The Top 10 Reasons to Throw Your Press Release in the Trash

Originally Submitted on 5/21/2000.

Over the past year a disturbing trend has taken over the world of press releases. They all seem to have turned into SPAM. (Not the Hormel brand Spam, but "UCE" or unsolicited e-mail.) It's becoming more and more difficult to find the good information to publish.
... It's sad, and it hurts no one but the firms who cannot understand the concepts of usability and online reader habits. There are 100-times as many press releases as there was a year ago -- and -- there's 100-times as much garbage. If you want your press release to have a much better chance of making it to the audiences you need, then you'll keep reading.

1. Empty titles don't give a clue - we're outta here.

"Power On End of Millennium Spectacular Offer" is an example of an empty title. Several hundred of these go into the trash can each week. Write your title in 36 to 40 characters that capsulizes the essence of the BENEFIT. Unless you're a household word, don't put your company name in the title. Read your title to another person and see if they don't say "tell me more," rewrite.

2. What are they talking about?

If you don't spell it out in the first 8 to 18 words of the release, you're dead. Don't talk total nonsense, and don't repeat your full company name. Example: "Acme company, the leader in applied technology has joined with the Bacme company to develop a totally new something-or-other that will revolutionize the..." -- do you want to read that one? Didn't think so. (Remember: there are NO new ideas. Editors know this.)

3. Don't bore us to tears.

Yikes, they've grown -- releases are now ranging upwards to 4,000 words long. Give us a break. We didn't read them on paper, so now you think we'll read it in e-mail? If you can't get it into 400 words or less, then don't send it. No publication -- I repeat NO publication -- is going to publish 4,000 of your words! And, NO editor is going to sit there for an hour and edit your verbiage. The second page is death.

4. The facts. Give us the facts.

If the editor has to dig and dig just to find out what the new program does you're dead. Make sure the reader can understand what it is and WHO the release is aimed at: who can use it; what is required; and what results can be expected. One recently didn't say if it was for Windows or Mac??? Duh... hello?

5. Don't shoot us with bullets.

Actually bullet lists are good for telegraphing concepts in easy gulps. But please, writers, don't kill us. If there are more than 4 to 8, schzoooop.... empty the trash can. Give the editor the STRONGEST four or five bullets. Quantity is never a substitute for quality.

6. Don't brag your way into the trash can.

Everyone seems to be the leader these days. Of 90 press releases I downloaded Sunday, there were 120 instances of the phrase "the leader." If it says: "the leader," "ultimate," "revolutionary," "definitive" or other such bunk, you're in trouble. We'll know whether or not you're lying by what the news is. One company the other day tried to tell me they are the leader in image editing. They weren't Adobe. Instant delete button.

7. Do NOT attach DOT-DOC files.

I'm going to delete your dot-doc file instantly. Dot-doc files are aimless, unnecessary, garbage inflicted on the end user -- a recent 187 K dot-doc said nothing different than the 18 K text version of the very same file. No editor needs all of your hard drive's file directory, your passwords, or your list of installed programs and fonts. They're a total waste of bandwidth, and a show of the writer's inconsideration for others. DOT-DOC files go in the trash can. No hesitation. Period.

8. Do NOT send attachments.

Nothing's worse than being held hostage by your e-mail program while a megabyte of attachments download to your computer. One recent ecommerce web site sent me a release with 16 file attachments of graphics on their web page. They had absolutely NOTHING to say.

Graphics, logos, product shots? Don't attach them either. There's a perfect way to get your pictures published -- YES, we DO want pictures. Provide a live link to the exact image. http://www.mycompany.com/thisproduct/images/camera.jpg. Provide a link to a high resolution image in case the editor is working on a print publication.

9. How do you spell HTML e-mail? T-R-A-S-H

The only thing worse than html e-mail is porno e-mail... in fact, they're just about the same. Don't think we want to see your nice pretty page, formatted the way you want it formatted. You'll never get your formatting in our publications, so why try? We will not waste time stripping your html code out of the text file. Turn HTML OFF.

10. No one home means: don't bother to come.

The most disturbing trend in the press industry these days is all the vendors now seem to be hiding behind the veil of the web. "Don't contact us, just go to our web page." If it says: "New 6,000 dpi color printer for $199 -- click here" it's NOT a press release. It's spam. Don't try to fool us either. We know that "info@yourcompany.com" or "sales@yourcompany.com" only spells more spam and it's probably purveyed by a robot. No matter what you promise in the release, if you're hiding, then you've got something to hide. Our readers don't want it... neither do we.

If you've committed any of the above, don't bother to send me your press release.

If, on the other hand, your company does have a good product -- one that offers real value and benefit to readers, then you'll read and heed the tips above. Nothing is better than good news. I love it, you love it, readers love it. So please send it so we can use it.

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