6 Tips For Crafting Newsworthy Press Release Content
There are a number of ways to craft a newsworthy press release full of the kind of content a journalist or professional blogger is looking for in order to do their job correctly.
1-Write about real news
Many marketers have heard that press releases are a great chance to build brand, and this can be true IF the releases they send out are actually newsworthy. When crafting a press release, don’t think like a salesperson. Think like a newspaper reporter, telling about what has just happened, or what will be happening within the next week or so.
Newsworthy items might include:
+Opening for business
+Launching a new product
+Buying a new company
+Selling your company
+Inking a new partnership deal
+Raising a new round of venture capital funding
+Planning a live event to be hosted on X date and time at Y location
+Reporting about a recent event that was held, and the most newsworthy highlights
+Outlining a new top trend and how it relates to your business, such as the Pokemon Go phenomenon and the unique ways your business is using the app for marketing purposes
+Linking to an upcoming special date
For example, if it is in the run-up to Christmas, a company might issue a press release which outlines its new products and services. Or they might release a free buyer’s guide of the top 10 gifts of the year that most people would love receive. This will provide 2 stories for the price of 1 for a busy journalist eager to meet their deadline.
2-Think of the human interest aspect
Answer the question, “Why should anyone care?” A good press release, especially the headline, will evoke some sort of emotion.
3-Cater to local interest
A newsworthy story will have to be of enough interest to be relevant to anyone, but don’t be afraid to pitch the local angle as well. For example, you might be hosting a benefit in aid of a particular charity of global significance, such as Save the Children, but still need local people to turn up to support the event.
4-Look for the wow factor
Think of the word breakthrough and see if there is anything going on in your company that could be classified as that.
5-Don’t be afraid to stir up a little controversy
There are 2 sides to every story. Sometimes a bit of controversy and radical thinking can get people’s attention. “New York City Police stage protests outside YMCAs about their unhealthy working conditions,” might urge people to learn more.
6-Disaster, or disaster averted
Anyone who remembers Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf of Mexico, or Hurricane Sandy in the northeast will recall the devastation they caused. Yet as bad as things were, some good did come out of them, such as stories of survival, better levees being built to stop flooding, and so on.
Go for your goals
When trying to make your press release newsworthy, always keep your goals for that release in mind. Do you want to get people to subscribe, participate, contribute, buy? If you are clear on your call to action, you will not only get news coverage, you will also be able to achieve your marketing goals.
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