Bad Press Releases: 14 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid

The anchor text of some of your links should contain relevant keywords for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) purposes.

The solution: Look for SEO relevance. Use tools that can measure the impact of your content and offer suggestions before you publish your press release.

Try to get at least one link in the first third of your content as releases get picked up by aggregators or services, and they often include just the first paragraph or two.

Readers might only skim the first few lines of your press release and never see the links in your content.

The solution: Find a place for links in the top third of your content, even if you have to rewrite.

Not including contact information in your press release means interested parties may bypass finding your number or will connect with companies that make their contact information more obvious.

The solution: Ensure every release includes at least two accurate ways for customers to get in touch.

Most people won't read to the bottom of your press release, but those who are primed to connect with your company will need that last push into action.

Your "About Our Company" section can only be a small blurb about what you do and why you do it.

The solution: Create a clear, up-to-date and to-the-point About Our Company section.

Why should readers care about your press release? Consider what is newsworthy or exciting about your announcement and ensure that it's not written in a dry, dull, or boring way as it won't get read.

The solution: Lead with a compelling headline and first paragraph. Capturing user attention up-front increases the chance that readers will reach the end.

Steer clear of quotes from executives or team leaders that talk about how excited or proud they are about the information in your release as this does not add any value.

The solution: Talk to the people involved with the project or product you're announcing and get quotes about why it matters to the target audience. What pain points are addressed?

If you only talk about how great your company is, you're not giving readers a reason to keep reading.

The solution: Press releases are about balancing promoting your brand and highlighting the impact of your newest project, service, or research. Ensure the headline and first paragraph are about what you've done, not how great you are.

Press releases are part of larger marketing campaigns. Failing to support press releases properly limits the reach of your campaign and can frustrate efforts to generate market interest.

The solution: Start with strategy. Ensure a plan for press releases includes specific budget allotments and targeted news sources.

Creating a great headline and first paragraph will get readers interested, but you should also be able to back it up with substance.

For example, creating a press release about a new product that claims to solve specific issues, but you don't back it up with data, quotes, or other evidence.

The solution: Start with reliable data. First, talk to your product teams and evaluate your market to see where your new solution fits, then find data that showcase your results.

Always get permission to use quotes. Internally, this should not be an issue, but if you're using third-party quotes, ensure to get express written permission. If you fail, you might end up causing damage to your reputation.

The solution: Create a clear permission process that identifies great quotes, reaches out to the sources and gets express written permission.

Timing is essential to press releases. If your release goes out before the rest of your campaign is ready, you may turn away potential customers.

The solution: Create a marketing timeline for new campaigns that specifies press release dates and aligns them with other campaign efforts.

The quicker you can capitalize on emerging trends and customer sentiment, the better. But if your release is riddled with spelling or grammar errors, it will lose its impact and could convince customers to take their business elsewhere.

The solution: Every release should go through two rounds of edits and evaluation.