releases they may well ignore you when you really do have news. Oh and with regard to ChatGPT? It won’t help you with those decisions.

One of my favorite tools is Writer, which has tons of great templates for campaigns, including for press releases. Having an AI assistant is a great way to get started so you can spend more time crafting compelling quotes, the right eye-catching headline, and attention-grabbing stats. I love that when using Writer, you can maintain consistency with every other marketing campaign asset–whether it's a blog post, email, or internal Slack memo.

Having a press release template is like having a trusted roadmap for your communications journey. It simplifies the process, ensuring you don’t miss any crucial details or stray off path. A well-crafted template serves as a consistent foundation, allowing you to focus on tailoring your message for each unique story, rather than getting bogged down by structure each time. This consistency not only saves time but also strengthens your brand’s voice across all releases. In essence, a template is your behind-the-scenes hero, making sure your stories are always ready to make their mark in the world with clarity and impact.

I use Grammarly for my editing and often run my copy through AI such as ChatGBT. The challenge is getting the tone and original feel for the content. When I start editing the AI copy, often my grammar goes out the window, therefore I need to remember to always rerun through Grammarly one more time.

I love Grammarly and have used the tool for years! That said, Grammarly doesn't scan for AP Style errors, so I always do a manual proof of the press release (or any other document) before finalizing.

You must realize that a press release is a starting point, and not usually what generates media coverage. You need to refine your pitch first, building news value and telling reporters and producers why they pay attention to your pitch. The press release reinforces your main message.

Grammar checker is important. Journalist love language so are a stickler for grammar. Using a tool is important at but also for really important releases perhaps a professional to cast their eyes as well As automated sites, whilst good can revert to “Americanism’s” ( we are Uk based) and sometimes the synonyms don’t exactly match and looks like a computer has played around losing some of the authenticity and charm of a written release

AP Stylechecker for Microsoft Word, Grammarly, and Hemmingway app will come in handy! AP style checker is a great supplement to tools like Grammarly, but can take a while to identify issues

This is vital, of course the job is building the relationship with the journalist but the database allows you to explore and delver into new contacts in order for any Pr professional to do their own research on the contact, where they write, have written, read some old articles and really pitch with due diligence and relevant intel to really gain the trust of the recipient.

Why limit yourself??Media databases, b2b databases, a little cyber sleuthing and you're bound to find the right contact for your story. Don't spray and pray. Cold emails don't work the same for media pitching that they do for sales. An un-personalized and lazy "spray and pray" pitch, is a one-way ticket to getting your client 0 coverage and making you both look like A-holes.

Llamar la atención de los periodistas es un ejercicio que requiere, además de una buena historia, facilitar su trabajo por medio de una distribución que logre el mayor alcance. No basta con un correo electrónico, WhatsApp es una buena herramienta, permite mayor cercanía e interacción, así mismo, el compartir elementos como videos, audios, fotografías y testimonios hacen que el trabajo se les facilite. Y por supuesto, una llamada. No hay que olvidar que esa interacción, en últimas, determina un posible compromiso de publicación.

A headline is critical to draw the audience into reading the article. Try keeping the statement to less than 10-12 words. Brevity is the key!

The purpose of a press release is to get out information to the right audience. Media database helps you to find the right media for the information you want to publicize and the contact information of the pointsman. Use the information wisely. Reach out for introduction and connection, and then create and nurture the relationship.

In my experience as a journalist, most press release distribution services are not very targeted. I regularly get releases that are not at all relevant to what I write about. I’ve raised it with PRs a few times and it seems that the way these services categorise journalists is often wrong or lacking detail. The key to successful PR is building strong relationships with relevant journalists rather than mass sending a release to hundreds of people.

We use Globe Newswire. There's a new generative AI feature to help do the heavy lifting of the release's first draft. While it can be helpful when under a tight deadline or with writer's block, be smart about it. Read the draft, edit it, reread it, edit it again, until it's up to your and your stakeholders' standards. Do not succumb to laziness and expect AI to do all the work for you. The right way is a blend of human knowledge and experience with technology benefits.

A service like this should be used wisely & to relevant journalists who may be interested - not to spam 400 journalists who will never be interested. If you do that, then the next time a story arrives from you in their inbox they will delete it before they even read it. I promise that will happen as I'm a qualified journalist still working today in Wiltshire on a few media outlets. I still get press releases telling me about stories in Carlisle or Cardiff or Cornwall - none of which are relevant to me now. Do some basic due diligence about where you send it. Also don't forget some basic things like if it's an event what's the date of the event? (that gets left out a lot) or contact details. Don't even talk to me about photographs...

The key is to streamline your workflow. Being able to distribute your press releases via email, publish them on your press site, and share them on social media channels all at once will save you a significant amount of time. When you are sending out press releases, you want to make sure you can do it quickly and easily on all the channels that matter to you.

I don’t tend to use a press distribution service as its rather scattergun approach hasn’t given me the best results in the past. I prefer to spend a bit longer sending the release to key journalists individually and have found this ‘less is more’ approach ensures that a client gets into the right media outlets, in front of their key audiences.

Avoid overuse of words such as ‘excited’ and ‘thrilled’ and make it less about the company and more about the value you’re bringing with this news. Also consider not using a press release - what purpose is it solving and would a blog, LI post or other source have the same or greater impact? And think about the tools at your disposal- can you tap AI to tighten your headline?

As much as using a press release distribution service is extremely simple and "does the job," do not rely on it for coverage of your announcement. For effective media coverage/pickup, it is highly recommended that you strategically target journalists (and influencers) who cover your industry/vertical with custom pitches.

There is a wacky tool that you can you to boost any press release or, really, any press effort. It's called... your phone! Pick up the phone! Most people have their number findable in their signature- use it! I often text first if it's a mobile number, but really pick up the phone and TALK to the reporters you're targeting!

Don't send the same press release to dozens or even hundreds of journalists. Most will probably ignore it or half read it. I've read thousands, probably tens of thousands of press releases in my journalism career. Most aren't newsworthy and are badly written. Instead, target one, or two non-competing media titles with a personalised email story pitch. Five-para summary of the story (story summary in first para with attention-grabbing news "hook"; more detail about the most interesting story angle; punchy quote, context etc; say you're offering it as an exclusive story for the title and explain why it's of interest for the readers).

I have found for heavy industries including energy and shipping, the best tool by far is knowledge. The press release should come at the pointy end of a long process that begins with a clear understanding of the company's strategy, markets, ambitions and industrial sector. Using a journalist's nose, the "so what, why should I care?" of the company's PR campaign must be found and sharply formulated. Even if it's not a superlative, there is always an interesting angle and this is where a deep knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the sector really counts. Once the "so what " is framed, the key messages, top quotes, headlines, context paragraphs all come naturally and sing not just to you but the journalists reading your press release.