Exclusive: The Secret to Great (and Not-So-Great) Press Releases

November 19, 2014Posted at 19:27h in Uncategorized by Marc Silverstein

It’s part hall of fame, part hall of shame. Matt Glassman’s periodic “News Release of the Day” Facebook posts let PR types know where they stand with their latest media pitch. It’s not necessarily the media attention they’re hoping for.

As Assistant News Director at NBC4 in D.C., Matt is besieged by news releases. Understandably, many are written in hopes of standing out among the masses. But when they go too far overboard, the only coverage offered is a post on Matt’s Facebook page. Among his “News Release of the Day” recipients are one about crotch powder for men, and one about American camels’ milk (there are American camels?).

In our exclusive On The Marc Media Skype interview, Matt explains he’s making a bigger point with his posts. While they’re in good fun, and have even become a source of pride to some of the lucky recipients (all coverage is good coverage, right?), the key is to understand your audience.

“You’ve got to know who you’re pitching to,” says Matt. “It’s really doing some research and figuring out who’s the best person to talk to…so your information doesn’t get lost in the hundreds.” For example, Matt’s been told ‘this will be great for your noon show.’ News flash: NBC4 doesn’t have a noon show. Once you’ve done your research, Matt says the headline takes it home. “You don’t need to be dramatic, you’ve just got to tell me what the story is. A good press release with a good title is going to get noticed.”

Check out the video to hear what really gets Glassman’s attention.

 



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