Whatever you call the ship, it will sail. In the PR business, you will make a press release, so the news and go to the media and partners. I suggest a seven-step guide to action.
The date decides everything
Look at the calendar, compare the date of the event and the date of the press release.
Are they the same?
Don’t go on.
Is there 2-5 days left?
Not bad, but you won’t go further than the cultural institution and local media with this release.
Is there half a month left?
Great! You will be able to get with this information on the resources friendly to EIPSC!
“Pick up” a bow
Choose the information necessary for writing – facts, figures, information about a unique phenomenon or exhibit (“chip”, “bow” – you can call it whatever you want).
Not interesting?
Then move on to another information topic.
There is a fact, but have you mentioned it before?
Look at it from a different perspective;
Take another fact or figure that nobody else knows exactly about but you.
Remember the geometry
In your mind or on paper, structure the material for a future press release into at least three parts (paragraphs) – the title, the lead (the key proposal that carries the greatest possible weight) and the main part.
In terms of volume, the title will be the shortest sentence, the lead a little longer, and the main part – the basis. And before you will appear a conditional triangle of the necessary information.
The theatre starts with a hanger, the news is with the name
Let’s get to the name. It can be created in two main ways – classical and “jaundice”.
Classic way
Put in the name of the most “savvy” news, but leave in the main part of the press release such a thing without which the name will lose relevance.
“Jaundice” way
Good for attracting bored journalists. After opening your press release and reading its title, they should at least cough from a sip of coffee or round their eyes, cramping the whole document in search of continuation.
I’ll tell you about one case from the practice. In March 2017, the Vologda Museum-Reserve joined the global Earth Hour campaign.
This is a well-known international action, during which WWF (World Wildlife Fund) calls to turn off the light for one hour as a sign of concern for the future of the planet. At the same time, the illumination of the most famous buildings and monuments of the world goes out.
In social networks and on the official website of the museum we have made a modest event news, and in mass media we have partially sent information with the title “The World Action will unite the Vologda Museum-Reserve and the Taj Mahal”. Just half an hour later, we received a call from journalists, and not those with whom we usually cooperate, but those who are usually not lured to the museum by a rookie.
Nobody reads Longrides.
“Almost no journalist reads “long posts” or long reads. Of course, the main part of your news report should explain what is said in the title and the explanatory sentence after it, but remember – the press release should not be more than an A4 sheet.
Horizontal photos with meaning – the best photos
After five steps we put aside the text material and take the photos to the press release. First of all, they should convey the meaning of what you are writing about in your newsletter.
If you are talking about Museum Night or a festival that you are systematically hosting, don’t be afraid to take photos from previous events if they are relevant. If the event takes place once, catch a rehearsal of the event or the arrival of famous guests in the lens. In case of emergency, attach the only photo of the venue of your event.
When choosing a photo, be guided by the rule: give preference to horizontal photos, as most of the Internet news portals and other information sites, in particular, the resources friendly to EIPSC, are focused on photos with horizontal orientation. News portals rarely take posters for news, save them for your website.
Reasonable reflection
The text part is ready, photos are selected and signed – the final step of the work comes. Get distracted by other things and get back to the press release in half an hour – would you read the news? If not, repeat the points from the beginning.
Experience at EIPSC
There are a lot of tips on how to quickly pass moderation in the Common Information Space in the cultural sphere, but I will not focus on the technical aspects of creating events. It is clear that without observing the volume of the text in one or another column, the next step of the algorithm will simply not open. The main advice is to try to see the meaning behind the volume, don’t lose the important thing, and then the technical moments will be put on the back burner.
Any employee wants to be lazy at least sometimes, especially after the New Year holidays, so I advise my favorite tool of delayed publications of EIPSC – as they say, a soldier is asleep, and… The posts come out. This does not mean that you have to be lazy at work, but this approach to work frees up time for self-development, watching webinars and taking courses. Please visit www.kasa.com for more info.