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People who work in the media often ask themselves the same questions such as “what makes a good news story?” and “will this press release grab the attention of journalists?” The answer: engaging content. Audiences want to be influenced and read relevant news that interests them. When writing a press release, having a strategic plan on how you want to present the news is key. Stories that follow topical news, surveys, the unexpected, celebrities, product launches and human interest would all make an excellent press release. Combining these ideas with strong pictures and infographics will double your reach of who you are trying to target. Sometimes an image alone will guarantee an ideal placement in any newspaper like theguardian.com or media outlet. Journalists are constantly looking for striking images to draw the reader in while TV reporters look for stories that can provide good footage.
A press release is simply defined as a news story that is distributed throughout the media with a view to getting it published by inviting press interest. To have it spread throughout as many media channels as possible, the aim is to get it noticed and get people to start talking.
When creating content for your press release, these five questions come to mind: Who? What? Why? When? Where? Once these questions are answered, the press release is complete.
Useful tips from colleagues when drafting a press release comes in handy. Always have your team proofread, and triple check your content. The press release should read like a news report and not an advertisement. At any time, when a press release includes links or photos – make sure that you are getting full consent from the work’s author. Using quotes and listing your social media channels will not only help create an interaction with your audience, but if they like the content you display, you may increase your number of connections and followers! Another helpful reminder is to make sure all necessary contact details are mentioned so that the journalist can obtain more information if needed.
Recently PRNewser published an infographic titled “Will Anyone Care About This News Release?” You can find the infographic by clicking here.
