Course Benefits: On completion of this course you will be able to:

• Develop writing skills to get your press release noticed
• Have clear guidelines to work from
• Understand how to be proactive and confident with the press
• Learn what different media want and how to provide it

Who Should Attend?

• Press officers and managers with PR responsibilities
• Public relations practitioners who wish to enhance and develop their writing ability
• Communications personnel with responsibility towards developing/enhancing the public profile of their organisation
• Marketing staff keen to broaden their expertise and work more effectively with the media

Part One: Getting the basics right

• Press release/journalistic writing - understanding the difference
• The impact of style and word usage
• The difference between a statement and a release
• Identifying your audiences and targeting them effectively
• Negative press release writing

Part Two: Practical Workshop - How to draft a press release

• How to write a winning press release
• How to properly format a release
• How to write catchy headlines
• How to grab the attention of the media

Part Three: From the Horse's Mouth - The journalist's perspective

• What are the best ways and times to talk to journalists?
• How to make it easy for a journalist to use your press release
• Once the press release is sent - the follow-up protocol
• Why most press releases are not used
• How to be a media asset rather than an irritant

Part Four: Practical Workshop II
Polishing your Press Release - All participants will be required to draft a press release to be used and analysed during this session.

• Analysis of selection of press releases
• Simple ways to improve a press release
• Final guidelines to ensure both your client and the media are happy

Part Five: Maximising your press coverage

• Planning your media strategy to ensure you get into print
• What publications do you target and how
• Using the right channels to be effective
• How customising your approach yields much better results
• Analysis of why certain press releases work and others don't

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