For all the changes in how we communicate, the news release remains both useful and vital. Companies and organizations use them to share their news about their products, services, and themselves.
While news releases are not, and should not be mistaken for, sales literature, they can inform and persuade your audience to take action.
Three little-known secrets of successful news releases include:
1. A successful news release is not just for the news media only.
If your company is launching a new product or service, of course you want your industry press to know about it. For example, if you’ve invented a new software that will help geologists find areas to drill for oil, industry magazines like World Oil will be interested in learning about it.
But news releases aren’t just for news or trade media. Perhaps your company has an engineer who played a key role in developing this geology software. His college alumni magazine might be interested in a notice because it’s an example of “local alumnus makes good.” Or, perhaps this geology software uses a particular platform uniquely suited for the purpose. That vendor might be interested in learning that its platform serves a key role in the geology software.
When preparing and distributing a news release, focus on the key audiences, but also keep in mind other people who can benefit from knowing this information.
2. A successful news release answers the “so what” question.
A typical news release answers the key questions that a journalist typically asks—who, what, when, where, why, and how.
For example, if your company is launching a new product, your news release might say:
NEW YORK—In response to market demand, Acme Example, Inc., today announces the launching of its new product, WidgetMaster, a revolutionary tool that saves time by automating control of multiple widgets.
In this sentence, we’ve defined:
- Who (Acme Example).
- What (announcing the launch of WidgetMaster).
- Where (New York).
- When (today).
- Why (response to market demand).
- How (saves time by automating control of multiple widgets).
All these things are important, of course. But they must also answer a larger, implicit question: So what?
If we added a statement that answers the “so what” question, we’ve strengthened the news release and made it more relevant. Using the example here, the news release might say:
NEW YORK—In response to market demand, Acme Example, Inc., today announces the launching of its new product, WidgetMaster, a revolutionary tool that saves time by automating control of multiple widgets.
“With our new WidgetMaster, people can save time and money in their widget control efforts,” Edward Executive, Acme Example CEO, said.
This second sentence explains the so what—it enables people to save time and money in their widget control efforts.
3. A successful news release provides not just news, but other key messages you must communicate.
Announcing news about products, services, and people is important—but successful news releases communicate more than just those things.
Your company or organization has other messages it must communicate. For example, what is the company or organization behind the news release? What must (or at least should) readers know about your organization, at the most basic level?
Usually, a corporate news release has a paragraph at the end which summarizes what the company or organization does. The paragraph is similar to the “about the author” section seen in books, trade articles, or blogs.
For example, a news release might say:
Acme Example, Inc., is a New York-based widget control manufacturer. It is committed to helping its clients use widgets efficiently, profitably, and safely. For more information, visit Acme Example’s web site at…”
Consider these secrets the next time you create a news release.
