Press releases are often seen as a way to limit the damage of harmful PR, but these statements of intent are a great way to generate awareness about your business. The trick is to use each press release as an opportunity to shine and not shy away from any negative publicity out there.
The distinction between a standard press release and a business tool is in the writing. So, how do you write a press release that pushes people to investigate what you do? By following these 5 golden rules.
1. Remember your audience
As with any written piece, whether it’s a speech, essay or Facebook post, you always need to remember that you’re talking to real people.
Depending on what you’re saying, your audience could be small, like a handful of professors, or massive – as in the entire globe (in the case of companies like Apple and Google).
You need to write a press release that gets their attention and packs a punch. Pique their curiosity and they will automatically want to find out more about your business.
2. Confront negative sentiment
It might feel counter intuitive, but your audience won’t take kindly to you trying to tell them how great your business is if you should be responding to a crisis.
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The best PR teams know that your press release should be open and honest. If you’ve made a mistake, own up to it. Tell your audience how you’re going to fix it and start doing something straight away.
3. Highlight your strengths
Whether you’re dealing with bad publicity or announcing a huge merger, you need to remember that every press release is a piece of potential marketing collateral.
The key is to make your business’ role clear, and use great copy to highlight your reputation, offering, or history without the piece becoming an advertorial.
4. Create a distribution network
Modern media options mean that your press release can be distributed across an array of channels. Once again, it’s time to think about your audience. Publish the press release where the right kind of people are going to read it, support its distribution with paid media and always link back strongly to your business.
Try a few options too – a mix of print and digital media should give you the reach and engagement you’re looking for.
5. Make each release count
Too many business owners feel like they need to shout about every great thing that they do, but content fatigue is bound to follow over-eager press releases. Limit your release for your best news, and invest in spreading the word rather than boring your audience with a constant stream of updates.
The press release remains a good option to put a face to your business and really engage people. Take the time to talk to a PR guru or bring a specialist press release writer on board. You’ll soon find that you have a powerful platform to generate interest in your business, provided you take a structured approach and use the tips discussed above.
Just remember that you’ll need to be doing well to have something to talk about!
