Spreading the word about your company, product or service via the distribution of a press release remains one of the most used methods of mass communication. Earned media, often known as press coverage, is a valuable asset in communications and content marketing, helping to establish your company’s reputation with an outside audience.
Press releases may not be as cutting-edge as other forms of communication. However, a well-written, compelling, and good press release may be a priceless piece of content, useful both inside and outside of your organization for disseminating corporate news and attracting earned media coverage.
Most journalists we’ve spoken with say they still rely on press releases as their primary source of information for stories, pitches, and content/feature ideas. Its condensed length and narrative bent make it a natural fit for internal communications meant to keep employees abreast of developments and online material meant to publicize corporate developments and boost SEO.
However, where do you even start? Here are 10 press release questions you need to ask yourself before you put pen to paper:
- Do You even need to prepare a press release?
While press releases are still quite helpful, they are far from being a solution for all PR problems faced by PR pros. Think about whether the end justifies the means before you put pen to paper. When pitching to a single journalist or newspaper, for instance, a press release may not be the best method to get noticed; instead, you could better prepare a summary or take a more individualized and customized approach.
- What’s going on?
Press release questions comes to mind when starting off when publishing a press release.The main goal of the press release is frequently buried in a sea of jargon and confused messages, which may seem apparent but is very common. Giving some thought to the tale you want to convey and why it’s relevant to your audience is crucial. Several PR 101 guides online by PR pros will teach you the who, what, where, when, why, and how to write a good press release. That’s vital, but we believe it can all be categorized under two primary questions: what is it, and why does it matter? for example, the launch of a new product or service or the introduction of a new restaurant; nevertheless, the most crucial consideration is why the target audience should care about this and how this will affect the market.
- Who is the Target Audience?
When crafting your press release, it is essential to remember the specific audiences you want to reach with your story. When writing a good press release, it’s crucial to consider both the audience for whom you’re writing and the nature of the news item itself. Your press release will significantly impact the individuals you want to read if you take the time to identify and categorize those persons in advance.
- What is the target media?
Once you’ve decided on a narrative and determined who you want to share it with, the only thing standing between you and your intended audience is a journalist to tell your tale.
Learn about the media outlet, the particular journalists and their interests, and the news sections and columns that make up the show or newspaper.
Hundreds of press releases are sent to journalists weekly, many unrelated to the publications or their readers.
For example, you shouldn’t submit a business piece to a magazine aimed at consumers of leisure content, and vice versa. Modify your narrative so that it fits the medium you’re using.
Targeting a consumer/regional/lifestyle demographic: a new restaurant wants to get its foot in the door
This eatery has a well-curated wine selection, excellent drinks, and an extensive Mediterranean cuisine close to the Galleries.
A restaurant that is preparing to open sends out an invitation to its local stakeholders and industry peers:
The restaurant’s launch significantly boosts the city’s economy because of the jobs it will create and the money it will spend in the core.
- Who is the spokesperson?
Not the most senior person should be cited in the press release, but rather the one who is most relevant to the audience the release is intended for.
You may add credibility and depth to your news piece by using quotes from real people to illustrate points.
When it comes down to it, has your spokesperson received media training, and are they accessible for interviews? Having a journalist’s curiosity only to have to turn down an interview and waste the chance for some great press coverage is the worst possible outcome.
- Where does this fit in?
Imagine the news in the context of more significant events occurring in the globe right now. Does this story have a clear gist?
No matter how exciting the opening of a new location or the introduction of a new nutritious app may appear, it may fail to capture your audience if you don’t explain why this is important. Does the launch of your new location provide much-needed additional positions? Does the release of your nutritional app address the rising concern about health within your demographic?
Be truthful; a skeptical journalist will see through a “non-story” in a heartbeat.
- Have you got a call to action?
What would be the perfect response from a news reader to your reporting? Why don’t I visit your website to learn more about this new service? Send out your resume? Get your updated app here! Reserve a spot at your eatery? Or see you in a new light?
The key is to make it as simple as possible for your audience to complete the desired action, so make sure everything they need is easily accessible with a single click.
- When is the press release going out?
When should the press release be release, one of the press release questions often asked by the small businesses. A good press release may have a significant impact. Knowing when and how your target media outlets intend to produce editorial material is essential. The context of your press release in the more significant news cycle is also essential.
Your engagement’s success or failure may depend on the timing. One strategy is adding national context to your story by tying it to an event of national significance, like Mental Health Awareness Week or National Apprenticeship Week. Also, keep an eye out for anything that can cause social media blowback, especially if it’s unfavorable. During Obesity Care Week, McDonald’s wouldn’t introduce a new burger.
- What resources do you have to back this up?
Since the advent of the Internet, most news organizations have shifted their focus online and now strive to increase their daily click-through rates. Therefore, it has never been more crucial to have high-quality images and other assets to back up their content marketing requirements for their online platforms.
Include high-quality photographs, soundbites, and video material tailored to each media’s specific requirements in addition to the press release itself. Make sure you prepare an ‘editorial content’ package to complement your press release, including cut-out product images, a great head-and-shoulders photograph for your spokesperson, and short-form video material that media may utilize across their social media platforms.
- How will it fit in with the other strategies?
If your press release receives media attention, you’ll have more chances to disseminate your message to a broader target audience.
Earned media may be disseminated through many of your owned channels, including but not limited to social media, blog articles, customer newsletters, internal communications, and outreach to stakeholders.
Press releases are a valuable aspect of any content marketing strategy and should be a standard of your marketing communications arsenal.
Featured Image- Unsplash © AndrewLozovyi
