Press releases are still an effective way^[1] to get in front of the media and other relevant organizations. Getting the word out about a new product or service or updating the information that the press has about your organization is an important step for greater clarity, accuracy and current news too.

Here are a few tips on how to produce a press release that will get more attention^[2] in busy press rooms nationwide.

Make sure it’s worth publishing

Companies get excited about whatever news they have and automatically believe that it’s newsworthy. Why shouldn’t a press release service carry the information? Why wouldn’t a relevant industry publication pick it up and write a piece based on the details supplied in the release or contact the company’s press office to get more specifics? Making this assumption is dead wrong.

The company should start by asking whether the news has any relevance either to the would-be publisher of the news piece, to the industry the company operates in, or other companies. Not losing the respect^[3] of busy journalists by constantly issuing nonsense press releases that say very little is important otherwise they won’t bother to highlight real topical issues or newsworthy pieces when they do come up.

Avoid using industry jargon or buzz words

While you may well understand the latest industry jargon, it’s possible that the reporter covering your industry (among many others on their list) has little or no familiarity with it. They may have just recently been assigned as being responsible for the coverage and don’t know much about it—in which case, a press release that uses a ton of jargon is only going to distance them from reporting on the story.

When it comes to buzz words, they tend to be overused^[4]. Marketers and business strategists love to throw in some buzz words to sound like they are “in the know,” but most of the time it falls flat. You’ll find that many companies are trying the same thing to stay relevant and it’s all rather obvious. In most cases, the terms don’t even apply to their latest product or service offering. Talking more plainly about the advantages of your new product in layperson’s terms is far more effective, which then leaves it up to the reporter to word the news however they wish in their own copy.