You want to get the word out that what you’re offering is awesome, so of course you want to write a MAT release that appeals not only to your audience, but also to editors. (They are in charge of article pickup, after all.) The question is: How do you make that article attractive to them?
Take the right tone
First, it’s important to understand that your product or service may be the best of the best, but if you want your MAT release to be picked up, you need to create a neutral tone. Remember, a MAT release is not a press release. If you want placements, its tone needs to fit that of articles you’d see in a newspaper.
Minimize brand mentions
That means more is not always better when it comes to referencing your brand. Yes, you’ll want to mention what you have to offer somehow, but rest assured that – when it comes to editor pickup –two brand references are better than four, and one is better than two.
Write a great headline
Also, great headlines are essential. When editor pickup is your goal, it’s vital to have a headline that promises the reader useful information, and then makes good on that promise in the article. If your headline says there will be five tips in the article, make sure you aren’t only providing three. Provide five. And make them good – focused on the reader, and packed with ideas and solutions that will make his or her life better.
Provide a great photo
Lastly, editors love and need photos. Providing one makes their life much easier. And, editors will take an article with a good photo, over an article without one, every time. So increase your pickup with a vibrant, dynamic photo! A couple words of caution, though. Rule number one: No product photos! Also, the photo should not be a sketch or drawing, or branded in any way. Keep in mind you’re trying to make your MAT release a seamless part of the newspaper, not an advertisement. Think “slice of life” for your photo theme.
