28 Feb How To Use And Craft A Press Release To Get Attention For Your Brand Today

While newspapers are not the dominant medium anymore, there’s no doubt that press releases are still a powerful tool that lets brands create a buzz about the work they’re doing. 

Social media platforms allow your brand to be discussed freely, however, brands can contribute, influence, and have more control over the narrative surrounding their company via regular press releases. 

Let’s look at what a press release is, what types of press releases brands can put out, and what they should contain. 

What is a press release?

A press release is an official statement usually in written form, issued to the media to inform publications about the newsworthy events that are occurring in an organization. 

Press releases usually tell a story of why this news is important and do this by giving a who, what, why, and where to explain the story. A good press release should also include a quote from the company that can be used in articles and gives a more human connection to the story. 

It’s also worth considering that press releases are short – typically a page at most and between 300-500 words. Journalists are busy with lots of press releases to review so brevity is important while ensuring you provide enough information for publications to write the story. 

When writing a press release keep in mind that these are public documents and not only journalists will see them. Your clients, staff, and customers can also read them, so your press releases are also an important marketing, retention, and recruitment tool. 

Now we know what a press release is, let’s look at some of the types of stories a press release can cover. 

Executive Team Changes

Executives often act as the company’s public face, and a press release serves to announce key personnel changes. 

Awards

Press releases announcing industry accolades and successes help to establish your organization as an expert in your field.

Product updates and new product launches

The product launch press release is useful for spreading the news about new solutions your company is introducing or changes to existing products.

Mergers, acquisitions, and new partners 

A press release is often required when there is a significant organizational change you need to communicate to various audiences.

Events

Marketing your events may help you get coverage from news publications and other media channels.

Rebranding

A press release can make rebranding run more smoothly and let everyone know what to expect from the changes. 

In summary for each press release you create you should:  

• Create an enticing headline
• Communicate the importance of the news to the press in the main body of text
• Provide a compelling quotation to give more context
• Give useful background information about the topic
• Use a well crafted boilerplate message to let journalists know about your company and what you do

If you would like help with your brand messaging, advertising, and digital marketing in Charlotte, North Carolina to Seattle, Washington, and everywhere in between, get in touch with Visual Caffeine to learn how we can help you.