The reasons why your press release isn't getting published

That's whether you're approaching magazines, newspapers or broadcast media, a press release aims to shout about something you've done or achieved, helping to raise your profile and consequently boost your business.

How you write a press release is determined by the 'who, what, when, where, why and how?'. Read these tips on how to write a press release, if you're stuck.

So when you've painstakingly put together your press release only to find that nothing gets published, how do you find out where you're going wrong? The following reasons will show you why you might be struggling and how you can tackle them:

Your subject line looks like spam

When sending your press releases to journalists, make sure you copy and paste the headline into the email subject line. Ensure the headline is punchy, exciting and eye-catching. Don't put things like 'Read this!!!' or 'LATEST NEWS FROM US' – it will just look like spam and is likely to get deleted.

You included the press release as an attachment

Journalists don't have time to open documents; that's whether they're PDFs or Word Docs. Copy and paste the headline of your press release into the subject line and then paste the rest of the press release into the body of your email. Make it as easy as possible for the journalist to extract the information, and they're more likely to use your story. By all means, attach the document as well – to cover all bases.

You used a PDF

PDFs are an absolute pain for any journalist. They're difficult to extract information from and are so annoying that I delete any press releases I receive in this format. Seems harsh but they take up so much of my time that I've grown to despise them. I can not emphasise this enough – do not use PDFs. Copy and paste your press release into the body of the email and make it easy for the journalist to use your story.

You haven't sent everything they need

Journalists don't have time to chase after you, so make sure you send everything they need the first time. That includes the press release and any accompanying images. Don't assume they'll contact you to get what they want.

You sent the wrong type of image

Journalists spend most of their workdays replying to emails requesting an image. By the time they get what they need, the journalist might have lost interest or forgotten. Send the right pictures along with the press release, and you'll have a much better chance of seeing your story published. Get the requirements right, too – Jpegs with at least 300dpi and a minimum of 500KB for print and 'web-ready' images for online publications.

Journalists won't have time to open up Photoshop and edit images themselves, so make sure they're right. Finally, always send Jpegs as attachments to emails. If sending large files, use WeTransfer or share a Dropbox link so the recipient can easily download them.

Your press release requires an entire re-write

Some press releases are so poorly written that it's difficult to understand what they're actually about. Nine times out of 10, a journalist won't have time to re-write the story. Make sure your press release is well-written, concise and factual.

Your press release isn't newsworthy

It's an obvious reason, but journalists will only be interested in press releases that carry a genuine story. So make sure your press release has a sharp news angle and isn't just something that's trying to sell your products or services.

Journalists will only ditch press releases containing lots of sales messages, so keep it factual and newsworthy. What makes something newsworthy? Well, have you just launched a new product that's different from anything else? Or unusually won a client? Put a 'journalist hat' on and consider the sorts of stories that are more likely to get published.

You don't know the media

Before you issue any press release, investigate the media you're targeting. Do they have any specific sections where your story would fit? Do they have a particular style of writing? Do they prefer to have a chat over the phone or do they like to be emailed instead? Get to know the media you're targeting, and you'll stand a much better chance of achieving coverage.

You're not personal enough

Journalists aren't stupid. They'll know if you're sending out mass emails to hundreds of different contacts. It looks irrelevant and unfriendly. Make your emails personal and try to develop a relationship with each journalist. Create a 'media list' and write useful notes against each contact name, so you know how to better deal with them in future.

You're becoming a pain

If someone is continually nagging a journalist with questions like 'when is my story going to get published?', then they'll be more inclined to move your press release straight to the trash can. Let's face it! None of us likes hassle. It only leaves a bad taste in our mouths. To keep the journalist sweet, don't chase too much and don't become a pain. Respect them and understand that you can't secure coverage for everything, as it's really up to them.