Here’s how to get your press release published

After years of working in busy newsrooms, I know stories get ignored because they're missing these three essentials:

Find the real story. Your product launch might be exciting to you, but journalists need an angle their readers care about. Best advice I was ever given: What would you tell your mate down the pub about this? That's your hook.

Make their job stupidly easy and include high-quality images. Got video? Even better. Most newsrooms have video quotas to hit so this will get you in their good books. Every online story needs visuals, and there's nothing more time comsuming to a journalist than scratching around for an image that's relevant to your story. Make it easy for them and hand them everything on a plate.

Be prepared for follow up questions. Add your mobile number to your email and make sure you're available for queries or radio interviews. Journalists work to tight deadlines. If they can't reach you quickly, they'll move on to someone who picks up. Better yet, make sure any unanswered questions are covered in the press release before you send it out.

Editors aren't ignoring you because they're difficult - they get hundreds of emails a day and a huge news list. So make life easy for them and your press release is more likely to be used.

And if that all sounds like too much hard work, hire someone who knows exactly how to craft a cracking press release that editors will want to publish - get in touch!