“Worse still, if an editor doesn’t realise there’s a mix-up in your statistics, you could find incorrect claims about your products or services in the public domain,” she says.
That’s why Ms Cramer recommends businesses do a final fact check once a media release has been written and approved, especially when targeting industry publications.
“Content for industry publications is often specialised or technical, as you’re speaking to an audience that already has a good understanding of the issues being raised. This means that if one zero is left off or added to a figure in your press release, it could make a huge difference to your claims,” she says.
“Readers who have an understanding of the subject matter will know when something doesn’t add up, which can do a lot of damage to your brand and reputation.”
Mistakes can creep into a release at any stage of the writing and editing process, as a media release can travel through a number of hands before it ends up on the editor’s desk: from a product manager, to a writer and finally with the managing director for sign-off.
WriteRelease specialises in writing and distributing news releases to trade and business publications. “Once our journalists finalise the content for the press release, one of the last steps in our process is to run it past the person that originally supplied the facts and figures for a final fact check,” says Ms Cramer.
For more press release writing tips, visit www.writerelease.com.au.
