Positive public perception of an organization is vital for corporate success. Whether this involves spreading awareness about the unveiling of a new product, a website re-launch, or a shift in upper management, a properly planned and strategically executed news announcement can influence the behavior, attitudes and opinions of key audiences.
Effective communications, most often in the form of official news releases that are widely disseminated through various media outlets, can greatly benefit a company's public image and impact its bottom line. This can, in turn, result in favorable outcomes for the organization such as increased sales and enhanced branding in the marketplace.
The chief aim of a news release is to generate media interest in the company. This interest should then mushroom as more media outlets pick up on the story with editors and reporters following through with additional reporting, interviews, and more mentions in various media. Public relations is a highly efficient communications tool for getting the word out. But it must be used carefully, strategically and with a clearly outlined plan for execution.
When To Issue A Release
When something of note occurs, people need to know about it. And, when that something of note impacts a business and its stockholders, the more people who know about it, the better. To increase the odds of receiving positive media coverage for an organization, news releases should be properly targeted and directed at specific media markets. These releases should also be of interest to the greatest number of people possible.
Topics for releases that are likely to attract the most favorable attention by the media include:
1. The company's involvement in an upcoming event, a corporate sponsorship, or a keynote speaking engagement
2. New business partnerships, acquisitions, expansions, and/or mergers
3. The release of a new product line or an improvement in existing models
4. A change in corporate management and/or staff promotions and honors (awards of merit, special achievements)
Formatting The Release
Smart public relations people think like journalists. They understand that a release should have a cogent news angle and a newsy feel to it. This can easily be accomplished by making certain to follow these steps:
1. Include an exact dateline for the release to be disseminated to the public and insert "For Immediate Release" before the headline.
2. Create a compelling headline and begin the release with an intriguing, attention-grabbing lure, or teaser, that will make the reader want to learn more about the newsworthy item.
3. Make sure the release contains factual data and fulfills "The Five W's" of journalism. These are the important facts that make the story complete -- Who, What, Where, When, and Why.
4. Whenever possible, use a direct quote from a key personality directly involved in the story. This makes the release more authentic and the source more reliable.
5. Provide detailed contact information (name, telephone, address, email) and direct journalists and editors to the compnay's website where they can obtain more information.
Issuing the Release
Once all the I's are dotted and all the T's are crossed, and the copy has been proofed and approved, the release is ready to be issued. Have a specific list of media outlets by this time and intimate knowledge about which publications, websites, and broadcast programs cater to the intended audience. This information may be obtained from a wealth of media directories that are available, or by studying the mastheads of popular newspapers and magazines. Direct the release to a specific person, or editor, who is in charge of writing or assigning stories that cover the particular market.
Since many news organizations are highly digital these days, it is best practice to call first and inquire if the release should be sent by hard copy mail or by electronic means. Speaking of the Internet, press releases can now get wider distribution via online channels such as RSS feeds, press release newswires, and/or by placing the item on any number of social networking sites and blogs. The possibilities are endless.
Publicly issued communications can motivate new customers, influence purchase decisions, and benefit a company's reputation by evoking favorable emotions in an audience. To be effective, the stories that are released must be newsworthy, relevant and compelling. If done correctly and executed properly, these announcements can boost an organization's visibility in its market and create positive awareness about events and corporate happenings. In this manner, good public communications will translate into good business!
Roxanne Blanford - Roxanne Blanford is a professional writer and marketing communications specialist with a B.A. in Communications.
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