Starting to communicate about your brand will always be a good idea, but you need to know how to do it. If your company has decided to gain more visibility through the media, keep in mind that press releases are a valuable document that, first and foremost, aim to catch journalists' interest so they publish it. And after that, achieve the main goal of reaching a larger audience where your target audience is.
To make the most of the visibility a press release can offer, it's important to frame the topic as a newsworthy, informative piece that sparks real interest. Writing one requires specific skills, such as journalistic writing, an understanding of current events, and above all, the understanding that putting it together must serve a communication goal that's vital to a business. To get a positive effect from this document, here are some tips to keep in mind when writing it:
- Set the goal of the content
Generally, a press release is written when you want to announce an important event for a company, such as a new partnership or the launch of a new product. However, to keep the brand from losing exposure, press releases can also be built around topics of general interest. In this scenario, it's key to define the brand's goal through a news angle, always aiming to solve a customer's need rather than pitching a product or service.
- Mind the structure
The opening lines of a press release must grab the reader's attention — one way to do this is by laying out a problem that has a solution. The following paragraphs should develop an idea of your own, but one that connects with others. Try to be brief while still crafting an appealing text from start to finish, and weave the brand's key messages in subtly so they fit naturally into the text.
- Include key messages
Key messages are built with the intent of laying out a clear, concise and appealing idea of what a brand stands for. Their goal is to be woven into all communications so that, when read, people associate the message with the brand.
- Link to the sources you used
Credibility is something built day by day, and it's not limited to the business world. In communications, you need to back up what you say, and if a release includes information from some study, you need to show it by citing the source. This builds more trust with the journalist.
- Include tags
In the digital age, this step is essential, since it helps a great deal in surfacing keywords related to a company. It's also very useful for the journalist uploading the content to news sites.
In short, these tips help in putting together a good press release, one that can be persuasive to the audience a company is targeting. However, this action can't stand alone. To achieve strong results that add to a business's image and good reputation, it's essential to build a comprehensive communication strategy that covers aspects focused on the steady growth of a brand.