Stop the press

Sub editors. They're popular people. Well, I say popular, actually, they rank somewhere in the popularity zone of tax inspectors, WAGs and Big Brother contestants. Give them a press release, and they'll cast their beady eye over it, on the lookout for any glaring spelling mistakes, grammatical errors or style issues. Technically, they're ripping other people's work to shreds.

But they have a point. Here at Business Franchise Towers, we've had our share of press releases that needed attention. Most of the time, we get what we ask for. And yet, a very tiny few slip through the net for a number of reasons. So here's a bit of advice for composing that perfect press release.

1. Repeat when necessary
You're trying to promote your business the best way that you can. You must promote it in an original and imaginative way, putting a fresh spin on your product each time. But some companies trot out the same old blurb again and again.
Believe me, I've seen it. Sometimes the same phrases and sentences are used, not just once, but many times. I've even seen exactly the same press release used again, only with a different headline.
We receive feedback on the articles we print, and we find that better-received stories are the ones that contain original approaches, or have fresh stories to tell. Indeed, a press release works best when it tells a story, instead of regurgitating the same old cod-marketing speak. A news story is something positive that's happened to your company, such as a milestone event (an anniversary or the 50th franchisee). Keep your story fresh and you'll add to your numbers.
 
2. Throw away that old cliché
"At the end of the day", a press release opens up a "whole can of worms" when it "comes to the crunch". Yes, sometimes clichés are hard to avoid. But after we've seen the millionth "Joe Bloggs has gone from strength to strength", we're going to just cross it out in big black scribbles.
It's all about maintaining a healthy balance. On the one hand, you don't want to keep your piece too stiff and formal, but then you don't want to pepper your message with over-ripe, over-used sayings and clichés that ultimately lack meaning and credibility.
 
3. How can I be sure?
A former editor of mine once gave me a bit of sound advice: "Steer clear of the word 'unique'." Unique's a great word. It makes you stand out from the crowd.Problem is, few things are truly unique. Playing a violin in a tank of live goldfish is. A mobile phone that walks, talks, eats and sleeps is. But in life, how can we prove what's unique and what's not?
The problem with claiming that your offering is unique is that you need concrete proof to back this up. We once had a complaint from a company that said that it was offering the same thing as another, supposedly 'unique' product. So you need to be careful about using that word - make sure that you can back your claim up with real evidence that your offering is a total one-off, or come up with a different (and more accurate) description.
The same goes for "market leader". If you can prove 100% that you are the market leader in your field, fine, but on what yardstick are you basing this on? Have you conducted market research? Researched the competition? Done a customer poll?
 
4. Unhealthy competition
Undermining your competition does you no favours. You can say what you want in private, but saying that a rival company doesn't do this or that in a press release means that no one involved comes out of this well. It may make your rival look bad - but it usually backfires. Any reader is going to see through a cheap dig. Rather than making you appear superior to your rival, the reverse is usually true.
 
5. Picture this
It's not just the words that make
a difference. The accompanying photo is also important. The image you submit needs to be striking and create an impact on a potential franchisee. Yet a small number of companies seem hellbent on submitting the dullest images possible. A potential franchisee is unlikely to point in awe and wonder at a static picture of a van or a factory. Of course, you need to keep the picture relevant but it needs to be bright and fresh at the same time. The lesson: a memorable and relevant image will get results. And here endeth this particular lesson.