Is It Newsworthy? 5 Questions to Ask Before Deciding To Write a Press Release
One of the critical elements of a press release is that it is newsworthy. The press, and the majority of the public, pays attention to press releases for this very reason. The media wants to capitalize on timely information and content that is relevant to their audience. The general public and your audience want to stay on top of what’s going on in your industry. Before you distribute that press release, take a few minutes to determine if it’s really newsworthy. Let’s take a look at five questions to ask before you write a press release.
#1 Who Cares?
Before you write your press release ask yourself who cares about the information. Who is your audience and why do they care about the information in your press release? If you can’t answer that question clearly and concisely (with an answer that’s actually communicated in your press release) then it may not be newsworthy. Make sure your press release is written about something that is important to your audience.
#2 Is it Timely?
The information in a press release needs to be current. No one cares much about what happened last year, last month, or even last week. The news and information in your release should be about what’s happening right now or what’s going to happen in the very near future.
#3 Is it Relevant?
Another way to ask this question is, “Will it grab attention?” Is the subject of your press release important to your audience and will they care about it? Likewise, it needs to be relevant to the media. Step back and look at your press release from a journalist’s point of view. What’s different or unique about your topic and how valuable is the information to their audience, and yours?
#4 What Difference Does it Make?
How does your press release provide information that improves or changes people’s lives? What value does it offer and how will it make a difference? If you can’t answer this question, consider using this content in a different way. Maybe it’d work better as an article or a social media post.
#5 Would You Share the Information with Friends and Associates?
Put yourself in the shoes of your reader. Is the information in your press release something that you’d share with others? Would you reprint it on your blog or post a link to it on your social media page? If not, consider once again using it as something else.
If you’ve written your press release and decided that it’s not really fit for that format, all is not lost. You can use the content for other purposes, including sharing it as a post on social media. Create a list of potentially newsworthy events and subjects for your business and create a strong press release campaign.
