Tip: 3 things to think on before creating a press release

It’s easy to get caught up in what you find exciting about your company. Maybe you’ve just introduced a new lipstick in ravishing red or updated a shoe line with a blue strappy sandal, but before you send your exciting news out with a press release - STOP! Just because it’s exciting to you, doesn’t mean it’s exciting to others. Does this mean it isn’t newsworthy? Not necessarily – but you have to spend a moment thinking about what makes it newsworthy. Here are three “think points” that will help you make your news worth noting:

1. Who cares
2. What do they care about
3. Why do they care

Let’s take the case of the blue strappy sandal launch. A blue strappy sandal, all by itself, isn’t very newsworthy. Sure, it may not be the most common sandal color, but it’s hardly an earth shattering development. So, how do we sell it as a story? Let’s start with our “think points”.

1. Who cares – Who would want a blue strappy sandal? It’s a fashion-forward color for a shoe so think fashion-forward women. Trendsetters and risk takers. As a “strappy sandal” it’s also sexy and glamorous – for a confident woman who loves to show off her femininity. Here’s your target audience – the fashion-forward, trendsetting, flirty, confident woman.
2. What do they care about – What interests your target audience? What’s this woman like? She’s probably in her mid 20’s to early 40’s, loves fashion magazines and stays abreast of the trends. She likes to look fabulous and put-together whenever she steps out the door.
3. Why do they care – Here’s where you turn the “what” into the “why”. Taking into account what our target woman likes, why would she care about our blue strappy sandal? Make a list of all the sandals features and turn each one into a reason that is specific to why our target might buy this sandal. Does it have a high heel that elongates the leg, appealing to her desire to look fabulous? Is blue a hot color in spring fashion, making this sandal part of a key trend? Throw out any features that don’t necessarily concern your target. While comfort might be important for some buyers, it isn’t a key decision factor to your target so it isn’t relevant to this release. It will just dilute your main message. Just include the points that will really grab your target gal.

Crafting a well-targeted and newsworthy press release takes thought and foresight, but these simple tips will get you started in the right direction. Check out our press release services for more information and assistance delivering your message to the media.

Bottom Lign: Before you release any news, spend some time to make it newsworthy.