All too often, I leave a meeting with a client or prospect who thinks they’ve come up with a brilliant idea worthy of a press release. While many times the idea may be brilliant, the idea of sending out a release isn’t. Sending out a press release without a clear-cut strategy or “just because” is akin to sending spam email. It’s unlikely the information will find its intended audience, and worse yet, it can create a negative impression of you and your mHealth company. Press releases can be an effective way of communicating positive news and information about your brand, but only after developing a targeted plan.
Here are seven pitfalls to avoid, condensed from a ragan.com article, to help improve your press release exposure:
- Your message isn’t memorable or different
Not every company or product is original, but nearly anyone can craft a distinctive, relevant story. - Your story doesn’t ring true
Authenticity counts. If the customer experience doesn’t live up to the claims, you’ll be lucky if a lack of coverage is the result. And remember, journalists and bloggers are customers, too. - You’re drowning in jargon or insider factoids
Sometimes, the packaging of the message is at fault. Buzzwords are threatening to take over communications, especially in tech PR. It’s best to think twice before stringing together empty phrases like “unique, industry-leading end–to-end solution.” - Your approach is impersonal
It may seem ironic, but as traditional media shrinks, and email and marketing automation technology gets more sophisticated, the personal approach, whether to customers or media, becomes more important. One thoughtful email is worth 100 spam releases. - Your spokesperson is a dud
He’s caught in the weeds, too commercial, or overly cautious, or perhaps he’s well intentioned, yet disorganized or over-prepared. (Yes, there is such a thing.) The best brand spokesperson is engaged, prepared, and able to distill complicated information into digestible points and memorable examples. - You want a quick fix
It pays to act as a background resource for journalists and bloggers, even if your words don’t find their way into the story. Relationship building is just as important in media relations as it is in sales or business development.
As the owner of a marketing and communications firm, I can say that building relationships with your core media and industry journalists is an area many marketers ignore until they find their messages are lost among the crowd. Don’t be caught trying to develop these relationships at the last minute.
photo credit: Nigel Lamb via photopin cc
