Your Press Release Guide to Gain Business Exposure in 2021
Did I tell you about the story when a press release increases your brand exposure? 🤔
Well, today is the day I’m going to do it.
If you’re a forward thinker like I think you are, then you know you can’t settle on one type of advertising to get your business going. Because if you think your brand can thrive without throwing in some public-relations besides your regular marketing strategy, you need to think again.
Besides, those products aren’t going to get sold without a little PR help, right?
Well, many people know what press releases are, but knowing when and how to write a press release could be tricky. Also, did you hear about the multiple types of press releases?
I guess not.
Let’s figure it out together…
What Is a Press Release❓
A press release is a formally written article reporting specific updates about a brand or a business. Could be an event, a product launch, or news that the brand might be wanting to emphasize and give exposure to. Your organization writes it and sends it to the media channels for distribution.
However, the media will not automatically agree on distributing your press releases. It has to be relevant to their niche and interesting to their audience.
So, you might need to answer a few questions first, like:
- “Is this of interest to our readers?”
- “Is it relevant to the community?”
For faster exposure, think of reaching to bloggers with a large volume of readers and social media influencers that would like to reshare your press release.
Announcements that are considered newsworthy by most media channels could include the following:
- Your new online store launch.
- A new product line, service, or feature.
- Sponsorship or donation.
- A large-scale competition.
- Winning a new award.
- A new business partnership.
- An upcoming event announcement.
- Launching a rebranding campaign.
The above objectives also indicate the types of press releases they signify.
Tip: 🔊
If you’re new to press release distribution, keep an eye on the coverage of your competitors. Pay attention to what news they focus on in their press releases.
Editors or reporters usually want timely stores that are relevant to a large audience or a market with a huge volume of readers. Study what people in your market or niche like to read about and what news interests them the most. You can find this on their social media profiles.
How to Write a Press Release❓
Unlike blog posts, press releases usually have a solid format that serves the information in order of importance so that it’s clear what the release is about and eases the way for the media reporters to decide whether or not to cover your updates.
Arranging the news from the higher to the lower rank also makes it easier for the readers to grasp the main update and then scroll for more background information about the organization or business.
In addition to the 3 essentials to writing press releases, combine them with the below steps to craft a killer press release.
- Start with answering: “who” does it interest, “what” is it about, “when” and “where” does it happen, and “why” we are talking about it today.
- Choose your angle. Your new may be big enough for you but just doesn’t feel the same for the reviewing journalist. Pick up an incentivizing angle.
- Use clear and appealing headlines. Powerful press releases consist of powerful headlines. People are mostly interested to know the expansion of your business and how much money you just made or about to make. Include a number or two to grab the reader’s attention for more.
- Say the big news early. Squeeze your statement in one or two sentences that both support the headline and hint at the rest of the content that follows.
- Mention the big names in your company. It’s a great opportunity to shout out to the leading elements who made this update come true and show the compassionate side of the organization.
- Get them talking about the big event — use quotations. It is a bit convenient to use a quote or two from multiple associates around the matter to give the press release a hint of authenticity.
- Support with background information. Leave room for the tasty information that illustrates and supports how you got into announcing this today to give weight to the release. Make sure to include testimonials, stats, research details, or case studies if possible.
- Lead your steps through the end.
- Arrange in order of importance. Make sure you leave the least important bits to the last.
- Include company contact information with a CTA to indicate the reader’s next steps.
- End with a “###”. It’s common that press releases should end with ### to signify the end of it.
Hint: 🔍🔬
To distribute your press release you’ll have to reach out to various media outlets. Reaching them on Twitter or Linkedin shouldn’t be a hard thing to do. But if that doesn’t help, you can always use Hunter.
What Are The Different Types of Press Releases❓
Type 1: Event Press Release 📢
Event press releases are announcements to upcoming events the company or business is participating, sponsoring, or most importantly hosting.
The main goal of them is to gain exposure and increase the traffic to the event and get people updated on your company’s activities and participation at all times. It’s also used to get media coverage for the event.
Such an element makes the timing a solid factor in issuing press releases. You need to consider the range of the event and the type and objective behind each press release to give it time to take its course from writing to distribution, to making results.
Let’s say a large-scale event is two months ahead and you hadn’t yet gotten any media coverage, that’s bad. Start ahead and publish immediately to get the reporters time to prepare and cover it well. And remember, a well-covered event is a well-organized one.
Plus ➕
To grasp the attention of reporters and visitors especially when it comes to event announcements, don’t forget what we said about answering the 5W that are:
- “why”
- “when
- “what”
- “who” and
- “where”
It’s like an invitation to the public.
👉 Check out also: A Definitive Guide to Create a Successful Email Outreach Campaign
Type 2: Award-Winning 🏅
Winning an award is sure fun, but distributing the story behind the win and bragging about it is a common thing in the business world. How else are people going to know about your big success to notice your business?
Remember to highlight the big business achievements to let the exposure land long on your company. But make sure not to seem overly promotional while doing so.
How so?
- Avoid exaggerated punctuation.
- Limit the emotional appeal.
- Stand in an objective point of view.
- Discuss from a business standpoint.
Make sure to highlight the company’s mission statement, mention how this award is an indicator that you’re on the right track of paying back to the community. View an example from the women’s business enterprise star in 2018, Jayshree Moorthy. 👇
Type 3: Partnership 🤝
Among the various types of press releases, stands this one as the most important to investors. It plays a big role in bringing more investors to the table. So don’t forget to add your company’s information and a link to schedule a call with a leading associate in the organization.
Make sure to also use this as an opportunity to lighten up your readers about the new features, products, or services they’ll get as benefits out of this partnership. Also, add an executive testimonial about the partnership from both sides of the deal to add a more insightful perspective to the matter.
Tip: 💡
There are also online services that help you distribute your press releases, they include:
Type 4: Sponsorship Initiatives 💲
Sponsorship initiatives are great indicators that you’re more into giving to the community than profits. A press release telling your audience of all the good you’re doing can be a great factor in improving your brand reputation.
Plus, it’s an excellent opportunity to get this media coverage you’ve been wanting by adding a bit of your company’s culture and showcasing the great work of your team.
Choose the programs or events to sponsor wisely, the more relevant to your niche the more benefits you gain.
The best way to manage these types of press releases is by showcasing the good deed from an objective point of view, don’t get lost in the promotional tone and lose all the work you’ve done so far.
Final Words 💬
To understand what a business release is, you must give attention to what it is not. While a press release is a company’s emphasizing on its ongoing updates, it’s not a 100% guaranteed advertising tool that’s prone to work every time.
Make sure to know what you’re expecting in order not to get overly devastated if it doesn’t pay back immediately. A press release has the long-term objective of making your company worth talking about.
To be a newsworthy business is what makes you succeed. Press releases should be a part of your overall marketing strategy. Not the only element in it.
Are you ready for your next press release? It’d be great to share with us your thoughts ☺️
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