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It is very difficult to capture the attention of reporters, producers and other media personnel. It’s also not easy keeping their attention. Here are some things to keep in mind while writing and distributing a press release.

1. Don’t bury the lead: You want the person reading your release to know exactly what it is about after reading the first few sentences.

2.  Don’t make mistakes: Journalists are less likely to read a release full of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure you do a spell and grammar check before sending it to the masses. It’s also a good idea to have another person proofread your work.

3. Don’t ask questions in the title or lead: Journalists are looking for answers, not questions. They do not want to search your release for those answers. Asking questions also keeps the release from being straight to the point.

4. Don’t send large photos or attachments with your release: The last thing you want to do is jam up a journalist’s computer with unnecessary files. Also, some companies have size limits for email attachments, which could result in the release being bounced back to the sender or marked as spam.

5. Don’t use inappropriate language: Industry speak, jargon and acronyms just make a release more confusing. You want to keep it as simple as possible; writing a press release that the general public can read and understand.

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