CHECKLIST: 3 press release must-haves

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CHECKLIST: 3 press release must-have's

To make sure that your press release isn't immediately tossed into the editor's waste basket, follow this simple checklist. You'll avoid three of the most common errors, and greatly increase your chances of getting media coverage.

CHECKLIST
3 Press Release Must-Have's
YES	NO	Is your press release...?
		Is your press release written for journalists (i.e, editors at newspapers, magazines or other media outlets)? If you've written it for the end user (that is, your customer), this is a big mistake. While the topic of your release must be of interest to the editor's publication readership, you must write the release to catch the editor's eye. .
		Is your press release newsworthy? Press releases should not be promotional. Instead, they should highlight a news item that a journalist would find worthy to make mention of in a story or article. And ideally the news item should be mentioned in the headline and the lead paragraph.
		Are you tailoring the writing of your release and sending the press release to a targeted list of journalists? If the objective of your press release is to get published or mentioned in a media outlet read or seen by your customers, make sure your media contact list is targeted. That is, if you offer bookkeeping services, your list probably shouldn't include media contacts for teen fashion magazines.