3 reasons press release campaigns fail to reach your audience

Delivering news in a sound and clear manner is a critical pillar when successfully launching innovative products. On the surface it doesn’t seem like rocket science. However many companies’ PR initiatives fall short of expectations and fail to resonate with targeted industry experts. Here we list 3 reasons why press release campaigns fail to create high-quality outreach.

1. The press release is poorly written.

Banal phrases are overused. For instance, during the pandemic such buzzwords appear regularly: “now more than ever”, “unprecedented”, “uncertain times”. As a result, readers turn a blind eye to clichés, skip over them and disconnect from the story.

Professional jargon attacks readers from the beginning. Clearly, tech stories should be delivered in professional language. A compromise tactic is to begin with understandable terms and avoid straightforward use of specific acronyms.

The following is an example from the solar energy industry. “Innovative PV system has 2 times lower LEC”. This opening phrase risks discouraging a keen reader from browsing the rest of the press release. A better option would be: “Innovative solar PV system has 2 times lower lifetime energy costs”. This sends a clearer and more understandable message, which invites the potential lead to continue reading.

The tech story’s tone of voice is too selling. Industrial news is not advertising. They should be written as information-based stories, that highlight the different aspects of your ground-breaking technology, and deliver its value in a journalistic way. Content should be engaging, not biased. Otherwise, the selling tone may cause a press release’s rejection by editors or poor interest from the intended audience.

English is the only used language for a global campaign. Local trade press media are unlikely to accept an English version for a domestic market and they will not make a translation for you. Localization of your press release material is a compulsory requirement when trying to reach international media, and gain global outreach.

2. Poor relationships with editors.

Tech stories do not meet the editorial requirements. Many trade press media specify how to write and submit your press releases. For instance, there could be requirements for the subject line formulation, preferred topics, text’s length to name but a few. Editors are extremely busy, so if your tech story does not match the box, it will not reach the publication.

Wrong media was approached. Editors are very demanding when selecting materials. Your press release should fit with their editorial mission. And if this mission is, for instance, to cover chemical news, even the latest high-tech logistic innovation could be irrelevant for this media.

Evidence shows, that approaching editors is challenging. Therefore, it is worthy to delegate this stage to media agencies. Pay attention to the media agencies’ scope. Otherwise, a wrong choice could be the 3rd reason why the press release campaign fails to get out your story to potential B2B partners.

3. Press release’s distribution through general news agencies.

General news agencies look promising in terms of wide coverage. Still, they lack targeting, which causes your tech story will be lost among all the many other stories published.

In reverse, a specialized trade press agency connects your press release with industry-dedicated media. Therefore, it does not offer press release distribution, but rather high-quality delivery through relevant trade media to a specific target audience. Finding the right partner for news delivery ensures your tech story’s high visibility for the key audience.

Key takeaways for your press campaign’s success

Prepare meticulously your tech story’s text: avoid buzzwords and specific acronyms’ overload, keep neutral tone of voice and localize content. 

Select relevant trade press media and follow their guidelines. 

Chose a trade press agency if you wish to save your resources by delegating a news campaign to a third party and have a guaranteed reach of your audience.

Do you want your press release campaign to resonate with potential B2B clients and drive leads generation?

Please, contact us for more information and a free consultation on press release campaigns.