53 minute read time.
In today’s digital world, every business needs a strong presence online to reach their audience. However, many businesses struggle with creating and implementing an effective marketing strategy. A lot of companies are confused about whether they should invest in PR or not. PR looks like an expensive option to invest in for most businesses but it doesn’t have to be that way. This guide will help you understand the benefits of PR, how to get the most out of it, and how you can implement it effectively in your business – without breaking the bank.
Public Relations Basics
Public relations is a field that has grown in importance because of the shrinking world and the increasing accessibility to information. People now have more access to different ideas, cultures and practices than ever before. This has made it even more important for organizations and businesses to connect with their target audience. To build trust, loyalty, brand awareness, and preference among target audiences, many companies have turned to public relations. PR is a broad practice that encompasses several subfields such as media relations, communications strategy, crisis communications and digital PR. Public relations specialists conduct market research, implement communication plans and monitor their effectiveness to develop strategies for maintaining relationships with customers at all times. If you’re new to the world of PR or need a refresher on some of the basics, this section covers everything you need to know about Public Relations as a whole, along with examples of how each principle works in real life.
What is PR?
PR is the art of managing relationships between organizations and the public. It can include several disciplines, but its main objective is to raise awareness of your brand and generate interest in your product or service. A PR professional is responsible for developing a strategy that will help you achieve these goals. PR can be thought of as a conversation you’re having with the public. You’re using various tools and channels to keep them informed about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and who you are. In other words, PR is a way to shape your company’s image and make sure people have a good impression of it.
How does PR work?
PR is a series of conversations with various stakeholders. As we discussed above, PR is a bit like a conversation. It’s a way of communicating with your audience to make sure they know what you’re about and that you’re a reliable brand. PR professionals choose a variety of channels to engage with their audience. Some common channels are:
- Press releases – these are written documents that are published in the media to raise brand awareness and generate interest in your product or service – these are written documents that are published in the media to raise brand awareness and generate interest in your product or service
- Social media – platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are where most people are getting their news and information. Sharing useful content on social media can help you engage with your audience and reach new people. – platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are where most people are getting their news and information. Sharing useful content on social media can help you engage with your audience and reach new people.
- Events – public events and conferences offer great opportunities to share information and build relationships with your audience. By participating in events and hosting your own, you can engage with your audience and get them excited about your brand.
Benefits of Public Relations
- Builds trust – people relate to brands they trust. When you establish yourself as an expert in your field through PR, you earn your audience’s trust. This can help you build a lasting relationship that leads to repeat customers, referrals, and word-of-mouth marketing.
- Captures attention – the modern world is full of distractions. Our attention spans are shorter than ever before. PR helps you stand out and get your message across.
- Generates leads and sales – when you have a strong brand and you keep your audience up-to-date on your progress, they’re more likely to buy from you. This includes both new customers and repeat customers who may appreciate your brand more after engaging with your PR efforts.
- Higher online presence – today, we’re online much more than we are offline. PR helps you maintain a strong online presence by connecting you with new audiences and generating online traffic to your website.
- Positive reputation – when you engage with your audience and create a positive impression, it can reflect well on your brand and affect your reputation overall.
Types of Public Relations Strategies
- Crisis management – crisis management is about staying ahead of potential PR crises. This means anticipating risks (natural disasters, tainted products, product recalls, etc.) and developing a plan to address them. When a PR crisis breaks, you need to be prepared to react and repair the damage with facts, reassurance, and genuine empathy.
- Product launch – product launches have become more common thanks to crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. In any case, a product launch is a great way to generate hype and positive PR around a new product. It’s a good idea to prepare a press kit to distribute ahead of time. You may also want to host an event to introduce your product and invite journalists to speak with you about it.
- Issue management – issue management is a long-term PR strategy that helps you stay on top of issues relevant to your brand. This is often linked to crisis management, as you need to plan for potential issues and how you’ll handle them if they arise.
Writing for the sake of writing is a bad PR strategy
Writing for PR is ineffective if you’re not linking your content to real-world results. When you write for the sake of writing, you’re not engaging with your audience. You’re not providing them with anything valuable, and therefore, you’re not building your brand. Instead, you’re just wasting time. When you write, make sure your content has a clear purpose. Make it something that could benefit your audience. Stay away from fluffy, unactionable phrases like “our mission is to make the world a better place.”
Summary
Public relations is an important function in any modern business. It can help you build trust, generate leads, and improve your reputation. However, PR is only effective when you apply real effort and stay focused on the goals you want to achieve. Public relations is a lot of work, but it’s worth it. PR can help you build lasting and profitable relationships with your audience.
Media Relations Strategy
Being an effective PR pro requires you to be a bit of a strategist. You need to think about how you can position your company as an expert and convince third parties that they should partner with you or interview you. It’s not enough to just send out press releases or organize media events; PR pros need to think strategically about how their company can get their brand out there. This section will walk you through the creation of a PR strategy for your own PR department, brand, product, or organization. It will help you identify why and how the public needs to know about your company and offer actionable steps on how you can achieve those goals.
What is a PR Strategy?
A PR strategy is a plan that outlines the details of your PR initiatives. It helps PR professionals stay on track and organize their efforts by identifying what messages they want to share with their audiences, to whom they want to send those messages, and how they will go about doing so. PR strategies should include details on what you will promote, who you will promote it to, when you will promote it, and why you are promoting it. PR strategies may also include budgeting and measurement details. A PR strategy is not a list of press releases or pitches you plan to send out. Marketing and PR campaigns come and go, but a PR strategy is designed to be a living document that you can return to again and again as your company grows and evolves.
Why is PR Strategy Important?
If you want to reach new audiences and get your brand name out there, PR is the way to go. PR involves the strategic use of media to generate goodwill and publicity for your company, product, or cause. PR can help you to gain new customers, increase brand awareness, reach funding goals, and more. PR is a great way to increase visibility, but only if it’s done well. PR is most effective when it’s strategically focused on a particular audience. PR strategy can also be helpful for employee morale. If your employees know that their company is being featured in reputable publications, that can make their jobs more rewarding. Visibility also means credibility, and credibility can lead to higher employee retention rates. PR can also be a way to bring together employees from different departments. If your company is featured in the news, PR can help employees from different departments work together to achieve something.
Decide on the Format of Your PR Strategy
We all know that different audiences respond to different formats. Some people only read print newspapers, others only use their mobile devices to read the news. Some people like video and audio, while others prefer written content. As you’re creating your PR strategy, make sure to include a variety of different formats so that you can appeal to as many different people as possible. If you’re looking to promote your product to customers, you might decide to send out an email blast, create a paid advertisement on social media, or write an article and submit it to an online publication. If you want to reach investors, you might decide to submit a press release to a financial publication. If you want to reach the general public, you might decide to write an article for a general interest publication or create and distribute a podcast. Some PR strategies include all of these formats, while others only include one or two.
Determine your Goals
Every PR strategy should begin with a goal. Every communication needs to be framed around that goal. When you choose a goal for your PR strategy, keep in mind that goals can change over time. You may want to increase brand awareness, but after a few months, you might want to increase product sales. If you’re promoting a product, you might want to increase sales or increase the number of people who subscribe to your newsletter. When you create your PR strategy, decide what your goals are and then frame all of your PR efforts around those goals.
Pick your Tools: Where and How will you promote?
Now that you know what your goals are, it’s time to decide how you’re going to go about achieving them. If you’re promoting a product or a cause, you’ll want to pick a medium that best suits it. The internet is a great place to start, but it isn’t the only place. If you want to reach people who don’t spend much time online, you may want to consider other options.
Summary
When you’re creating a PR strategy, you want to make sure to consider all the different ways that people consume information. Different people consume different formats, so it’s important to think about how you can reach as many people as possible. Remember, a good PR strategy is a living document that you can turn to again and again for guidance as your company grows and evolves. When you create your PR strategy, make sure to think about why people need to know about your brand and decide on the best ways to get your message across.
Technology and PR
Today’s world is driven by technology. Everything we do, from work to leisure activities, is heavily influenced by the invention of computers, mobile phones and the Internet. It also doesn’t hurt that there are more smartphones than people! We’re so connected that some PR pros now call it the “connected age.” This has led to an increase in digital PR strategies and tactics that are used to communicate directly with customers using social media and online news sites. PR pros must stay on top of their game to succeed in this digital world. Keeping up with trends, tools and techniques can be challenging but can pay off big time for those willing to make an effort. Here are some tips on how technology is changing PR strategies — and what you need to do about it:
PR pros have more data than ever before
When people think of data, they often think of marketing. PR is heavily influenced by data, but the discipline itself is not driven by data. We can now track every move, every click and every word. PR pros can use data to determine which activities are working and which are not. The data also helps determine which stories are resonating with audiences and what type of audience is being reached. Data also helps inform decisions about which channels work best for certain audiences and brands. That said, data can also be a curse. PR pros who are too dependent on data may find themselves feeling too formulaic. There is a human element to PR that data can’t always capture.
Video is becoming an essential PR tool
PR pros have always known the power of video. After all, it’s one of the most efficient ways to engage an audience. However, video is gaining more importance than ever before. Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms are prioritizing video in users’ feeds. Some experts predict that video will soon be the only way people consume content online. The PR world has taken notice of this, and many are embracing video in their PR strategies. And for good reason — video is the most engaging type of content. PR pros should consider all the ways that video can be used to advance a company or client’s message. Video can be used for press releases, social media posts and even for pitching to reporters.
Marketing and PR tools are merging together
Marketing and PR have always been closely related disciplines, but they have also been separate. The lines have now begun to blur, and many PR pros are melding the two disciplines together. With lower costs and more opportunities, PR is more accessible than ever before. Marketing and PR tools are merging to provide companies with the best of both worlds. Marketing automation tools are being combined with PR tools to create one-stop shops for many brands. The automation allows for greater efficiency and the ability to scale PR campaigns. PR agencies are also seeing an increase in partnerships with content marketing agencies. These agencies focus on creating valuable content to attract and engage audiences. Marketing and PR teams are also hiring journalists to create content. These journalists can write stories that are more authentic and engaging than anything a marketing department would produce. PR pros are also increasingly writing their content and pitching it to journalists as news.
AI is helping out PR professionals
Artificial intelligence has been a part of PR for some time now. Tools like social listening and analytics have been used to help PR pros keep track of relevant stories and news items. However, tools are now being developed to help PR pros create content and pitch journalists. One startup, Pear, is creating an AI-powered tool that generates PR pitches. PR professionals can input information about their clients and the services they offer. The tool then creates a pitch complete with story ideas and key messages. PR professionals can then tweak these pitches to pitch to journalists, editors and other media contacts. These AI-powered tools are helpful for PR pros who are short on time or don’t have the skills to create content. They also make it easier to use a consistent tone and format when pitching journalists.
Summary
At the end of the day, PR pros must keep up with technology to stay successful. There are a lot of new trends, tools and techniques that PR folks need to know about to stay ahead of the game. And, with more opportunities than ever before, it can be difficult to stay on top of it all. However, it is well worth it as these tools provide better ways to communicate with audiences and journalists.
Social Media for PR
Being a business in the digital age means you have to think and act digitally. You can no longer rely on traditional PR channels like newspapers, magazines, and radio for publicity. Instead, you need to find new ways to reach your audience by using relevant online channels like social media. With so many social media sites and platforms out there, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which one is best for your business or brand. Depending on your company’s goals, target audience, and budget, different social media sites may be better suited than others at helping you achieve your PR goals. In this section, we’ll take you through the ins and outs of using social media for PR — how it works, how to choose the right platform or platforms for you, how to create branded content that will appeal to your audience, and some examples of businesses doing it well right now.
What is social media PR?
Social media PR, or social media marketing, is a way to build relationships and gain exposure for your business or brand by using social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. PR is often associated with press releases, which are written content distributed to journalists that can be published as news or featured on the homepage of a publication or website. PR is important because it can help you reach your target audience, increase your visibility, drive traffic to your website, and ultimately, increase your sales. With social media, you can take advantage of the huge audiences on these platforms to get your message out there.
How does social media PR work?
Public relations is all about creating a positive image for your business and getting it in front of potential customers. Once you’ve created branded content that you think would be a good fit for a certain platform, you can then use social media PR to pitch that content to journalists who might be interested in publishing a story based on it. Journalists can use your content in their posts, as well as link back to your website — which can help drive new traffic to your site. You can also use social media to pitch yourself to brand advocates and influencers, who might be interested in partnering with you in exchange for exposure.
How to choose the right platform for your business
For each social media platform, there are different ways to measure the success of your PR efforts, and different KPIs to track. You can use these metrics to determine which platforms are best suited to help reach your PR goals. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular social media platforms and how you can use them for PR.
- Facebook – Facebook is the world’s largest social media platform. It’s also the most popular social media platform for PR and marketing. Facebook groups, pages, and live videos are great ways to get your message out there and build relationships with your audience.
- Instagram – Instagram is one of the best platforms for visual content. With 800 million monthly users, this visual-first platform is a great way to showcase your brand and connect with your followers.
- Twitter – Twitter is a great platform for journalists and thought leaders to engage with their followers and distribute their content.
- LinkedIn – LinkedIn is the only social media platform focused solely on building relationships and connecting with potential customers and clients. This is a great platform for B2B companies looking to connect with other businesses and potential customers.
- Snapchat – If your target audience is between the ages of 18 and 34, Snapchat might be a good platform for PR for your brand. With daily active users of about 187 million, this app is a great way to connect with a younger demographic.
How to create great branded content for social media PR
Great content is the foundation of any successful PR campaign — and social media PR is no exception. You’ll need to create content that connects with your audience, is relevant to their interests, and that they will want to share with their friends and networks. Here are a few ways to create good content for social media PR.
- Create newsworthy content – This type of content is relevant to your audience and is newsworthy in and of itself — like a survey, trend report, etc.
- Create educational content – Share tips and advice on your industry and topics related to your business or brand and your target audience.
- Create shareable content – This type of content is easy to share and promote on social media and other platforms.
Examples of Brands Using Social Media for PR
So, let’s look at how some brands are currently using social media PR and how it’s helping them achieve their PR goals.
- GoPro – GoPro is one of the best examples of how to use social media PR to create newsworthy content and drive traffic to your website. Back in 2017, when hurricanes were threatening the Southeast U.S., GoPro partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to give away 1,000 free cameras for personal safety. This was a great example of philanthropy marketing and it helped them get tons of PR coverage, including articles in major publications like The Washington Post.
- Dollar Shave Club – This is another great example of how to use social media PR to create educational content and drive traffic to your website. Back when they first launched their razor subscription service, they used social media to engage with their audience and share helpful tips on how to shave and maintain good grooming habits.
Summary
Social media is a great tool for PR, but it’s not a quick fix. It takes time and effort to use social media PR effectively, but the payoff can be huge. By strategically using social media for PR, you can reach a larger audience and ultimately help achieve your PR goals.
Corporate Communication and PR
Corporate communication and public relations are departments that many companies think they need but few understand. If the words sound like something you’d read in a science textbook, it’s not surprising. Even though these roles have existed for decades, they remain misunderstood by many business leaders. In this section, we take a closer look at what corporate communication and PR departments do, why they are so important to your company, and what skills you need to become an effective communication or PR professional.
What is Corporate Communication?
Corporate communication is the process of creating and sharing content to achieve business objectives. This content can take many different forms, including news releases, product overviews, photos and videos, social media posts, website copy, and more. Corporate communication professionals define the strategy, create the content, and then distribute it to target audiences. This could be done through a company website and social media accounts, or by pitching stories to journalists and news organizations. Every major business function uses corporate communication to get its word out. Marketing uses it to create product descriptions and explain why the company created a particular product or service. Sales and operations might use it to announce a new contract or recall a faulty product. HR might use it to explain new policies or announce that an executive will be leaving the company.
Why Does Your Company Need a PR Department?
PR professionals specialize in getting your company mentioned in various news outlets and publications. While marketing focuses on how your company can sell its products or services, PR focuses on how the company can be relevant. PR professionals pitch stories to journalists, attend press conferences and invite media to visit your company. PR is the process of earning media coverage for your company without having to pay for it. Good PR can help you expand your brand, increase sales, create new partnerships, and get your employees excited about working for your company. PR also helps you respond to negative stories with positive messages. PR departments typically have experience handling crisis communication, creating damage control strategies, and moving towards a more positive narrative.
Why Does Your Company Need a Corporate Communication Department?
Corporate communication departments focus on promoting your company’s reputation and improving your brand perception. Corporate communication professionals evaluate your company’s reputation, identify areas for improvement, and develop strategies to foster positive change. Corporate communication departments also work closely with PR staff to ensure that the story being told to media outlets is consistent with the story being told internally to employees. A corporate communication department will help you create a brand strategy and clarify your company’s mission and vision. It will also help you develop a mission statement, brand promise, and brand voice that resonates with your customers.
The skills you need to become a corporate communication professional
A career in corporate communication requires excellent communication and writing skills. You need to be able to clearly and concisely summarize your company’s mission and vision, and then organize your thoughts into a compelling story that resonates with both customers and employees. Corporate communication professionals are also skilled at working with data. They need to be able to identify relevant information that can be used to support your company’s goals. The following skills are important if you want to become a corporate communication professional: Excellent communication skills: You need to be able to clearly and concisely summarize your company’s mission and vision to both customers and employees. Strong research skills: You will work with important data and information, so you need to be able to organize and present it compellingly. Data visualization skills: You will often present your company’s goals and plans with graphs, charts, and other visuals. These visualizations help your company employees, as well as your customers, understand company goals and objectives.
Summary
Corporate communication and PR departments play an important role in your company’s success. The world has become much more digital, and companies need to find new ways to communicate with customers, employees, and investors. Corporate communication and PR departments help you do that. They help you more clearly communicate your company’s goals and objectives, foster a positive brand reputation, and use data and visuals to better communicate company information. Expectations for communication and PR professionals have never been higher. Now is the perfect time to get started in communications or PR. You can take online courses to expand your skills and network with other professionals in the field.
Press Kits
Press kits are an essential tool in your PR arsenal. They’re a quick way to share information about your business with the media and other third parties who might be interested in learning more about it. Press kits can also help you get attention for your business since they provide a quick snapshot of what makes your company special. In this blog post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about creating press kits, including what different kinds of press kits exist and which ones will be most useful for your business. We’ll also go over what information you should include in each type of kit so that yours is as effective as possible.
What is a Press Kit?
A press kit is a collection of materials that journalists and others can refer to when writing about your business. Press kits contain information like your business’s full name and contact details, a summary of your company and its products or services, photos, and links to relevant articles or social media posts. In other words, they’re a great way to share information about your business with the media and others who may be interested in writing about it. Press kits can come in a variety of forms depending on what type of information you’re trying to share. Some examples include the following:
- A company overview press kit is a document that provides a high-level overview of your company and what makes it special.
- A media contact kit is a document that supplies journalists with your contact information and helpful talking points about your business.
- A press release kit is a document that contains your press release headline, release date, and related images.
Why Create a Press Kit?
Before explaining how to create a press kit, it’s helpful to first understand why you should create one. A press kit is a quick and easy way to provide journalists, partners, and other third parties with information about your business. Press kits are perfect for sharing quick facts about your company and its mission, as well as providing a way to get in touch with the people writing about your business. They can also help you build relationships with journalists, which can lead to more in-depth coverage of your brand. A press kit can also serve as a helpful resource for you and your team. Press kits can help you stay organized since you can store all relevant information in one place. They can also help you respond more quickly to inquiries from the media.
Types of Press Kits
While the types of press kits we’ll discuss below may vary in terms of their format, all press kits share certain characteristics. The most important of these is that each press kit should be easy to read and understand, while also being visually appealing. This helps ensure that the recipient of your press kit can quickly understand the information you’ve shared with them. The following types of press kits are common and can be used to share a variety of information about your business:
- Company overview press kits are great for sharing an overview of your company and its mission. They can also include information about your team and any notable milestones or achievements your company has achieved.
- Product or service press kits can be used to share details about your products and services, including information on how they work and why they’re beneficial to your customers.
- Social media content press kits are perfect for sharing links to your most recent blog posts, videos, and other social media content.
How to Create a Great Press Kit
Creating a great press kit is an important step in PR and marketing. A good press kit can help you get the attention and coverage you need, and can also help you establish relationships with journalists. Follow these tips to create a great press kit:
- Be clear about your goal and what you want to achieve with your press kit. This will help you decide which type of press kit to create and what information you should include in it.
- Keep it brief — journalists have little time to read through your press kit, so keep your message short and sweet.
- Make it easy to read — avoid writing your press kit in paragraphs. Instead, break your press kit up into sections with subsections, similar to how you would organize a table of contents in a book.
- Make it visually appealing — journalists will be the first ones to read through your press kit, so make sure it’s visually appealing.
Press Release Kit
This type of press kit is an important part of your PR strategy. It usually includes the following:
- The headline of your press release — this is the first thing journalists see in your press release, so it’s important to make it exciting, memorable, and accurate.
- The date and time of your press release — make sure to include the date and time when your press release will be published, so journalists don’t miss it.
- The title of your release — this is the name of your press release, usually including your business name, product, or service.
- The first paragraph of your release — this is the first part of your press release and should include a brief summary of your story and why it is newsworthy.
- The second paragraph of your release — this includes a more detailed summary of your story.
- The last paragraph of your release — this is where you provide the main takeaway from your story and why it is important.
- Images and links — include images of your product, images of your team and/or your company, or images that depict your main takeaways. Also, include links to relevant content on your website.
Media Contact Kit
A media contact kit is a great tool for setting up and managing your media contacts. It usually includes the following:
- Your contact information — include your full name, job title, a quick bio of yourself, your company name, and your company website URL.
- A list of reporters and journalists you’ve been in contact with — this is a list of reporters who have covered your business in the past, as well as those who are working on a story about your business.
- A list of reporters who have requested information about your business — this is a list of reporters you’ve been in contact with but who haven’t covered your business in the past.
- A list of reporters who have requested an interview with you — this is a list of reporters who have contacted you and asked to interview you.
- A list of other press-related contacts — this is a list of any other press-related contacts you’ve added, like a public relations specialist or a marketing manager.
Company Overview Kit
A company overview press kit is a great way to share an overview of your company. It usually includes the following:
- Your company name — include your company’s name in bold letters at the top of your overview press kit. – Your company mission — this is a one or two-sentence summary of your company’s mission.
- Your company’s values — these are your company’s core values and how they can be applied to your business practices.
- Your company’s products or services — this is a brief overview of your products or services, including how they solve the problems of your customers.
- Your company’s unique selling proposition or USP — this is a one or two-sentence summary of why your business is special.
- Your company’s team members — this is a brief introduction to each member of your team.
Company History
This is a detailed timeline of major events that have shaped your company’s history from inception to the present day. It could include partnerships, major milestones, product releases, and more. It’s usually found near the end of your press kit near the About Us section.
Company Culture
This is a short yet descriptive piece about how your employees work together at the office. It could include information about your work environment, events and activities, and more. This is usually found near the About Us section of your press kit. It’s a great way to show the world what it’s like to work for your company!
Photo Gallery
This is a collection of photos that depict your company’s culture, mission, values, and products/services. You can put them all in one folder and upload them to a photo hosting site like Flickr, or you can upload them to a section in your press kit. You can also include videos that have been shared on social media that depict your company culture.
Writing a Press Release
A press release is a brief, newsworthy announcement about something relevant to your business and its audience. It’s distributed and published as a way of informing the public about important news related to your business. It’s an essential marketing tool that can help you generate buzz around a new product, service or any other exciting announcement you want to make public. In this section, we will explore all that you need to know about writing press releases.
What is a press release?
A press release is a piece of marketing content that’s similar to a news article. When you write a press release, you’re trying to inform the public about something relevant to your business and its audience. If a major news event occurs, like a product launch or a new partnership, you may want to issue a press release as a way to get that information out to the public. Your press release can appear in a variety of places, including online news sites, trade publications, and business directories, as well as printed publications like newspapers. Although press releases are commonly used to announce new products or services, you can use them for a variety of purposes, including generating leads, building authority, and creating brand awareness.
Why are press releases important?
There are many reasons why press releases are important for any business. They can help you direct attention to your business and what you want to do or offer. Press releases are a great way to get your company’s name out there and become recognized within the industry, as well as with potential customers. A press release is often the first thing that people see when they search for your company. That means that, if you have written your press release well, it could be the deciding factor between whether they click on your link or go somewhere else and look at something else. A press release can also be very useful when trying to get media coverage. Many people who write articles for newspapers and blogs receive press releases all the time to see if they’re interested in writing a piece based on the information that’s in the press release.
Who should write a press release?
Anyone who has exciting news about their company and products can write a press release. However, the best person to write a press release is someone in your marketing department who understands the business and its goals. Those who write press releases should be able to write clearly and concisely that is easy for the reader to understand and relate to. After all, you want your readers to be interested rather than confused about what you are trying to say. A press release should be brief and provide enough information for the reader to understand what the news is, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming.
How to write a press release?
The best way to know how to write a press release is to read a few. You can find hundreds of press releases on the websites of major companies, and smaller businesses often distribute their releases via websites like PR Newswire and Business Wire. After reading a few press releases, note the way they are formatted. In general, press releases have a standard format, with similar headings and content in each.
Dos and Don’ts when writing a press release.
- Do include a newsworthy “hook” to grab readers’ attention.
- Do write in the first person, present tense.
- Do keep the press release concise.
- Don’t fall into hyperbole or exaggeration.
- Don’t write a press release for self-promotion.
- Don’t forget to include contact information
Publishing your Press Release.
No matter where you decide to publish your press release, you will always have to provide your company contact information. That is the only way that someone can get in touch with you. So, while you can submit your press release to free and paid sites, as well as newspapers and magazines, you will always have to include your name, email address, and phone number. The best place to publish your press release depends on your goals for it. If you want to get as many eyeballs as possible, you might want to submit it to various free sites. On the other hand, if you want to get your press release in front of industry influencers, you might want to submit it to paid sites or publications. You can also publish your press release on your website. Doing so allows you to link to the full press release and provide readers with more information.
Summary
A press release is an essential marketing tool that can help you generate buzz around a new product, service or any other exciting announcement you want to make public. To create a successful press release, you must follow a few key steps in the process. First, you must identify your target audience and create a brief overview of the product or service you have to offer. Next, you must write a press release that is easy to understand and engaging. Finally, you must distribute your press release to major publications and websites. A press release is a great way to get your company’s name out there and become recognized within the industry, as well as with potential customers.
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