By Remy Raitt

Instead of looking at how to craft the perfect press release, we’re going to look at things to avoid. These are common mistakes that can be easily overlooked, so read on to ensure you’re not committing any of press release faux pas.

Don’t create a title doomed for the trash

“The title of your press release is the first thing a journalist will see, so make sure it's concise, enticing and gives a good overview of your story,” says Katy Cowan in an article for Creative Boom. Samantha Pugh of Pugh Public Relations & Corporate Communications agrees, adding that the subject line “should never shout ‘brand’”. If appropriate, Pugh also suggests customising the subject line according to the receiver, she says these changes may reflect personal relationships or the needs of the receiver.

Lara Doundoulakis, owner and director of ThreeSixOh PR & Communications says in order to minimise the chances of your press release landing in the receiver’s spam folder, avoid using numbers in the subject line. The same goes for whole words in caps and the excessive use of exclamation marks.

Save time. Don’t waffle.

“In your email you should begin with an opening pitch that shouldn’t exceed two or three lines,” says Pugh. She says this introduction must explain why the information you have sent is important, don’t waste the journalist’s time with waffling.

Underneath your email message it’s wise to copy and paste your press release, this will assist journalists who are strapped for time to extract the information they need without fiddling with attachments, says Cowan.

Don’t pussyfoot with your press release

It’s smart to include an attachment of the press release too. Cowan says avoid PDF’s as these are tricky to copy and paste from. And copy and pasting is something the PR professional should strive for.

“The press release needs to promote the brand or product but it should still come off as unbiased. If a journalist is strapped for time they should be able to just copy and paste the press release and it should be able to fit in with the other editorial content,” says Pugh.

Pugh and Doundoulakis agree that the opening paragraph of your actual press release is the most important part. It should explain why this information is important and relevant and it should make the key message of the press release clear. “I always like to justify whatever copy I’ve added,” says Pugh.

Language you should lose

Flowery and overly flattering language are big no no’s says Pugh, and according to Doundoulakis, when it comes to your competitors, ‘mud-slinging’ and defamation must be steered completely clear of. Doundoulakis adds that spelling and grammar errors are unacceptable, as is SMS language.

Press releases need to be factual and specific; Doundoulakis says phrases like “in my opinion” should be avoided, as should sweeping terms like “the general public”.

Lessons in layout

“Press releases need to look professional,” says Pugh. With this in mind, she suggests using a font size that’s at least a size 10, in a font that’s easy to read. Doundoulakis adds that cursive writing, the use of all capital letters or the overuse of bold, italics or underlined words should be avoided. For a clean and professional look, Doundoulakis suggests always using black writing, breaking the text up into easy-to-read paragraphs and using bullets instead of commas when listing more than three things.

When it comes to hyperlinks, don’t over-do it. Pugh says only add the ones that will assist journalists. Don’t forget to test the hyperlinks to ensure they take the reader to the right place.

Don’t photo bomb

Attaching photographs will save the journalist time and energy, but if you send the wrong sorts of pictures you’ll just end up ticking them off. “Ensure you use quality photos that aren’t blurry and not random, they must relate to the press release,” says Pugh. Doundoulakis mirrors this sentiment, adding that if you have numerous relevant photographs, instead overloading the email, rather tell the journalist about the available options so that they can request the ones they want.

What are some other press release faux pas that should be avoided? Tell us below.