Press releases are an important part of the marketing/communications effort. They communicate the latest news about your company and its products to the media. Press releases on new product developments are important to journalists for a variety of reasons, the major one being that their readers are interested in the latest product developments in their industry.
Another name for a press release is a news release meaning that it is new news. You need to evaluate your press release in terms of newsworthiness. The purpose for your press release is to inform the market of you new or improved product or service. Journalists are keenly aware of press releases on a product that has been around awhile without substantial change. They are also leery of press releases that read like advertisements and are selling a product. You run the risk of angering journalists and having any future release seen as suspect. If you have a product that has been around but has a significant new feature, that is news and the journalists will welcome this information.
This document highlights the important steps to writing a successful press release and although there are no guarantees that every press release you write will be picked up by the press, these steps should improve your chances.
One of the first steps in creating an effective press release is preparation and planning. It is important to create a plan for what you want the press release to accomplish. You should have basic concepts established prior to writing the release. Here are some questions you should answer in your press release:
• What is newsworthy about this release? Will a journalist, or more importantly the marketplace, find the news item important. • What makes this product or service interesting to the market? • What problem does it solve solution it provides? • What features of the new product or service will have an impact on the market? What improvements are significant to the industry you serve? • Who is your preferred audience? • What do you want readers to take away from your release about your new product or service? • What are the keywords or key phrases used by your customers when searching for your type of product or service? • What does your release provide: invaluable information about a new product or just another offer? • What is the support or justification for the information in your release? • What is the tone of your release? • Are you aware of possible pitfalls or areas to avoid? • What do you want to accomplish with your release: increase business, disseminate information, or both? Does the release's lead (opening) address or answer the basic tenets of journalism:
- Who - What - When - Where - Why - How
Once you have written the plan it is time to write the press release.
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