Newsworthy Reasons to Write a Press Release: Part 6: Original Content
The opportunities to promote your organization and get your brand in front of a new audience of potential customers open up once you identify newsworthy reasons to send a press release. As part of this PR Newswire series, we have covered press releases related to company growth, employee news, product and service offerings, events and more.
Sharing helpful, relevant and educational original content can help better position your company as an expert in your field or industry and gain new customers.
Four Types of Content to Share Via Press Release
1: Survey or study results
A well-crafted press release – sent to the right audiences across the right channels – can help amplify the efforts of your organization’s new and unique information and educate wider audiences and effectively establish your organization as an industry thought leader.
Original Content Examples:
- Immunis Publishes Research Study Showing Reversal of Aged Muscle Deficits
- CED Releases Report on Using Census Bureau Data to Boost Child Care & Employment
- nShift launches new whitepaper to help retailers consider sustainable delivery options
2: Executive thought leadership
Build on your internal subject matter experts’ knowledge and reputation with a press release. A press release can extend a story's reach and increase its relevancy. It can also resonate longer when contextualized around your SME's content such as books, speeches and media appearances.
Examples:
- Best-selling Author Filiz Behaettin, Reveals the key to Success, in 'Elevate: The Practical Guide to Living Your Best Life & Succeeding'
- Gamelancer CEO Discusses Company's Transformational Platform Acquisition
- Tag Americas CEO launches podcast to connect with distributed workforce
3: Tips or expert advice or guidance
Publishing press releases with tips and tricks in the body copy is more common than you might think. If you send this type of content to a targeted industry newsline, you’re more likely to reach a relevant audience.
Examples:
- Rooter Hero offers five tips to help homeowners prevent clogged or slow drains
- Triple-I Offers Tips to Homeowners Seeking a Reputable Contractor
- Virginia Natural Gas offers tips and tools to help customers save energy as temperatures climb
4: Free training or educational resources
Build a rapport with your target audience by providing no or low-cost training and resources. If your organization is offering to provide information and education to an audience at no cost, we have found that organizations can gain additional loyal followers.
Examples
- ExecutiveResumeWriters.com Provides Free Training to Help Senior-level Managers Create a Professional Resume and Land More Interviews
- World's First All-In-One Crypto Trading Platform Announces Free Tools for Busy Traders
Four Tips for a Standout Content-Related Press Release
While your original content press release should follow the same general format and best practices as any other press release, events-related press releases require special attention in specific ways. When creating your press release to share original content, consider the following:
- Avoid clickbait by crafting a truly compelling headline:
While your headline should be eye-catching – offering a surprising finding or opinion that invites the reader to learn more. Press release headlines that include action words see more engagement on PR Newswire than those that don’t. Action words like “reveals,” “announces” or “unveils” (see examples above for more inspiration). Avoid the most over-used press release words, according to journalists, which include words like “unique,” “innovative” or “ground-breaking.” - Create a can’t-miss call to action: Make it easy for readers to engage with and share content. Include a clear and compelling call to action. In other words, go beyond the standard “click here” and provide relevant context. Perhaps something like “Download the full report” or “Visit our website to learn more.” Put your CTA “above the fold” as a standalone line from the rest of the text to ensure readers (and scanners) see it right away.
- Add authority with an expert quote: Quotes make it easy for journalists to quickly “grab and go” when producing their stories. Including a quote from a trusted and impactful subject matter expert also adds credibility.
- Show and tell: Our research has shown that press releases that include visual aids like photos, videos, charts or infographics more engagement. In our annual State of the Media report, surveyed journalists consistently say they are more likely to cover a story if the pitch or press release includes relevant multimedia assets.
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About the Author
Erin Payton is the Integrated Customer Marketing Manager for PR Newswire. In her role, she develops multichannel marketing campaigns, drives demand generation, fosters brand awareness and creates thought leadership. Away from the keyboard, she is an unabashedly enthusiastic cat mom to Mia.