A Newsworthy News Release Will Get You Noticed!
When a dog bites a man, that’s not news. But when a man bites a dog, that is news! The media is always searching for the latest news items — and your company just might have some newsworthy tidbits to offer the real estate publications. When your news is in print you automatically gain credibility, boost your image and generate leads. What’s more, it’s free!
Here are a few suggestions to help you develop newsworthy releases and improve your chances of publication.
#1 Provide Worthy Tidings
Don’t waste the media’s time on fluff or sales pitches; they won’t write you up and you’ll end up wasting your own time. Newsworthy items are what appeal to them, including:
- Expansion plans
- New hires
- Exclusives and leasing assignments
- Unique financing arrangements
- Acquisitions and dispositions
- New development/construction
- Breaking ground/obtaining zoning approvals
- Lease signings (major or multi-lease deals only)
#2 Fill in the Blanks
No editor wants to do your homework, so don’t turn your release into a research assignment. Provide all the print-ready, essential elements they need, including:
- Title (this is your news hook which should look like a newspaper headline)
- Location and date
- First paragraph (include the five W’s)
- Subsequent paragraphs (most important information first; least important last)
- Quotes (if relevant)
- Photographs (if relevant, max 300 dpi JPG)
- Close with brief description of your company (not more than one short paragraph)
- Contact name, company, phone # and email address (in the event they do have a question)
#3 Text Please
You’ll have a greater chance of being published if you provide text that the media can edit at will. Either email a text document or embed the text within the body of your email. Don’t ever send an un-editable PDF.
#4 Don’t Author a Book
News releases should ideally be 250 to 500 words (3/4 page to a max of 1-1/2 page). If you have more to say, call or email the editor to ask if they could interview you for an article.
#5 Check Your Inventory
It’s essential to create and maintain a database of national and regional publication contacts. You may also want to add local newspaper editors for your market areas as well. Add to your database as needed and update your list on a regular basis to keep the distribution of your releases as expeditious and accurate as possible.
Here’s a Sample News Release and a News Release Worksheet to make creating your news releases easy.