Smart Start: How to Develop a Newsworthy Angle

In this guide you’ll learn how pinpointing and developing a newsworthy angle can improve the effectiveness of a press release.

What Is a Press Release?

A press release is a compelling and concise news story that’s typically written by a public relations professional and distributed to targeted media sources to announce something newsworthy.

The goal of a press release is to secure coverage from relevant publications and stay in front of a company’s target audience.

Press releases can cover important news such as:

• The release of a special report.
• A company milestone.
• A new product announcement/launch.
• A new round of funding.
• Announcement of a new executive.
• And much more.

How to Structure a Press Release

How you structure a press release plays a major role in the effectiveness of the messaging. That’s why the inverted pyramid is a valuable format to follow as it ensures the most important information is addressed at the beginning of a press release and the other pertinent details are shared in order based on the level of importance.

The inverted pyramid gives writers a structure to work from that addresses How + the 5 Ws:

• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?

The Importance of Newsworthiness

A successful press release is relevant to the target audience and the media.

When brainstorming ideas and crafting press release content, a question you’ll want to ask yourself is, “Is this newsworthy?”

Whether you’re just starting out or have found yourself in a creative rut, here are 10 newsworthy topics to consider:

• Earning awards
• Business funding
• Community involvement
• Company anniversary
• Events (in-person and/or virtual)
• New data/industry report
• New hire/promotion
• Product launch
• Quarterly earnings
• Rebrand

But what happens when you just can’t pinpoint a newsworthy idea for your press release?

Do you throw in the towel? Or do you take a step back and find a way to develop an angle that makes people want to read your press release?

If you’re reading this, odds are you want to find a newsworthy angle and as an industry leader in press release distribution, we know how to pinpoint and develop content ideas that help companies of all sizes and industries build brand awareness, increase website traffic, improve SEO performance, generate leads, and close sales.

But first…

What’s an angle?

The angle is essentially the point or theme of a piece of content. It gives your press release direction and a frame of reference. Think of it like a lens that focuses the context for the messaging of a press release.

Tips to Develop a Newsworthy Angle

Start with why

If you’ve ever been in a conversation with a toddler, it was likely fueled by a oneword question: Why? While exhausting, those little humans are on to something and are sharing a lesson you’ll want to consider.

During the ideation phase, always ask yourself…

• Why is this important?
• Why would my target audience find this interesting?

If you can’t quickly and definitively answer these questions, it’s a sign to go back to the drawing board to find a new topic.

Do your research

Get in the habit of reading through popular publications in your industry. Jot down the stories that were most intriguing. What made them interesting? What topics were covered? What made that article stand out to your target audience?

All the information you collect can be used to develop newsworthy angles with your content.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and keeping a pulse on what’s trending and creating content around those topics with your unique touch will help you write press releases worth reading.

Keep it fresh

To build off the previous point, yes it’s important to capitalize on trending news. But you don’t want to address the points that have already been made. Rather, you want to approach them with a new, fresh perspective - your brand’s perspective.

When it comes to press release writing and press release distribution as a whole, a main goal is capturing the attention of a company’s target audience and securing their piece of the market share. Doing so requires brands to consistently leverage what makes them unique to separate themselves from the pack.

Let’s say, for example, an important piece of industry research was just released. All of your competitors will be covering it. They’ll talk about the research and what it means. Every piece of content will likely read the same and blend together.

This is an opportunity for you to stand out. Look at that same topic through your brand’s lens and add a unique spin. Developing a newsworthy angle with a fresh perspective on a popular talking point will help you create a level of interest your target audience craves.

Listen

Social media can feel like the Wild West, but when used properly can be a treasure trove of information brands can use to their advantage.

A great way to find an angle is through consistent social listening.

Search relevant keywords, read through the comments of popular posts, and engage with your audience by asking questions.

The information you uncover and collect will help you better understand what to cover and how to develop an angle. Not to mention, social listening gives you a seemingly behind-the-scenes look into the minds of the people that matter most your target audience.

Use this tool to your advantage to create press releases that directly address your target audience’s pain points, interests, questions, and more.

Go against the grain

It’s easy to write press releases about subjects people expect you to write about. It’s the safe play. But what if you took a different approach? What if you played the devil’s advocate?

Do you remember those two-in-one drawings? If you looked at it one way, you might see a beautiful young lady. But if you viewed it from another perspective, you’d uncover a scary old woman.

This is how you can approach a trending topic. While your competitors view it from one angle, push yourself to look at it from a different vantage point.

Doing so can highlight your expertise, showcase your ability to think critically, and set you apart from the competition.

If you want to learn more about the Inverted Pyramid, check out our YouTube Video that covers this topic in detail!