Why Your Press Release Isn’t Getting Noticed (And How to Fix It)

Every day thousands of press releases land in journalists’ inboxes through services like Pressat, PR Newswire and Business Wire.

Most of them never become stories.

Not because journalists are lazy or uninterested, but because many press releases fail to answer one simple question quickly enough:

“What is the actual news here?”

After decades of newsroom experience, many journalists admit they spend the first few seconds of a release trying to work out its point. If the story isn’t obvious immediately, they move on.

For businesses hoping to gain coverage, understanding how journalists read press releases can make the difference between being ignored and being published.

The Problem With Most Press Releases

Many companies write press releases like marketing brochures. They begin with branding, mission statements, and corporate language before getting to the actual announcement.

A typical opening might read something like:

“XYZ Ltd today reaffirmed its commitment to innovation and customer excellence…”

At this point a journalist still has no idea what has actually happened.

Editors are looking for a clear news event, a launch, partnership, report, trend, price change, or major milestone. 

If the release buries that information halfway down the page, or even worse, in the last paragraph, the chances of it being read drop dramatically.

The 5-Second News Test

A good press release should pass a simple test.

If a journalist reads only the first two sentences, they should immediately know:

what happened

who did it

why it matters

If that information isn’t clear straight away, rewrite the opening.

For example:

Weak opening:

“ABC Technologies continues its mission to transform the digital landscape.”

Stronger opening:

“ABC Technologies has launched a new AI tool that helps small businesses cut customer service costs.”

The second version tells a journalist instantly whether the story is relevant.

Tricks to Make Your Release Stand Out

Lead with the news.

Your first sentence should contain the announcement.

Give a reason it matters now.

Tie your story to a trend, price change, new regulation, or current issue.

And don't use First Person in your press release. Because a press release that says "I" or "we" do something would, when seen by a reader of the publication as something the publication is doing. Instead, use a third person perspective, such as "The company will do..." instead.

Use one strong quote.

Journalists rarely use long quotes. One clear sentence is far more valuable.

Cut the feature list.

Three key points are better than ten minor details.

Keep it short.

Most newsroom rewrites end up around 350–450 words.

Think Like a Journalist

The most effective press releases read less like advertising and more like a short news article.

When companies focus on the story rather than the promotion, journalists can see the value instantly, and that dramatically increases the chances of coverage.

There are several companies who can help you submit your press releases to news outlets. These are some of them:-

Pressat:

https://pressat.co.uk

PR Newswire:

https://www.einpresswire.com

Responsesource:

https://www.responsesource.com

Do not give up on marketing and PR

Just because times might be a little tougher than we would like is not a reason or an excuse to stop marketing or promoting your business.

It's  always the first to go when a recession looms. The marketing budget is slashed, the PR spend is cut to ribbons. And everyone just waits for the next customer to waltz through the doors, pockets bulging with orders.

Here's some news for you. That will not happen. Because if you do not tell potential customers that you are still in business, if you do not get a Public Relations firm to help you blow your own trumpet, nobody else will!

Here is a story related to me by a friend who is an advertising manager for a small local publication: She had two clients, both in the same line of business. At the start of the recession one of the clients (Client A) listened to the siren call that he must stop spending money on advertising and marketing. And this is what he did.

The other client (Client B) continued to advertise, always managing to get just enough money together for an advert. Even if it might not always be the usual size, his advert was always there in the publication.

Client A met one of his customers in the street. He asked his customer if he required his services. His customer said: "Oh! Sorry! I gave my business to Client B. When I noticed you weren't advertising in the paper any more and I saw that he was still advertising, I assumed you'd gone out of business, so I went to him, instead."

There's an old adage in marketing. It says: "The man who beats the biggest drum makes the most noise and draws the most attention to his business."

So, what will you do? Put your drum away and hope that, almost by magic, people might find their way to your business? Or will you beat the drum and draw attention and customers to your business?

For ideas on how to promote your business you can visit www.responsesource.com  and it will not cost as much as you might think.

Press release wire service streamlined to help PRs and businesses reach more media

Submitting press releases to Daryl Willcox Publishing's Response Source and SourceWire services has been simplified and as a result PR professionals can now reach more journalists.

Stories posted will now appear on both the Response Source and SourceWire websites, so PRs do not have to choose which site to post on as they did previously. This means press releases will be exposed to more members of the media as both sites are established resources used daily by thousands of journalists, and are well-indexed by search engines.

The service has also been renamed SourceWire News Distribution to better differentiate the press release distribution service from the Response Source Journalist Enquiries System.

The press release submission form contains all 25 journalist subject categories spanning business and finance to media and marketing, travel, sport, health and technology. It is easier to follow, with clearer steps to submitting a story and adding tools such as images and videos.

Pricing is largely unchanged but is now based on how many categories are chosen, instead of which wire a release is posted on.

“We’ve overhauled the press wire service based on feedback from our users and it is now simpler for PR professionals to submit a story and reach more journalists,” said Daryl Willcox, chairman of Daryl Willcox Publishing. ”It’s another step in our quest to get news out in the most straightforward and effective way.”

Also, Press Association press release distribution has been added to the wire options to allow PRs additional reach to national, regional and broadcast media in the UK.

Willcox continued: “SourceWire News Distribution is now easier to use and even more effective.”

FACTFILE:

Daryl Willcox Publishing (www.dwpub.com) provides information services for journalists and public relations companies. Launched in 1997, the company connects media professionals to create opportunities for timely, relevant press coverage. Products include the Response Source Journalist Enquiries System, SourceWire News Distribution, the Freelance Journalist Directory and the FeaturesExec Media Database. Over 2,500 companies use Daryl Willcox Publishing's media relations services, including around 120 of the top 150 PR Companies.


(EDITOR: If you do not use SourceWire, you are not keeping ahead.)