Why isn’t my news release earning coverage?

3 things to consider before submitting your news release

Are you receiving great media coverage for your company news? We once had a client who was not satisfied with the media coverage they were earning. They’d put out two news releases and only earned one media article as a result. We recommended they review their news releases, keeping the following three things in mind:

1. Newsworthy topics

Ask yourself, “Why does this matter to the public; how does it affect readers’ daily lives?” Review the 10 elements of newsworthiness to identify the key points in your company’s news that would be important to reporters. Through experience, we know a good story needs a minimum of two or three of these 10 elements in order to earn coverage.

2. Timeliness

For announcement-related news, you’ll need to move fast. With the 24/7 news cycle, a story that happened last week is old news. For example, we’d prefer to announce your new franchisees as soon as they sign the contract. Current news has more impact than something that happened yesterday or last week. The media loses interest quickly and past events become stale when there's always fresh news somewhere.

3. Content review

A news release is a tool to help reporters write unbiased articles. Review your news release with a critical eye and ask, "Am I writing for the newsroom and living room – or my company boardroom?" Sales language that doesn't add value for the journalist’s audience is an automatic turn off. Remember, reporters have hundreds of other story topics to write about. One tip is to draft a news release for pitching a reporter and a separate, more sales-driven news release for your website. We do that frequently for clients’ online newsrooms.

If your current PR agency doesn’t understand how to connect communication efforts to business metrics, it’s time to find a PR partner that uses best practices. Read Axia’s complimentary e-book “How to Fire Your PR Firm” to learn what you should expect from your PR firm and how to have a smooth transition when you decide to move on.

Clients love Katie’s energy and enthusiasm. She works with local, regional and national clients coordinating their PR campaigns. Katie has worked with Axia Public Relations since September 2015. Learn more about Katie.