Press Release Is Too Long? How to Shorten a Long Press Release
One of the downsides of structured content is that there is a format or a structure that you have to work within. While some people appreciate the structured format, others find it limiting. If you’re a writer with a lengthy press release message and a lot to say, then you’ll likely struggle with the editing process. How do you cut when everything seems important and relevant? How do you clean up a long press release?
Step One: Review the Goal
What is the goal of the press release? A good press release strategy includes a strong goal. What do you want the press release to accomplish? For example, do you want it to drive traffic to a sales page? Review your press release and make sure that everything supports that goal. If it doesn’t, delete it. It may be great content but if it doesn’t support your goal, it’s unnecessary. Worse, it may be distracting your audience and hindering success.
Step Two: Simplicity Matters
Read through each sentence and make sure it’s as simple as possible. That means that everything is written in active voice. Sentences should generally be ten words or less in length. Strive to make sure that the information in your release is as clear and simple as possible.
Step Three: Review Your Quotes
It’s easy for quotes to get too long. Reread your quotes. Do you need the full quote? Can you cut it down and accomplish the same goal and message with less? Do you have too many quotes?
Step Four: Review the Facts and Supporting Evidence
Take a look at the facts that you’ve included in your press release. Does each group of data and supporting information support your goal and your message? If not, remove it. It’s unnecessary and distracting. Also explore if there are simpler ways for you to present the information. Remember, the simpler you can make the information the easier it will be for your audience to understand your message.
One Last Resort
If all else fails, and your press releases is still too long, try removing one sentence from each paragraph. It’s a fast way to cut your word count down to an appropriate length. Remember that the general length of a distributed press release is one page. That’s around 400 to 500 words. As you’re crafting your message it may not seem like a lot. However, with a good strategy you can say a lot with very few words.
