a brand • Additional goal: to gain a journalist’s interest • You want to be the expert they interview for a story • News Releases should be “newsworthy” and engaging • Announces: • New service or product • Addition of new team members • Upcoming events
headline • Pique your reader’s interest • Accuracy is necessary – don’t create a headline that doesn’t relate to your story • Opening paragraph • Get to the main points quickly • Answers: Who? What? When? Where? Why? Any following paragraphs should support your opening paragraph
intriguing • Include statistics and numbers • Provide testimonials, quotes and statements • Be cautious that your statements don’t sound canned • Ex: “Our company is excited to offer another unparalleled service” – BORING! • Keep interviewing until you find something with some “oomph” • Ending Paragraph • Should offer a brief description about your company and who to contact for more information on the topic • The contact can either be yourself or someone else in the company
Be sure to include your contact information at the top of the release • It is standard to end all releases with “###” at the bottom • Keep releases short • 1 page is ideal; 2 at most • PROOFREAD your material
• Don’t stick to just the newspaper/press • Submit your release to a variety of media sources – radio, television stations • Learn who your contact should be and how to submit • Call and learn the best person to submit releases to • Should it go to a department editor? • If you already have a relationship with someone at the media company, use this to your advantage • Work with your newspaper or radio station rep to see if they can help you reach the correct individual
in the contact’s preferred manner • Most people prefer email submissions in today’s society, but not all • Other methods include mailing a hard copy or faxing • Keep a list of notes on preferred submission methods • Include a visual element whenever possible – this makes your release more engaging
including a strong header, statistics, quotes and visual elements • Understand the main components of an effective news release • Submit your news releases to multiple media platforms • Know who your main media contact should be