4 tips for writing compelling press releases

Some companies still use them to measure the value of the PR program: how many go out, how many outlets pick them up and how many impressions they get.

In today’s digital environment, there’s a thousand different ways to tell a story and a hundred different platforms, so you really need to consider if the press release is the right tool for the news you’re putting out.

If the answer is yes, the challenge for communications executives is how to write compelling messages that succinctly tell a brand’s story.

Many of our clients, for example, serve a variety of vertical industries and may have a lot of products and services—or a very complex technology. The tendency is to go really deep and provide a lot of information, but it is important to keep our brand’s stories simple and clear.

Here are five ways to make your client’s stories stand out in a press release:

1. Make sure it’s newsworthy. Are you putting out a new product, launching a new business unit or releasing data?

If it is of interest to a large number of people and it’s market moving, you probably have something for a press release. If it’s a bit humdrum or not applicable to a large number of people, write a guest post or social media update instead.