There's plenty of content on the internet about how to write the perfect press release. But not enough about what it is that gets journalists to open your emails. Shouldn't that be the end goal of a press release? Not how perfectly written it is?
Communicating is a skill that takes years of perfection. From how you communicate in person to how you approach strategic communications - such as press release writing.
Let's examine the 'strategy' of a press release or press pitch. You have a clear goal: you want to evoke a response from the person that receives your communication. Open my email, publish my news straight away, RSVP my press trip, or come back to me with some questions.
The only time that an editor will take action - is if what you are sending them is relevant to them and their audience. And this, is the secret sauce. You need to know that editor, that real person, with a real life and thoughts and opinions, so well - that you know that what you are sending them will peak their interest.
It takes a lot of effort to build those relationships. And that is also - why you should work with a PR, because we have put in the ground work.
PR isn't marketing emails send to people's inboxes measuring click rates and conversions (of course you can examine those metrics to get curious about performance) its about relevancy, communication skills, the ability to know what is newsworthy and...relationships.
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