Embargos and exclusives can be useful tools when working with the media, but they should be treated with caution – get them wrong, and you’ll only alienate the people you’re trying to win over.
So here's what you need to know to use exclusive OR embargo as part of your SME or startup PR
Embargoes and exclusives are very different things. And the most important thing to remember is to choose one, not both.
Do not – I repeat Do Not – send your press release to one publication as an exclusive and to a handful of others under embargo.
This will only lead to frustrated journalists and will ultimately damage your relationships.
Exclusives - how and when to use them for SME or startup doing their PR
An exclusive is a story you are providing to one media publication first, allowing them to publish before you send the release to anyone else.
Providing a story as an exclusive can increase your chances of it being picked up – some publications that will only accept a story if it’s exclusive. Think of the most read, most prestigious mainstream publications.
But as an SME or a startup only offer an exclusive to one publication at a time! And make sure they’re not interested before you pitch elsewhere. And best practice is to let them know before you pitch elsewhere.
Once the exclusive story is published, you can send your media release elsewhere, but be aware that other publications might not be so keen to pick it up if they know their readers will have seen it elsewhere.
Embargoes - how and when to use them in your SME or startup's PR
An embargo asks journalists to wait until a specified date - the date of the embargo - to share your news.
If you want to share your news on a particular date, you can send a press release ‘under embargo’. This means the journalist can write up the piece, ask any follow up questions or conduct their interviews so they’re ready to publish on the specified date.
An embargo is not legally binding, but the vast majority of journalists will be happy to adhere to one. You can always send a quick email asking if they agree to the embargo before sending the full press release.
It is generally a given that every publication will be given the same date and time that they can publish.
Make sure it is absolutely obvious that there is an embargo in place – this should be in the subject line, at the start of the email and in the press release itself. Make it bold and red if possible. It should be absolutely impossible to miss… or someone will miss it.
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