At the end of nearly every press release, including many that my firm admittedly writes, there’s a boilerplate. I’ve been campaigning for years to kill them. I can’t stand them…and here’s five reasons why:
They Use Too Many Words To Say Nothing Important
Too often, the boilerplate is a long-winded paragraph, obviously written by committee, that’s chocked full of industry jargon, corporate speak and say-nothing phrases like “solutions provider.” (If you’re not a solutions provider, then what are you? A problem causer?) Rarely is it clear what the company does or sells…or that they’re doing or selling anything. And, in cases where the reader actually does understand the jargon, they also probably already know who you are and what you do.
They’re Redundant…Or At Least They Should Be If You’re Writing Well
If any of the information in the boilerplate is important to the topic of the press release, it should be included well before the tail end of the document. And once you say it up top, why repeat it again below? Conversely, if it’s not important enough to include in the body of the release, it’s probably not really worth including at all. (Is the date of the company’s founding or the number of employees really relevant for a product launch? Probably not.)
That’s What A Website Is For!
Your website is one of the most public and powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. Let it be where people go if they’re interested in learning about your company. It’s also the easiest place to keep your details up-to-date in real time.
They Waste Valuable Real Estate
As a rule of thumb, press releases should be around 400 words or less. Why waste dozens of those valuable words on a say-nothing statement hanging like an atrophied appendage at the end of the real news?
They Make Releases Look Longer Than Necessary
Do you know who likes reading long press releases? NO ONE! So why make your press release look any longer than necessary?!
Here’s a simple solution: If the info is important, work it into the press release and replace the boilerplate with “For more information about XYZ Corporation, visit xyzcorp.com.”
Short, simple, effective.