Spelling Mistakes, Boring Writing Tops List Of Most Common Mistakes In Press Release Writing

Spelling mistakes and just plain boring writing tops the list of Most Common Mistakes In Press Release Writing, according to a pro who writes press releases.

"You dangle a carrot to get someone to bite. A press release is what you use to get the press to bite and a bad release won't get the time of day," says Steve Sudwig of PressReleasePros.com.

PressReleasePros.com writes professional press releases for businesses and people who want experienced, seasoned writers to help them deliver their message.

"In a job interview you have just a few seconds to make a first impression and it needs to be a great one," says Sudwig. "You get even less time with a press release. You have to hook the reporter or editor quickly otherwise the release gets tossed in the trash or deleted. It’s as simple as that."

Sudwig says many companies are realizing the importance of a good press release and have turned to his company to write the release. PressReleasePros.com charges $150 to write a basic news release.

Press Releases: Make Them Stand Out

Newspapers and magazines get dozens of news releases every day—even relatively small ones.

"We receive at least 20 releases via email each business day," says Glenn Lawrence, editor of InteractiveDad.com. "The ones that are well written and clearly articulate a message get read. The others don’t."

"We simply don’t have the time to try to figure out what the company or individual is trying to communicate. Well constructed releases very often lead to a story and free international exposure in InteractiveDad.com."

Here are steps to take to avoid mistakes, from PressReleasePros.com:

1. Know your target audience.
You can’t generically make a pitch that will sell everything to everyone. Figure out the people you’re trying to target and write your release with them in mind.

2. Find an angle to pitch.
Look for an original angle to sell the story. Is it human interest? Is it a revolutionary product? Will it save people money? Answer the question: Why should people care about what you’re doing or selling?

3. Keep it simple.
Press releases need to be well written and articulate your message in a clear, straightforward way. It does not need to be long. Be careful not to kitchen-sink it with too many facts, figures and information. Edit yourself.

4. Write it like an article.
Your news release should be written so well that an editor could just take it and publish it.

5. Be watchful of spelling and grammar.
Nothing says amateur more than spelling and grammatical errors. Make sure you proofread carefully for mistakes. Run the release through a spell check program.

"It’s not easy to write a winning press release, but it can be done," says Sudwig. "Quiet frankly that’s why so many turn to us to do it for them."