press release checklist uk

PR Coach © Copyright, Debbie Leven, 2013 of 5

Press Release Checklist UK By Debbie, PR Coach

This press release checklist UK has been designed to give UK small businesses a handy way to

assess their press releases – to identify any gaps, to maximise effectiveness, to highlight the very

many opportunities for getting news stories noticed. I’ve compiled the points listed based on my

experience of working in PR for more than 20 years. This checklist focuses on identifying your

news, writing and issuing your press release to get noticed by journalists.

Too often people waste time producing press releases that have little hope of getting noticed by

journalists, let alone getting published. This checklist is not a substitute for researching your key

press and media or for really understanding what journalists want from a news story. But, it covers,

I think, the key questions you need to consider when thinking about using a press release to get

your story noticed.

The checklist is wider than a listing of the key elements that go into a press release or pointers on

how it should be structured. That’s because successful press and media relations, and achieving

coverage, is much more than the technical details of what goes where in a press release. Also, in

today’s fast paced business environment the press release is much more than a tool for just getting

noticed by journalists – it opens up many more doors for raising profile. I hope you find this

checklist helpful.

Let me know how you get on via: [email protected] For more help on putting together your

press release, including articles, tips and resources, go to: http://www.prcoach.co.uk/pr-help/


Press release checklist UK

Yes No Don’t know

Identifying your news

1. Are you clear about the essential ingredients of a news story that journalists look for?

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2. Do you know the other key components that journalists are interested in?

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3. Do you have a system in place for identifying and collecting news stories that you can use to promote your business?

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4. Does someone in your business have the defined responsibility for seeking out and managing news stories?

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5. Do you have a calendar in place for your press release announcements?

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6. Are you aware of the key dates in the year that are relevant to your potential customers and other key stakeholders?

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7. Have you identified ways of producing news stories timed to coincide with these key dates?

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8. Do you liaise with customers regularly to identify potential news stories?

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9. Do you liaise with suppliers and other key stakeholders to identify opportunities for joint press releases?

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10. Do you ‘create’ news stories when you don’t have any obvious news stories i.e. do or produce something that is newsworthy and will appeal to your target press and media?

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Research

11. Have you compiled a listing of your target press and media? ��

12. Have you researched those contacts and refined your listing to ensure that all contacts are relevant for the news announcement you will be issuing?

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13. Are you sure that a press release is the most suitable tool to use to target your key press and media?

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14. Do you know the deadlines your target press and media are working to?

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15. Have you researched the publications, websites, journalists you want to target to see whether they have run similar stories or articles recently?

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16. Have you researched your listing to ensure all the contact details are correct?

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17. Have you carried out enough research on your target publications, websites, journalists etc so that you feel familiar with topics of interest, style and format?

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18. Do you tailor your press and media target listing for each news announcement?

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19. Do you monitor key journalists to track what they are writing/reporting on?

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20. Do you monitor key journalists to track how they use social media? ��

Writing your press release

21. Have you set a clear objective for producing and issuing a press release for your news story?

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22. Do you have separate objectives for achieving coverage and for achieving back links and website traffic?

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23. Do you use the ‘inverted pyramid’ style for writing your press release – with the most important information up front?

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24. Do you ensure that your press releases answer the essential questions: who, what, why, where, when and how?

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25. Do you check your sentence length and try to keep sentences to 25 words or fewer?

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26. Do you write your press releases so that if only the first paragraph was used then it would capture the essence of your story?

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27. Do check your press releases to ensure that they stick to the facts and save opinion for quotes?

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28. Do you go through your press releases to remove any ‘salesy’ language?

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29. Have you double checked your press release to ensure that it is jargon free?

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30. Do you check the language in your press releases to ensure that it is not overly complicated or wordy?

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31. Are you using the minimum number of words possible to get your news story across?

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32. Have you included any additional information or explanatory detail in the notes to editors section of your press release rather than in the main body?

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33. Do you ensure that all your press releases are dated and for immediate release or with a clear embargo?

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34. Are your contact details presented clearly on any press release and also in any accompanying email?

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35. Do you provide out of office hours contact details when issuing your press release?

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36. Does your press release adhere to the standard guidelines expected by journalists?

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37. Have you used a short, punchy title for your press release to capture the attention of journalists?

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38. Have you tested your press release to ensure that there is strong human interest in your news story?

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39. Have you included a quote in your press release from a third party? ��

40. Do you have photography or visuals available to help support your news stories?

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41. Have you written a version for online use, specifically, that includes keywords and links?

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42. Have you looked at your news story to identify how you can tweak it to produce tailored versions for local, regional, specialist, consumer or national press and media?

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43. Have you stated clearly where your news story finishes by using the word ‘ends’?

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44. Have you included a brief paragraph about your business, including a link to the website, in the notes to editors section of your press release?

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45. Does your press release fit onto two pages of A4 at the maximum, with double or 1.5 spacing?

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Issuing your press release to the press and media

46. Do you contact journalists in advance of issuing your press release to talk to them about the story?

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47. Do you issue the press release yourself rather than use a press release distribution service?

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48. Do you send individual emails to issue your press release rather than paste every contact into ‘blind copy’ and send out one email to all?

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49. Do you send tailored press releases, for the same story, to your different contacts?

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50. Do you paste your press release into your email rather than send as an attachment?

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51. Do you ensure that your press release email does not include embedded logos?

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52. Do you ensure that your press release email does not include photography as attachments?

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53. Do you include a couple of sentences about the news story just before where your press release is pasted, as an introduction, into your email?

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54. Do you include your contact details in this introduction as well as in the body of the press release?

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55. Before issuing your press release do you think about the additional items and opportunities you could offer interested journalists?

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Sharing your press release elsewhere

56. After issuing your press release, do you place it on your website? ��

57. Do you look at other opportunities for sharing your press release? ��

58. Do you notify search engines when you’ve posted your press release on your website?

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59. Do you notify search engines when you’ve posted your press release in other places?

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60. Do you link back to your press release from elsewhere on your website, via blogs and via comments?

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61. Do you have a system in place for sharing your news announcements with customers, suppliers and other key stakeholders?

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Monitoring and evaluating your press release

62. Do you use a monitoring system to notify you of online mentions of key words in relation to your press release?

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63. Do you use tracking url shorteners so you can monitor click throughs to your press release?

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64. Do you have evaluation techniques set up tied to the particular objectives you have specified?

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Getting coverage aside from your press release

65. Have you identified what angles in your news story might provide scope for themes or ideas for feature articles that you can approach journalists about?

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I hope that you have found this press release checklist useful. Knowing where the gaps are is your first step in strengthening your press releases so that they are more targeted, have more impact and help you to get the results you are seeking.

If you want further help then you can contact me via the PR Coach website. You’ll also find many more resources, tips and checklists there to help you with your PR.

press release checklist uk

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