How do I write a really good media release and how do I attract the attention of the media? A media release, also known as a press release, is the centerpiece of media relations - and therefore of particular importance. In this blog, we will introduce you to media releases in FBC style and give you five tips for really good media releases.
Tip 1: The worm must taste good to the fish, not the angler
The most important thing right at the beginning: No medium writes about a product or a company without a reason. The topic must be justified in order to appear in the media. In other words: we need something to tell - a story. In order for the story to be relevant for the media, you should pay attention to the classic news values:
- Topicality & news value
- Surprise or sensationalism
- Celebrities
- Proximity (cantonal spirit!)
- Entertainment value
- Polarization & discussion value
- Curiosity
Tip 2: Think like a journalist
How could the perfect headline sound in this medium? What could interest the readers of the medium in question? In order to deliver the perfect story to media professionals, you need to know the medium, its departments, language and topics well. Think like a journalist and try to ask yourself questions and look for answers in a story. Regular and attentive consumption of different media can help you get a better feel for exciting stories.
Tip 3: The first few sentences decide everything
The first few sentences of a media release are crucial. They determine whether the story is read or ends up in the wastepaper basket. This means that the first sentences must arouse curiosity and arouse emotions. Depending on the topic, this can be reinforced with a celebrity or an irritation. Sober facts or boring descriptions should be avoided at all costs. Thinking out of the box and not immediately stating the obvious makes readers curious to find out more.
Tip 4: Brevity is the spice of life
The aim of a text is to inform the reader about the topic and entertain them at the same time. A good text is informative, perfectly worded, clever, witty and charming. All open questions must be clarified in the text - and in the most compact way possible. Unnecessary sentences and empty phrases that add no value to the text have no place in a good media release: Kill your darlings!
Tip 5: Four eyes see more than two
Almost the most important point of all - even if it may sound obvious: make sure that the press release is proofread. Mistakes in media releases (even if they are only minor character errors) are an absolute no-go! The comprehensibility of the text is also scrutinized during proofreading: Does the story make sense? Have all the important questions been answered? Does the text add value? If not, the text may need to be revised again.
And finally, don't forget: Practice makes perfect! Copywriting is a craft and it also needs to be learned. With our FBC tips, it might be a little easier next time, now that you know how to write really good media releases.
Would you like to find out more about copywriting? Then listen to this episode on our FBC podcast StoryRadar with journalist Marina Warth.