Back in 2000 when I was working for The Terpin Group in Los Angeles leading PR campaigns for dot-com companies with extremely high aspirations, my colleagues and I knew that there was absolutely one way of hitting a home run, and that was placing a story with The Associated Press. AP stories generate massive exposure, as they are syndicated in major media outlets across the country and around the world. And of course, if you have a story that’s good enough for the AP, it’s good enough for everyone. With this in mind, imagine how powerful it would be if you had the chance, today, to meet with Paul Caluori, the AP’s Global Director of Digital Services, and Philana Patterson, the AP’s Small Business and Breaking News Editor, to learn what they look for in story submissions. Thanks to Business Wire, it’s on.
Back in February of this year, Business Wire hosted a webinar featuring Paul and Philana, where they shared exactly these types of insights. Here are a few of the bullet points from the secrets they shared.
- Reduce industry jargon and use clear, crisp writing
- Use subheads throughout your releases to organize news
- Consider using bullets to highlight key items
- Don’t try to bury the news in your release – it will be found anyway
- Include contact information on your release
- Make sure the contact person is working all day the day your news moves
- Include a photo
“Photos not only get your story noticed at the news desk, they get it noticed if the AP provides further coverage. And always make sure your photos are high-resolution – at least 2,000 pixels on the longest side, and at least 1MB in size.”
