Public Relations: The press release puzzle - by Harry Zlokower

Harry Zlokower, Zlokower Company

It seems obvious. When you want to publicize a deal, new condo, new hire, point of view–all you need is a press release. You draft it, making sure your name or the name of your company is in the opening paragraph, and devote the rest of the text to a rambling white paper as to why the public should lease your space, buy your property, or contact you. The release goes out as an email blast and/or on a private newswire and social media, getting picked up in an abbreviated form by the trade press and a bunch of news websites that often lead to nowhere.

The press release has always been a staple of publicity while at the same time a puzzle to many real estate professionals who do not understand why with all the time and care they put into preparing it, more often than not it is ignored by daily business media.

So what are the points to consider when writing your next press release?

Determine through industry knowledge, colleagues, Google searches, even reporters whether the announcement is worthy of coverage. If so, write the release as a straight story, leading with the news and give your organization and yourself credit where appropriate.

But what if, as in most cases, your announcement does not merit top tier coverage?

Get the attention of the gate keepers by focusing on a newsworthy angle that is not necessarily you or the announcement itself, for example a celebrity or high profile real estate executive associated with the story, an exotic aspect of a deal or property that is being announced, or a trend that is associated with your announcement.

Remember there are press releases and there are press releases. Before you go out with your announcement make sure you have the right one for you.

Harry Zlokower is president of Zlokower Company and past president of the New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, New York, N.Y.