1. How to write an effective press release Top tips to help you tell your story!

2. How to write an effective press release: workshop plan
Changing media world
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!
Writing an effective press release
Making it pop!
Mistakes to avoid
Telling your story: Press release exercise
Getting your story out there

3. The changing world of media
The press release is dead….long live the press release!
Alex Aiken Executive Director of Government Communications
Changing world of media
Is the press release dead? Not by a longshot!

4. How to write an effective press release: getting prepared!
What’s the story?
Here’s some examples….
Launch of a new service
Call to action
Patient story
Event or accolade
Highlight improvement
Who is your target audience?
Ask for examples of current stories

5. How do you find the stories?
Talking to staff
Board papers
Patient letters and comments
Planned events
Health days
National stories

6. Getting the structure right!
Who, what, where, why and how
Make it clear it’s a press release
Timeline
Eye catching headline
Tell the story in opening paragraph
Direct quote from named person in paragraph three

7. Getting the structure right!
Edit from bottom up!
Two pages is great, one is better
Remember to include contact details
Can you offer an interview or photo opportunity?
Note to editors

8. Make it stand out and add value!
Style
Human interest
Case studies
Fact file
Images and caption
Link to website
Infographic
Style – tabloid, short, snappy, factual, bullet points, clear spacing between paragraphs
Editors always searching for images to make layout look good – helps story have more prominence, right hand pages 3,5,7 etc
Quotes are lifeblood of story – empathise with real people, bring the story to life

9. Top ten mistakes – avoid at all costs!
Jargon
Acronyms
Clichés
Written in the third person
No quotes
Spelling mistakes
Bad grammar
Comment
Lifted material from a report
The long and the short of it!
Check names and titles – spell correctly!

10. Over to you! Exercise: writing an effective press release
Tell a positive story from your organisation by writing a press release.
Ideas to consider – launch of a new service, an up and coming event, winter campaign, a staff awards ceremony, improved care
You have 30 mins to complete the exercise

11. Getting media coverage
Research your local media and build relationships
Diary marker
Eye catching
Follow up call
Spread the net wide
Publish on your organisation website
Follow up stories/features
Find out about deadlines
Don’t just think about newspapers what about radio, online, welsh language, national newspapers, specialist publications, hyper local websites
Hundreds of s every day – need to get noticed

12. What about digital? Consider the following; Infographic Tweet Video
List
Facebook
Images with quote

13. How to write an effective press release
Any questions?

14. Thank you!
Diolch yn fawr!