Crypto Press Release Checklist: What Editors Look for Before Publishing
A press release concerning crypto is more likely to be published when all of the main claims can be verified, since the editors need to know what actually happened, have to check the facts, and make sure that the release appears as news and not as an advertisement.
The checklist outlines the review process which is carried out by the CoinGabbar editors before your article is published and also informs you of the measures you can take before submitting your draft in order to decrease the number of corrections and delays.
In this article (on Google Sites: Insert → Table of contents)
Quick answer
Why drafts get sent back
Should a press release be the correct format?
The six checks, step by step
What happens after you submit
Rules outside the editor’s desk
Ten-minute checklist
Next steps
Quick answer: editors check six things
Before approving a crypto press release, editors usually want clear answers to six basic questions:
Has there really been a news announcement?
Can the key figures and assertions be verified?
Does the copy avoid the hype about the token's price?
Is there evidence to back up the legal and regulatory statements?
Actually, is there a company, a project team or a spokesperson who has made the announcement?
Could the readers grasp the release without having to go through all that unnecessary jargon?
The editorial review is usually a great deal simpler if your draft deals well with these six areas.
Why drafts get sent back
A great many press releases need to be altered since they usually have the tone of sales pages rather than that of news announcements.
A press release ought to deal with an event which has occurred or one which is intended to occur; it should not mainly be aimed at promoting a project, at predicting future prices, at convincing people to invest or at making unverified statements about the project.
The editors review the submissions to make sure that the announcement has clear news value and that the key points can be verified; they also watch out for misleading phrasing, the absence of sources, promotional language, vague details regarding the project, and poor organisation.
Before finalising your release, it would be advisable to go through CoinGabbar’s editorial policy to find out which types of claims will have to be supported by evidence.
Is a press release the appropriate format?
If you choose the right content format beforehand, then both the project and the editor can save some time.
If you are announcing a specific event or update—such as the launch of a product, a listing on an exchange, a funding round, a partnership, the release of mainnet or another milestone reached by the company—you should prepare and publish a press release.
If you need more space to explain a product, a campaign, a platform or a service, then you should use a sponsored post.
The article should be written with the objective of educating readers, carrying out an analysis, providing commentary or giving an expert opinion.
The format should match the way in which readers are likely to understand the material; for instance, a company announcement is suitable in a press release, while a detailed educational article generally should not be.
The six checks, step by step
Step 1: Lead with something that happened
Start with one clear news item.
It might be a new product launch, an item exchanged, an announcement regarding funding, a partnership, a mainnet update or some other event which the readers can identify and verify.
The headline should explain what the event is rather than using general promotional language and should be made clearer by giving the name of the project together with a relevant date.
Weak: “Project Announces Exciting New Chapter”
Stronger: “Project Opens Protocol v2 Migration on November 3”
The more powerful version at the same time tells the reader about the change and indicates when this is occurring.
You must therefore include an explanation in the first paragraph of the main announcement so that the readers do not have to search through a number of paragraphs in order to get the important information.
Step 2: Prove your numbers
Figures make a press release more useful, but it is still necessary to have evidence.
Any remarks about users, transaction volume, funding, token sales, TVL, community growth and partnerships have to be backed by reliable sources. TVL is the term used for "total value locked" and generally refers to the value of the assets held within a DeFi protocol.
If you come across a crypto term which you do not know as you are preparing the document, you should look it up in the crypto dictionary.
Before submitting the release, prepare supporting evidence for important statements:
Get the figures from a dashboard that is outdated, from a blockchain explorer, from a report or from an official document.
Ensure that the named partners have publicly acknowledged the relationship.
When the release says that the smart contract or the platform has been audited, it should give an audit report.
An audit company must only be mentioned when the audit can be independently verified.
Make sure that the figures in the headline, the main body of the text, and the supplementary materials match.
It is a mistake to use large figures just because they make the project look impressive; a smaller number which has been verified is more useful than a larger one that lacks support.
Step 3: Leave the price out
A press release should explain what the project is undertaking rather than predicting what the token's price might do in the future.
Editors can choose to reject the language or request changes if it is intended to persuade people to buy, causes a fear of missing out, predicts token prices, or suggests that a profit is expected.
Statements about guaranteed returns are especially problematic since the crypto markets are uncertain and prices can rise or fall.
Keep the wording factual.
Do not state that your token is going to rise quickly.
What about saying, "Trading on the TOKEN/USDT pair will begin on October 20"?
The second version gives readers useful information instead of offering a market prediction.
If you are carrying out a token sale you can submit your presale or ICO by itself, but the project information had to be based on facts and exaggerated claims regarding the investment must be avoided.
Step 4: Back up legal and regulatory words
Pay close attention to regulatory language.
Until there is evidence which makes clear exactly what the statement means, terms like 'fully regulated', 'licensed', 'approved' or 'SEC-compliant' should not be employed.
A registration, licence or approval could also be limited to a particular service, company or country and it does not mean that all the activities connected with a project are regulated.
If you refer to a licence or regulatory status, include:
The regulator’s official name.
The country or area we're talking about.
The exact type of licence or registration.
A link to the regulator's public record is included whenever this can be done.
A description of what is contained in the licence.
The licence does not have any important limits.
It is preferable to use precise wording rather than make general regulatory statements as those might cause readers to form an incorrect impression.
Step 5: Put a real person behind it
It should be possible for people to identify who is responsible for the announcement.
A press release works better when it gives the name of the company, project team, founder, executive, or authorised spokesperson connected with the news, and by providing clear media contact details it also allows editors to check the information if they wish to.
A quote can be included to provide some context, but it should offer new information rather than merely restating marketing language.
For example, a spokesperson might provide a reason for launching a product, explain the problem that the update addresses, or indicate what the next operational step will be.
When quoting someone the sentences should be ones that a real person would naturally speak, not including any buzzwords, excessive claims, or promises regarding price.
Step 6: Make it easy to read
People should not expect the editors to go through the whole release again before they can understand it.
Good structure usually starts with an announcement, is then followed by some important supporting details, includes useful background information and ends with the project or media contact details.
To improve readability:
The article should begin with the most important news.
At the time of its release it should be made clear who, what, when, where and why.
Use short paragraphs and keep your sentences easy to understand.
At the first instance when technical terms are used, give an explanation of them.
Remove repeated promotional statements.
Keep project descriptions factual.
When you submit the form, please verify the names, the dates, the figures, and the links.
Add a feature image that is at least 1280 pixels wide by 720 pixels high and is in JPG, PNG, or WebP format.
A good way of getting an idea of the way official announcements are structured is to look at the most recent crypto press releases.
What happens after you submit
The last stage in the process of submitting the release is not attained until the release has undergone an editorial and publication process.
The editorial review usually takes from 12 to 24 hours; however, if the claim needs to be proven, the information is missing or the wording has to be changed, the editor will contact you.
Once the release has been approved, the payment details are provided. The fact that the publication is paid for does not mean that editorial review is any less necessary.
An approval release is usually made available about 24 hours after the payment has been completed.
If you are submitting a notice which is based on a launch date, listing time, a conference, a token event or some other fixed deadline, then do it a few days before the deadline.
If people submit their entries at the last minute, they will have less time in which to check and correct unsupported claims, defective links, problems with the images, or factual errors.
Rules outside the editor’s desk
Obtaining editorial approval is only one part of the process when it comes to publishing marketing content about cryptocurrency; companies may also have to consider the laws and regulations that apply in the various countries where their tokens or services are promoted.
For example, crypto-assets that are offered or promoted in the European Union may be covered by the MiCA requirements.
The requirements mentioned in Article 7 relate to certain marketing communications regarding crypto-assets. In addition to other requirements, the relevant communications must be clearly identifiable as being of a marketing nature and have to be fair, clear and not misleading; and when a crypto-asset white paper is required, the marketing communications must also be in line with it.
A typical white paper provides an explanation of the key details relating to a crypto project, token, or offering.
The rules can differ depending on the asset involved, the company, the jurisdiction, and the type of promotion; if it is unclear whether MiCA or some other regulatory framework applies, individuals should get legal advice from qualified legal professionals.
The information set out in this section is general in nature and should not be treated as legal advice.
The publication can't guarantee any particular Google ranking, referral traffic, token demand, or other marketing results; the most effective approach is to provide readers with useful and accurate information rather than preparing content exclusively for search engines.
Ten-minute checklist
Before you send the release, take time to go through the final version.
Does the headline make clear what happened and include some identifying details?
Does the opening paragraph make it clear who is involved, what is occurring, when it is taking place, where it is taking place, and why?
Is it possible to associate all important numbers with a reliable source?
Is the information about the dates and figures consistent throughout the release?
Have each of the named partners approved the relationship or has it been made public?
Have the predictions regarding token prices, the promises of returns, and the use of FOMO language been taken away?
Can an official public record be used as a basis for regulatory statements?
Actually, is there a spokesperson, a quotation, or a media contact?
Do all the significant links work?
Is the feature image big enough and of the correct format?
Have the people to whom these technical terms may be unfamiliar been made aware of them?
Does the release seem more like an announcement than an advertisement?
A quick final check can prevent the need for several rounds of editorial corrections.
Next steps
Once your draft is complete:
Look over the editorial policy and compare it with your release.
Ensure that each important claim, date, figure, partnership, and regulatory statement is verified.
Eliminate all language that is promotional or centers on prices.
Make it clear in the headline and the first paragraph what news is being given.
Send the completed draft through the press release submission page.
If you wish to have your question clarified before submitting the request, you can use the contact page on CoinGabbar.
Another option is to check the latest crypto news in order to obtain more background information about the market, the company, or the sector which is related to your announcement.
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