The definitive PR checklist

Well-written and concise press materials are one of the most effective and easiest ways to achieve positive media coverage for a company. However, a common mistake tech startups make is forgetting who the press materials are for. This information is being read by journalists, not the end user, and as such should speak directly to the journalist. 

Your press materials should share those gripping details that will make reporters stop and take an interest in your story, and they should highlight the benefits of the news for your specific industry. Newsflash, it should be your media contacts niche as well. Here we dive into what makes press materials effective, from following a top-down structure, getting to the point, formatting, and more. 

Grab attention with an intriguing yet short headline. Your press release headline will be the shortest part of your press materials, but it’s the first thing your media contacts will see and, as such, determines whether they will keep reading or not. 

The headline writing process can be tricky because you need to:

• Write an intriguing headline that sets your story apart from first glance
• Communicate the problem you’re solving without using complex lingo 
• And achieve the above with limited real estate – shoot for twelve words or less

When we say benefit, we do not mean it in a sales sense. Press materials should be deeply informational rather than overly promotional or fluffy, so avoid salesy language and save the adjectives for another time. Instead, share the main cut and thrust of your story like it's a newspaper headline. 

Also, do so using the present tense as opposed to the past perfect. That way, you’re able to use an active tone with words like “rolls out,” “launches,” and “supports.” Finally, use numbers where applicable. Not only does quantifying information enhance your announcement, but it makes it easier for journalists and their publications' readers to visualize the impact.

Keep your press release succinct to maximize its impact

While you have creative freedom with the content within your press materials, standardized press release formatting is vital. There’s no point in gripping journalists' attention with the headline and then losing them early on because you only make the main points clear midway through.

Your opening paragraph should reiterate how this news is relevant to your media contacts and include a brief descriptor of your company. Too often, we see tech companies using this incremental space for unnecessary information, so it’s time to clarify that your company’s existence is not the newsworthy part. This section is only for the most important details – what is being announced. The second paragraph helps journalists imagine the problem you are solving before diving into more high-level details about the announcement in the rest of the body text. If your news leans heavily on statistics or includes multiple facts, experiment with using bullet points, as it would help make these details more scannable. 

A recommended component of press materials is a short and punchy quote from a high-ranking team member at your company, particularly the Founder or CEO or a third party, to add an additional touch of credibility. Objectivity is vital throughout your press materials, except for here. This is your space to add some personality, use emotion, and share your opinion on the significance of the announcement. 

Enhance your press materials with valuable assets

News cycles today are more dynamic than ever before and make use of a wide variety of media to engage readers. Journalists want to see multidimensional press materials and have assets to add depth to their own stories. 

Visuals are great to include but need to be highly relevant to the specific news you are sharing. In other words, an image of the company’s successful past projects won’t be relevant for a partnership announcement. Instead, aim for an image that displays the connection between your company and your new partner. We recommend putting all assets into one file or folder that’s not only easy to locate in your press materials but easy to download.

Here’s a good starting point for what to consider when creating your visuals:

• Include a variety of up-to-date logos that journalists could make use of
• Incorporate a one-minute-long, high-quality video. This is an effective storytelling medium, especially if you want to illustrate your company's service with a quick demo
• Add a banner image that clearly illustrates what the news is about below your headline.
• Make use of infographics if the news story is data-driven
• Provide headshots of the Founders, Co-Founders, and CEOs 

It’s good to have a mix of layouts when it comes to imagery, so while landscape images are preferred, it’s also great to have one option, which is portrait. In addition, the aim with visual elements is to make your press materials more interesting, memorable, and persuasive so high quality and high resolution is the key here. The worst thing for a journalist is finding that your multimedia elements are blurry or pixelated.

Stand out from the dozens of other stories journalists receive One of the most common mistakes when crafting press materials is omitting key details. Your startup is worth bragging about, so make sure you share those valuable and newsworthy details in the most compelling way, and you’ll be sure to land some top media coverage.