Press Release Fails

Back in 1906, there was a train crash in Atlantic City that killed over 50 people. Press release fails were not a concern at the time, as the concept did not exist yet. The publicist for the railroad, a man named Ivy Lee, convinced his client to let him issue a statement to the media that described the accident from the company's standpoint. The New York Times editors liked it so much that they ran it verbatim in their paper.

Since that day of the first press release, companies so regularly turn to this tactic that around 2,000 are distributed via press release services (aka "the wire") every day. Given that the number of working journalists continues to shrink, that means that every reporter you're trying to reach is probably getting between 100 and 200 releases per day—at a minimum.

With numbers like that, the odds of your press release being acted upon are slim and getting worse as time goes by.

What Is A Press Release?

Remember, a press release is a statement provided to the media for the purpose of providing information about an event, product, or company. While press releases can be an effective way to generate interest, they can also quickly become a PR nightmare if they are not handled correctly.

Although there are many reasons why there are a lot of press releases fails, following these key tips will help your release reach its target audience and generate the desired results. If you’re looking for a reliable and experienced digital PR firm to help you get your news seen by the right people, TrizCom PR is here to help. Contact us today to see how we can put our 20 years of experience to work for you.