Today, more than ever, the writing of a one-page press release is critical, in order to get a wine writer’s attention.
Why?
- Writers are getting more mail than ever, and it’s mostly electronic.
- Who has time to read a new version of War & Peace?
- A press release is only intended to get a writer’s attention and less is more.
- You’re writing the press release to get a story or a feature.
- You’re not writing it for the intended media people. They’re going to write their own versions.
- That information is most likely all over your Website already.
- If it’s not, the writer will contact you for more information, and that’s as good as gold for bridge building purposes.
- If it’s more than one page, you’d better have a darn good reason.
- Hopefully, that second, third, fourth, etc. pages should be attachments of worth.
- In the wine business, maps, images, tech sheets, etc.
- Snap decisions… delete…
- Most writers you query will make the first decision in the headline.
- The next snap decision is in your first line.
- One writer just said to me, “If I read one more press release that starts with the word, ‘Imagine,’ I’ll… and he hesitated for the right word – so I threw in “puke.’ We both burst out laughing…
- Emails get deleted in a blink, as compared to snail mail deliveries; because more time, effort, money, and personal contact goes into the latter.
Writing less with more content is an art form. If you’re a publicist, you may already know this. If you don’t, you might want to consider it in this time of an over abundance of verbiage. The press releases that now come my way had better have “it” in the title, and then the first paragraph is the next important element. The rest it, if I’m interested in anything about the release, will then be for the exploring, but completely wasted on me if it’s not my current cup of tea.
May I add:
Make the press release about something press release-worthy. If the only time a writer hears from a publicist or winery representative is to announce bud burst, vintage change or the latest bronze medal, they are more likely to delete the next email before even getting to, “Imagine…”
Step outside your own subjective POV – how interesting is this to anyone else? Does it have broad appeal, or relevancy to a particular trend or topic?
And worth emphasizing is Jo’s last statement “…completely wasted on me if it’s not my cup of tea.” Research your audience. Is this something they write about or likely to be interested in?
Thanks. Deborah. All good.
This is a great post, a lot of companies struggle with writing effective Press Releases. I think this is a starting point. I recently did a press release for my wine tips blog http://www.Tdwines.com and I made this mistake.