Use Quick Tips the Next Time You Email a Press Release to Journalists

The relevancy of a press release is still very much intact but it often gets ignored by reporters. So, check some tips and tricks whenever you email a press release to skip mistakes.

The world has officially entered the era of digitalization where there is a clear decline in print journalism. Press releases were a big hit when there was print journalism and people would read stories from several organizations. They are official statements made to the media outlets and journalists so that they can take up and create new stories published in newspapers and now other forms of media. However, even though the popularity of print journalism is fading away, the importance of a press release is still there.

Organizations and their marketing teams now use press releases as a form of marketing tool to promote themselves and any new product or service that is coming. If the journalists and reporters decide to take it up, make a story about it, and publish it on their sites, a wider audience will be aware of your brand and its announcements. When your brand awareness will get bigger, your potential customer count will also increase along with the sales count. Media is a powerful weapon that can change the masses’ point of view for the better. So, getting positive coverage from the media will impact the brand and its reputation. But writing a press release is not an easy task and it does not end in crafting a well-written press release. The most important step is to email a press release that can create a bigger impact on the reporters.

Why should you be careful while sending press releases to reporters?

You might think about this question after writing a press release you have sent to the email addresses, but why should you be careful? Well, when you mail the press releases to the reporters you need to keep in mind that they lead an extremely busy lifestyle which means they probably have thousands of emails sent to them every day. If you are not careful with the email where you are attaching it can end up being ignored by the reporters. You might miss the chance of getting positive coverage from that media outlet or worse! Ending up in their spam boxes. To avoid that you need to be careful and follow some security steps that will guarantee that your email will gain immediate attention from the journalists.

Read along to know these basic rules that can gain immediate attention from the media whenever you mail them a press release.

1. An Eye-catching Subject Line:

Just like any headline, the subject line for your email is the first step to grabbing the attention of your readers, which in this case will be busy news reporters. If your subject line is not interesting enough, they will not bother to open the email and read further. Stop using subject lines like “News Release”, or “a press release from author” because these are generic and work best if you want to bore the journalists. You can copy and paste the headline of your press release for this or else write something equally interesting that will intrigue the reporters to open the mail.

2. Greetings and a Short Note:

Think of email as a press release, a way of email marketing. Press releases are being used in marketing campaigns now so put the same importance on how you are mailing the content as well. A quick and easy way to gain attention and make a good impression is to start with a greeting. You might think how words of greeting can change how the reporters will view your email but it holds great significance. Greetings set the right tone for the rest of the document. This also shows that you are giving the journalists equal importance.

3. Great Introduction:

This is a great way to personalize the email you are sending to the people of the media. A short introduction helps create a good impression and when your email has a good impression it will impact the news story and how well covered it will be. Short texts like, “I hope you can use this” or “Let me know if you have any questions” would be great and will show that you have crafted the email from that particular journalist. It will show that this email is not just a copy-pasted item that you might have mass-produced.

4. Emphasize the Email Body:

Now that you are done with the subject line and your email introduction, it is time for the email body which holds equal importance. The tone of your email must be professional yet should hold a personal touch. It is all about establishing a relationship with the journalist so that your brand announcement and its awareness can receive the benefits. While writing the email body, remember the email is about the press release so keep all the other texts minimal. You should connect the email body with what you have written in your introduction.

5. Attach the Press Release:

Now it is time to shift all the focus to the main reason for your emailing in the first place, the press release. Avoid adding a pdf file or any other attachment of the press release to the email. Instead, copy and paste the content. Close your email with a short sentence which you must keep professional.

6. Attach Your Signature and Designation:

At last, you have to add your signature and designation along with the contact information so the journalists know who and where to contact.

The Post-email Etiquette:

Remember journalists are extremely busy and they do not have to read your press release. So wait for their response before following up. The minimum and professional timing are to wait for three days, and after that, if you do not receive any response, you can send a follow-up email. If the journalists do not respond even after that, take the sign and understand they went through your press release but it will not be published.

These are the basic rules you need to follow but a quick and effective alternative will be hiring a press release distribution company so that there is a guarantee of your press release being published.