According to my contacts at Business Wire, over 1,200 press releases cross their wire each day. That's a lot of news. But how much of it is really news?

In my humble opinion, the majority of news releases sent each day have little real news value. When, or should I say if they reach an editor's desk, the typical response is, "So what." Headlines are full of puffed up, buzzwords and do nothing to gain attention.

You've got news. Every company does. The trick to effectively communicate that news is separating the REAL news, from the "who cares" news. A news release is not boring, wooden or formulaic. A news release is factual, devoid of hype, interesting and containing news (in other words, something that has not happened before).

So, what is newsworthy N-E-W-S?

N – New: Sell your real news in the headline and lead paragraph. The very name, news release, dictates that the content must    contain something different. Don't soft-pedal old or recycled information, unless there really is a new angle on it.

E – Exciting: Don't be afraid to tout the fun stuff in your headline. Thousands of releases go out every day. If you want to get heard, make sure your release has the Wow factor. Put the news where it gets noticed, right up front in the headline and the lead paragraph.

W – Well Written: Proof, proof, proof! The release must be accurate, grammatically correct and understandable. Every release that goes over the wire is posted on dozens of online news sites, immediately, as it is written. If you want to get your release noticed, then follow a few important rules:

• Lose the buzzwords/jargon – jargon makes people feel stupid if they don't understand the lingo.

• Support key messages with the quote – this is your chance to sell.

• Minimize use of acronyms and always spell them out – no one can keep up with the millions of acronyms.

• Prove all facts, claims and statistics – cite sources for all numbers and claims.

• Boilerplate is a footnote, not a sales pitch – make it factual. Include company headquarters and office locations, brief statement of products or services and contact information.

S – Sincere: Axe the hype – the only one that believes that you are the "leading", "only", "top" is you. News releases are a method to convey fact, not hype. Don't let vanity rule honesty.

Here are tips from BusinessWire to help you keep your releases in top form:

• Headline: Include the company name so that the media/readers see immediately whom the release concerns. Make the headline short (2-3 lines) to avoid getting it cut off in database searches.
  
  
• Dateline: Make sure you note the correct date and have a city designated for the dateline.
  
  
• 1st Paragraph: One sentence that summarizes the content of the release.
  
  
• Body: Include the company's ticker/exchange if traded. Each paragraph should contain no more than 6-8 lines. The media sees a lot of releases each day and they must be able to scan your release quickly.
  
  
• Quotes: Make sure you attribute your quotes (who is saying it, what their position is in the company) and ensure that the person being quoted is relevant to the nature of the story (i.e. you would not want your CFO discussing your company's new software).
  
• Contact information: Include company name, PR contact, phone number, email/Web site, and an after-hours phone number, if available.

Sending out release after release, with little or no real news value does not gain editor recognition. In fact, it can do more harm than good.

The object of a press release is to, duh, get press. So make them count.

©2003 - Beth S. Miller Marketing Communications - Communing