Press releases are still the best way to communicate certain business developments to public audiences such as clients, customers, prospects, partners, investors, and shareholders. Even though many companies these days prefer to hold casual communications with audiences on social media, many still rely on press releases to make more substantial announcements.
Keeping in mind that the distribution of press releases can always be increased by posting links to them on social networks such as Twitter, there are no reasons why you should not include them as part of your public relations strategy. Notice how we mentioned PR instead of marketing; press releases can always be promotional, but they should also catch the attention of journalists and PR professionals. When you look at bank press releases such as this one, it is easier to understand why they continue to be highly relevant.
With all the above in mind, let’s review 10 elements of press release publishing and distribution that you should know in 2022:
* Newsworthy topics and writing: When sitting down to write a press release, you should not ask yourself if the company development is newsworthy. Instead, you should ask yourself “how can I write this so that it reads like a story that news media outlets would be interested in?”
* Why should your audience care? There needs to be a clear benefit to those who either read the release itself or learn about it through other sources.
* Headlines are more important than you think: If you are able to write clever titles such as the ones that end up on the cover of the New York Post, your press release will get more attention.
* Established press release formats: Always go with the outline, style, and formatting recommended by the press release platform that will handle distribution.
* Make strategic use of quotes: Some of the best press releases will include familiar quotes that seem to have been written with the specific topic or tone you choose.
* Branding and company culture: You’ve probably heard about the benefits of doing business with branding in mind. It only makes sense for this principle of commercial promotion to be extended to press releases. Everything you write must be on point and on brand in order to get great results. As for company culture, think about the reactions your employees, vendors, and partners will exhibit when reading the release.
* Proper research: You never want to be wrong when writing press releases. If you are quoting facts and statistics, be sure to double check your work because the last thing you want to do is report on something that is incorrect. Don’t forget to include references and practice proper attribution.
* Make things relatable: While you want to keep a formal and journalistic tone when writing press releases, there is nothing wrong with expressing feelings that your audiences can relate to.
* Include customer testimonials: Not many press releases include this element, and it is a shame. If you have glowing testimonials from customers about your products and services, making them part of your release would be a great idea.
* Be as detailed as you need to be: If your release is about a new product that simply happens to be great, you will want to go into detail about why this is so.
