When it comes to putting out press releases, no release is almost always better than a poorly done one. If you do not put out a press release at all, the public does not have much information about your company. If you put out a poorly done one, on the other hand, we have a negative perception of you. 

This is why, as a business putting up PRs, it’s important that you have it at the highest standard you can possibly attain. Before you publish any press release, there are a few things you should review and possibly adjust if there are any errors. Here are some of them:

Spelling 

We are only human after all, and sometimes, we make mistakes when it comes to spelling. Sometimes, this could be muscle memory kicking in and causing us to misspell things. Other times, it is making a mistake when spelling certain words in British versus US English and so on. However, spelling errors can make even the best PR look sloppy and unprofessional, and so, you need to check for this. A good idea would be to run it through a spellcheck like Grammarly, or even have an AI to do a final look and highlight any spelling errors. These will only take a few minutes, but can go a long way towards elevating your publication.

Grammar 

Along with spelling, sometimes we make grammatical errors when writing out press releases. These may be poorly worded idioms, misplaced punctuation marks, awkwardly written sentences, and so on. These might make the PR seem poorly written or simply hard to understand. Again, it’s best to check with a tool like Grammarly or an AI review tool to make sure that it is up to par. At the same time, you should find grammar easier to navigate as you write and publish.

Some businesses choose to sidestep this issue by simply outsourcing their press release creation. Here at XpressWire, we specialize in not only putting out press releases but also creating them as well. If you want, we can craft the best press release possible for you and have it distributed.

Correct Links 

In previous articles, we’ve touched on the importance of having links throughout your PR. This means having things hyperlink within the text itself and having a dedicated section for media links. Because human error has to be factored in, it might happen that you place the wrong link. Sometimes, you have .com instead of .co.uk, or the link might be broken or misspelt. A good idea would be to click on every link you added in the press release and look at the webpage opening. You might notice that it redirects to the wrong page or shows an error message. In that case, you can replace it with the right one.

The Five Ws 

In the past, we’ve touched on the 5Ws, which must always be present in a press release for it to be effective. These include the who, what, where, why, and when. If nothing else is included in the press release, these serve to explain to the reader who is doing what, where, when and why. Before you put out any press release, look through it using this lens and ask yourself core questions. 

Who is this press release about? What are they doing? When is this thing happening? Where is it happening? By doing this, you make sure that the press release is effective if nothing else, and this will go a long way to endearing you to readers. In the age of low attention spans, people don’t need to decipher what exactly is going on in your press release like a puzzle. Instead, you should be clear as day and adhering to the 5Ws can help you do this.

Images 

These days, it is more common to see press releases with images of different types, and these also need to be handled with care. First, you want to look at your press release in multiple formats to make sure the image translates well. For example, converting the document from Google Docs to PDF, or to a Word Doc, might compress or stretch the image in a way that looks awkward. So, always make sure that the image transfers well. 

You also want to confirm things like copyright, especially if you are expected to give credit to the creator of the image. 

Fact-checking 

Because misinformation and fake news are some of the most controversial topics today, you don’t want to put out a press release that contributes to either. Before you put it out, make sure every single fact is confirmed again to avoid any confusion. Say you are announcing the launch of your new product. Make sure to review your business calendar one more time to confirm the time and dates are correct. 

The last thing you want is to have to retract or edit the press release after it has been published, and users have already seen the false information. The same should happen for minor things like the spelling of people’s names, places, and much more. By only putting out the most correct information and possibly a press release, you can save yourself a world of trouble.

Format 

As we’ve said before, press releases tend to follow an industry format, and before you put any out, make sure you have followed this. This includes having the 5W’s in the first paragraph, appropriate paragraph sizes, and an about section with relevant information, appropriate word count, and much more. This not only makes the press release easier to read but also means it’s less likely to be rejected by publications.

Conclusion 

Taking a moment to review a press release before putting it out, is immensely beneficial for you and your business. Consider some of the things we’ve noted and next time you’re putting out a press release, make sure they are present. Alternatively, you can hire us here at BTC wire to handle your press releases, and have them looking the best they can be.