The anatomy of a good press release

Press releases are one of the most popular short copy tasks we do here at Coastal Content. They are great for getting a bit of publicity either online or offline and are cheap, effective and well worth the time.

A press release lets the world know the who, what, when, where, how and why of something interesting. Whether you?re using a free PR portal or sending it to your local newspaper, addressing these points gives the reader and the portal everything they need in one tidy package.

Who

To address the who, you not only need to show who you are but also write for who you?re targeting. Balancing the needs of both is what makes a good press release great.

What

What are you promoting? What does it offer the audience? What does it do that competing products don?t? What does it mean and how does it improve our lives? The more ?what? questions you can answer, the more compelling the release will be.

When

The when is both for the timing of the event and the publishing of the press release. The event itself needs to be timely as does the release itself. If attendance is required, enough notice has to be given for someone to attend. If it is a newsworthy release, you have to get it out there as close to the break as possible or risk being seen as slow. Timing is everything.

Where

Address, website URL, location or whatever. People need to know where something is happening as well as when and why.

How

Online press releases needs to be clickable and scannable. Printed media press releases can be in longer form but need a specific format to succeed. The how not only dictates the medium but also the event itself. Is it a live release, TV event, online event or something else?

Why

The why is often the most important factor to get people interested in a press release. Why do people need to know about your happening? Why should they care? The why question needs careful consideration and should be authentic and not a sales pitch.

Concentrate on what the event will do for the reader or how your product solves a problem they have, offers to improve their lives or something where they derive a direct benefit.

What is newsworthy?

In a digital world where thousands of things all vie for our attention, what makes your news worth reading? To be accepted, a press release has to be newsworthy and offer interest to the reader. But what is newsworthy?

Typical newsworthy press releases include:

Product or service releases ? Significant product or service releases sent to your target audience are powerful marketing tools.

Announcements ? Relevant announcements such as mergers, buyouts, acquisitions, anniversaries, functions, senior appointments or expansions.

Special events ? Opening galas, unveilings, invitational events, festival appearances, gigs, shows and fun days are just a few newsworthy special events.

Reactions ? Reactions to news stories, reputation management, direct reactions to accusations, praise or awards and industry comments can all be newsworthy.

Press releases may seem a little old fashioned but they still have a part to play in content marketing. Join us next time when we show how to write attention grabbing press releases.

If you need newsworthy press releases to tell the world what you?re doing, Coastal Content can help. Contact us today for a free quote!