Here’s another big boo-boo made by made by many people who write news releases. They put the date the release was distributed right at the top.
Why not just include a headline in 40-point type that screams, “OLD NEWS.”
In an era where hour-old news is practically ancient history, dating your news releases is just one more reason for reporters to ignore them. When I worked as a reporter, I sometimes put aside a news release that I wanted to come back to later for a more in-depth story. But when I retrieved it, the date at the top reminded me that it was several weeks or even months old, and I was less likely to write about it.
This tip is courtesy of fellow Publicity Hound Jill Lublin, who presented a wonderful workshop on publicity Monday at the National Speakers Association Convention in New Orleans. Jill is the co-author of the excellent book GUERRILLA PUBLICITY available at online bookstores. She was also my guest during a teleseminar several months ago titled “Fail-proof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or a Pitch Letter.” She discussed everything from tricks to use if reporters don’t call you back (and you can bet they won’t) to 4 rules for following up via email. Read about the 29 other things you’ll learn.