What your clients want you to write about them and what you need to write about them to get media pick up are two different things. You see, your clients will want you to list every award in the book. In fact, you should mention every piece of media and all of their dreams, visions, and use self-quotes about themselves too...- well, at least this is what your client thinks.
The truth is that the members of the press are busy. They don't want fluff. In fact, they red flag publicists who pitch fluff and not fact. Members of the media are born BS detectors and will seek out a way to turn your pitched fluff into a nasty story- or, worse yet, blackball you from ever getting a client covered by any local or national media.
You have to be the publicist and not the person who pleases your client. While flattering the client may work for a while, it will not cover the fact that they are not getting results and real media pick up long term.
My point is that you shouldn't write to please your client. You need to please the media. Use the AP style book. Use facts, not fluff. Don't write too much, either. A press release with boiler needs to be under 400 words. Your headline should be the extent of any "fluff" that you use. The sub-headline needs to be factual and concise. Boilers should provide enough of the 5 "Ws" to give the media a road map as to who your client is. If the media needs more info, they will ask for it. Make a ZIP file of the bios, photos, FAQs, etc. available on the client's website- not as an attachment.
If you follow my notes / advice above, you will be better suited to get results for your client.
Until tomorrow,
Velma Trayham
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