Edward Loades’ Post

🤔 How Long Should Your Pitch or Press Release Be? 📝👌 We have mentioned in posts and over the phone, time and time again, that the shorter a press release, the better.    ✉️➡️📰 In fact, during a hunt for travel media & journalists, we came across a page on Code Nast Traveler about pitching a journalist. For example, they advise keeping pitches no longer than a paragraph or two.   💡 They also mention including a suggested headline, your angle, sources, and why the story should be covered now.    From the media we have spoken with, they prefer stories under 375 words. 😱📄 Once you press past 375 words, you begin to run into something called ‘text-shock’. This phenomenon occurs when a journalist or media member clicks on a press release and is met with a wall of text.   😵 Most of the time, the journalist will close the window as it is too overwhelming.   👉 They don’t want a novel; they want the meat of the story in layperson’s terms. The facts, just the facts. Stop adding fluff. They will contact you for more information if you have piqued their interest. We are in a different time and age where journalists don’t have the time to read a 1,200-word story. #PR #publicrelations #pitching #journalists #earnedmedia #pressreleasewriting

🤔 How Long Should Your Pitch or Press Release Be? 📝👌 We have mentioned in posts and over the phone, time and time again, that the shorter a press release, the better.    ✉️➡️📰 In fact, during a hunt for travel media & journalists, we came across a page on Code Nast Traveler about pitching a journalist. For example, they advise keeping pitches no longer than a paragraph or two.   💡 They also mention including a suggested headline, your angle, sources, and why the story should be covered now.    From the media we have spoken with, they prefer stories under 375 words. 😱📄 Once you press past 375 words, you begin to run into something called ‘text-shock’. This phenomenon occurs when a journalist or media member clicks on a press release and is met with a wall of text.   😵 Most of the time, the journalist will close the window as it is too overwhelming.   👉 They don’t want a novel; they want the meat of the story in layperson’s terms. The facts, just the facts. Stop adding fluff. They will contact you for more information if you have piqued their interest. We are in a different time and age where journalists don’t have the time to read a 1,200-word story. #PR #publicrelations #pitching #journalists #earnedmedia #pressreleasewriting

As a former editor and journalist, I can tell you the secret to getting free media coverage. It's this: appeal to a journalist's self-interest. Journalists have enormous workloads and tight deadlines – so if you can do their job for them, they'll love you. That means following this three-step formula: 1. Find the contact details of the key journalist at your target publication 2. Send that journalist a media release their audience would consider relevant and interesting 3. Write the media release to such a high standard that the journalist can copy/paste it straight onto their website P.S. If you don't have the time or capacity to score media coverage, I can help. #contentmarketing #HunterAndScribe #propertyfinance My website: https://lnkd.in/gidqJKQ

Here’s an interesting article about requesting a correction from a journalist. It’s OK to request a correction when a publication makes a mistake, but it's important to do so respectfully. #mediarelations #publicrelations

I’ve written over 200 press releases for various companies and read hundreds more during my time as a beat journalist and there are a few things I’ve learned about them over the years.  Perhaps the most important thing is that a press release is not an article and therefore does not require a traditional intro to set the scene or hook the reader like you would put on an article.  It’s literally part of a journalist’s job to go through the press releases they receive during the day that pertain to whatever beat they cover.  The “hook” is that the PR pertains to their beat. All they’re after is the information. Once they get the information, they’ll decide whether it’s worth following up with you.  The PRs I hated most when I was doing beat journalism were the ones that tried to set the scene or provide background information upfront.  No scene setting is required. The reporter probably knows your market as well as or better than you if they’re covering it for a living. And you can fill in the background information AFTER you answer the following questions:  - What’s the announcement? - Who’s making the announcement? - Why is this announcement important? - When does this announcement become important? - Where are the areas affected by this announcement? - How does this announcement affect the people in that area?  These questions may vary slightly, but the who, what, when, where, why and how should be answered upfront. (You’ll be saving extremely busy people time and saved time is always appreciated.) When writing a press release, the golden rule is: 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭.  If you are in the market for press releases written by someone who has been on both the sending and receiving end of them and who understands the best way to format them, drop me a line and let’s talk.  #PressReleases #CorporateCommunication #PublicRelations

PR tip: Just a reminder that if you need help with your pitches or you'd like to check a campaign before it goes live, why not run it by a journalist first? On top of my journalism, I run a content network where I match PRs and businesses with journalists writing for the likes of the Guardian, Telegraph and the FT. Whether it's a Power Hour or over a few days, you can book in a journalist (national, consumer or B2B) to brainstorm ideas or fire any burning questions at. I can also match you with journalists to knock up dazzling copy too. In the past week I have matched a legal PR with a former national editor, and a PR with a business journalist. PR Nadya Movchan sent me the below (without prompt) straight after a Power Hour with a journalist. "Hi Susie, Thank you sooo much for setting up a call! This was an amazing experience, we discussed so much and I've got a billion new ideas that I can't wait to implement. Why haven't I done it earlier?! :) Thank you thank you thank you!" Another PR landed her client coverage in Forbes. More details and testimonials in the comments section below. DM if you'd like more info. #contentnetwork #PRtip #journalists

“It’s the story, stupid.” If there is one piece of advice from years of journalism experience that PR pros should take away, let it be that. The story matters above all. No relationship or favor will overcome a poor story. Stories contain conflict between characters. They possess stakes. The best pitches understand this and are framed in a way that allows everyone to work together towards a common goal. Sadly, most pitches journalists receive are not stories. They do nothing to say why the journalist and their audience should care. Are there ways to turn a poor story into one with conflict and a selling point? Of course! Be curious. Ask questions. Dig in with some research to supplement your argument and build the stakes.  Service the story and you will be of service to everyone. That’s just one piece of advice. If you need a second? Understand you’re working on the journalist’s timeframe and deadline, which is going to be much, much tighter than yours. #Storytelling #PR #Communicationd #Journalism #Story #Pitch #DoPeopleGetAReferenceFrom1992Anymore

As a journalist, one thing I don't see enough of in the PR pitches that land in my inbox is sample headlines. Sometimes, a sample headline takes a PR pitch from a dud to an actual story I can't wait to cover.🌟 Want to learn more about this strategy and how to write clever headlines to boost your pitching game? Sign up for my newsletter to read it first thing tomorrow. I'll drop a link in the comments.📬✨ (Bonus for this week: Get the scoop on 2 events PR pros won't want to miss this fall!) #Journalism #PRTips #MediaRelations #ContentCreation #Pitching #Newsletter

As a former journalist, I was constantly asked to provide questions in advance. You might not realize but this doesn't actually reflect really well on you and your understanding of the media. I've also seen spokespersons "freeze" because the questions were not what they had been expecting. Here is what I think is a better approach: know your story, not a script. #publicrelations #communications #mediatraining

Thanks to CIPR Influence for including my latest article in their industry magazine. Errors can be very damaging for brand reputation. How do you know what to do when an error occurs? When should you demand a correction and how do you minimise the risk of errors in the first place? #pr #crisismanagement #brandreputation