.png)
Your marketing approach will involve a combination of social media, advertising, events, and email campaigns, but a single mention in the press can increase these endeavours tenfold, resulting in a surge of new clients, and taking your business to an entirely new level. A press release is a document that announces a newsworthy statement, that the media might want to cover and provides all of the relevant information a journalist would need.
While some might say that press releases are an obsolete practice, 78% of journalists consider press releases, news announcements, and newsworthy stories the type of content they want to receive from PR professionals (Cision, 2021).
Here are 7 points, that when implemented correctly, will ensure that your press releases are more impactful:
1. Get down to brass tacks
Get to the point and remain concise in your copywriting. With a multitude of releases being sent out daily, it helps to include the most significant information upfront. Presenting your key facts early on in the release is a great way to gauge interest and drive engagement. Journalists should understand your message by reading the first paragraph, allowing them to easily assess if the content is appropriate for their audience. Enticing titles and a bold copy will help you stand out and garner interest.
2. Empower Two-Way Communication
Press releases are about building trusting relationships with reporters and enabling two-way conversations, where you can feed them updates on an ongoing basis, and they know when to engage you for comments on a specific story they are working on. Press releases should be used for material updates and communicating milestones.
3. The ‘So What’ Factor
Journalists are inundated with product launches and company broadcasts. To stand out amongst the crowd, emphasise the “so what” factor – the significance of your news. Ask yourself: “why does your announcement matter?” And “what is the impact on the broader industry?” To achieve your targets your content should be tailored to the publications you are hoping to reach.
4. Take A Holistic Approach
In a digital-first and socially savvy environment, there is no one-size-fits-all PR strategy. Your approach to press releases should be adaptable and specific to every story you want to tell. While press releases help outline the overall narrative of a brand, PR professionals should be mindful that certain quotes will resonate inversely with different publications and readers. A press release is an instrument to guarantee the information you want to be conveyed is accessible and factually correct. Cultivate a 360-degree approach that includes social media, paid media, influencers, affiliates, and the like. If journalists are seeing your news everywhere, they will be more likely to engage.
5. Share Real Stories
Share real stories of real people that reinforce the ideas and objectives of the underlying press release. When you are announcing the launch of a new product, rather than “pitching” the new product, tell the customer’s story and how it has changed their lives. Announcing new research? Explain how the outcomes will change the way businesses or people operate. Make your content relatable!
6. Utilise Multimedia Assets
Including multimedia assets in your press release, that are both visual and compelling, will capture journalists’ attention and result in a brand reaching a greater span of media. Any remarkable figures, ground-breaking research, or quotes by experts in the press release will also provide journalists with a greater sense of its impact when they consider covering the story or event.
7. Release The News Yourself
When you don’t have time for a formal release, you can release the news yourself. Choose a central hub where you will be able to house the longer-form narrative, such as your blog or company website. Create social posts that direct your stakeholders and clients to this digital location. When using social media, tagging press outlets and using their specific hashtags is a quick way to garner their attention.
Wondering when you should schedule your press releases? According to Prowly, the best day to send out a press release is on Thursday, when the average open rate jumps to over 26%. The worst day is Friday when 85% of your emails can get lost in journalists’ inboxes. (Prowly, 2022)
Comments