This will finish our discussion of WHEN to send out a news release. It’s important at this point to mention that not every media outlet will pick up all of your releases and not all of them will be interested in what’s going in your organization. Some of the ideas we’ve share are more likely to get coverage in a smaller market. (In other words, if you’re company is hosting a seminar for local students, you probably won’t get the Wall Street Journal to pay much attention. But you could definitely interest your local TV station, student newspaper or business journal.)
With that said, let’s look at these Reasons to do a News Release (the final in my series, but by no means an exhaustive list of reasons):
* Tie in to a Trending Topic. When there’s a hot topic being covered in media, and you have some insight on the issue, that’s a good time to send out a news release. Perhaps you have an angle that’s not being considered, or you have specifics on how the issue is impacting an industry or the community…or your business. Do an opinion poll of your customers and get their feelings on the prevailing topic, then use the results for a release.
“Piggy-backing” on a news cycle is a great way to get some media attention.
Several years ago, while watching the 10 pm news on April 15th (can you guess the main story?), a reporter was standing outside the main post office, interviewing folks coming in prior to the midnight deadline. In the background was the distinctive uniform for a pizza company. The reporter walked over and interviewed the pizza guy, who said the company name and informed that they were there giving out free pizza to the postal workers and the weary taxpayers. Great community relations (PR) and excellent publicity! Kudos!!!
Speaking to or making a comment about a current controversy can get you and your business some coverage. When I worked for the American Heart Association, (as morbid as it sounds) we were always ready to send out our message when a celebrity suffered a heart attack.
There is a word of warning though. (Several words, in fact!) Make sure you are expert enough to actually address the problem. (Just being upset is not a valid reason.) Make sure it really relates to your business, that you have some tangible information/insight to share or that you have some kind of valid relationship to the issue/problem.
When Michael Jackson died, a news release went out with the glaring headline: Did Michael Jackson Die From Toxic Fat? Turns out, the release was promoting a book about the dangers of toxic fat. The release admitted that Jackson didn’t die of toxic fat, but went on to hawk the doctor, his book and invite reporters to schedule him for interviews. Results: The tacky approach made the rounds among journalists and PR folks (Go, Twitter!) and landed on several sites as an example of how NOT to do it! (Lesson: Ridicule is not the desired kind of publicity you want!)
* Highlighting Philanthropic activities. Are you donating a day’s receipts to a local charity? Holding a canned food drive for a food pantry? Building a house for the homeless? People like knowing that their local businesses are involved in the community. Send out a news release. If your CEO or President is on the board or giving a lecture to local philanthropic group, that’s a good opportunity not only to inform the community, but to position your boss as an expert. If one or more of your employees participate in a fundraising event (walk, run, bike), that’s a reason to not only promote your organization, but to recognize the good work of those team members. (PR is also about your staff!) If you award grants, send out a release, and include the nature and purpose of the grant. You can send out a release when it’s time to apply and when it’s rewarded and how it will benefit others.
* A Human Interest story. If you’re organization is hosting a charity event or if your company is one of the sponsors of a charity event, that’s a reason for a news release. The retirement of a longtime employee is also a reason. If one of your team members just hiked to top of Mount Everest (or some other major accomplishment), you should send out a release.
If you read back over all three posts, you’ll find that I’ve included more than 50 reasons to send out a news release. [Yes, I could have just given them in a list, but….well, that would be a bit boring. No one wants a boring PR Consultant!]
There are many reasons to send out a news release. (One of my readers sent me her list and it had nearly 90 reasons! Thanks!!!) If you’re not sure whether to write a release, consider calling a PR Consultant and ask. They can be objective. And they will also be able to help you write the release and get it out to the right media. (Yes, that was another shameless plug!)
One final note: Not only are all these valid reasons to write and send out a news release, they can also serve as a TO DO list for your business/organization. Think of them a “blueplan” for action. If you want to get some publicity, why not consider doing some of the things we’ve discussed…and then write a news release? (Or hire a PR Consultant to do it for you. Oops, so sorry!)
Coming up in future posts, I will cover some of the logistics of writing a good news release. Until then, as always, I welcome your thoughts, insights, comments or questions. I would especially like to see hear some of your experiences.
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