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Read all about it – get your practice in the news | 0 comments
Submitting news to local media is a great way to get free publicity for a dental practice and journalists are always happy to receive your press release.
Writing a press release
A press release is the standard format for submitting news to media and should always follow the same structure.
First of all, you need a good headline which encapsulates the story and invites the reader to want to know more. The headline of a recent press release about award wins was ‘A hat-trick of crowns for Fleetwood dental practice.’
Every press release answers six simple questions: who, what, when, where, how and why and should ideally be summed up in around 300 words. It’s important to include quotes from those involved as it brings the story to life.
The final element is contact details such as a mobile phone number for journalists. This is so they can get hold of you quickly and easily if they have any further questions.
Photography
Photography is essential to accompany any press release for two reasons. Firstly, as the old adage says, a picture is worth a thousand words in terms of explanation and impact. Secondly, if a photo is used with a story the size of the article commands more space and therefore is more attention grabbing.
Sending a press release to the media
There are two golden rules here. The first is always read the publication before you send a press release. This will help determine whether it’s appropriate to send it. The second golden rule is to identify which journalist to send it to. Press releases sent to the editor or news desk of a busy local media can easily get lost.
By contrast, press releases sent to the correct named individual are much more likely to be used.
The news agenda
If a press release does get used then how much space it commands depends on how that story fits into the news agenda.
Your story may be newsworthy but if a reporter has five or six other big news stories on at the same time then it’s the luck of the draw if your story gets used. If you’re lucky the story might get edited down to a short 50–100 word mention without a photo.
But, if it’s a slow news day then the journalist may decide to use the story in full with a picture. Or, if you strike the jackpot, they could choose to add to it by interviewing those involved and turn it into a full feature article.
We’ve had up to 10 calls as a direct response from an article in the press.
Peter Thompson from Ideal Dental Care writes regular columns for magazines such as BDA News about running a dental business and this is an abridged version of a previously published article.
Writing a press release
A press release is the standard format for submitting news to media and should always follow the same structure.
First of all, you need a good headline which encapsulates the story and invites the reader to want to know more. The headline of a recent press release about award wins was ‘A hat-trick of crowns for Fleetwood dental practice.’
Every press release answers six simple questions: who, what, when, where, how and why and should ideally be summed up in around 300 words. It’s important to include quotes from those involved as it brings the story to life.
The final element is contact details such as a mobile phone number for journalists. This is so they can get hold of you quickly and easily if they have any further questions.
Photography
Photography is essential to accompany any press release for two reasons. Firstly, as the old adage says, a picture is worth a thousand words in terms of explanation and impact. Secondly, if a photo is used with a story the size of the article commands more space and therefore is more attention grabbing.
Sending a press release to the media
There are two golden rules here. The first is always read the publication before you send a press release. This will help determine whether it’s appropriate to send it. The second golden rule is to identify which journalist to send it to. Press releases sent to the editor or news desk of a busy local media can easily get lost.
By contrast, press releases sent to the correct named individual are much more likely to be used.
The news agenda
If a press release does get used then how much space it commands depends on how that story fits into the news agenda.
Your story may be newsworthy but if a reporter has five or six other big news stories on at the same time then it’s the luck of the draw if your story gets used. If you’re lucky the story might get edited down to a short 50–100 word mention without a photo.
But, if it’s a slow news day then the journalist may decide to use the story in full with a picture. Or, if you strike the jackpot, they could choose to add to it by interviewing those involved and turn it into a full feature article.
We’ve had up to 10 calls as a direct response from an article in the press.
Peter Thompson from Ideal Dental Care writes regular columns for magazines such as BDA News about running a dental business and this is an abridged version of a previously published article.
15th February 2012
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