Can you think of a press release that sticks out in your mind because it was interesting to read?
What made that press release example stand out?
Did the headline get you to click?
Did the press release format make it easier to read (more on that later)?
Aside from these important pieces of a successful online press release, the main reason was likely because the topic was engaging.
Attention-grabbing press releases start with a newsworthy angle.
No matter your experience level, there's always space to learn and improve. This blog post provides four tips to help you find the best approach for your next campaign.
What’s a news angle?
Think of the angle of your press release as the theme of your content. It gives your campaign direction and provides context for your main message.
4 Tips to Develop a Newsworthy Angle
Start with why
The
why
is your campaign’s North Star.
Why
are you sending a press release in the first place?
By asking yourself
why,
you essentially test the newsworthiness of your press release.
Ask yourself the following:
- Why is this important?
- Why would my audience care?
If you can’t easily and confidently answer these questions, that’s a signal the topic might not be worth pursuing.
Watch & Listen
Do your research when developing a newsworthy topic for your online press release.
Read through popular industry publications and identify the most intriguing stories.
- Why was it interesting?
- What topic did it cover?
- How did your audience respond to the piece?
The answers you glean from these questions are like puzzle pieces you can put together to write your content.
New Perspective
When building off popular industry topics, always add your brand’s perspective to the conversation.
It’s easy to repeat the same points others made.
What will make you stand out is your brand’s perspective.
Think about those two-in-one drawings. Depending on how you look at it, you can either see a scary witch or a beautiful woman.
That’s how you can approach a trending topic.
While your competition’s approaching it from the same angle, push yourself to see it from a different viewpoint.
By going against the norm, you show your expertise, critical thinking skills, and stand out from your competition.
Social Listening
Social media can be chaotic, but for you, it's a valuable source of useful information.
The best way to find the buried treasure (what makes your audience tick) is through social listening.
Here’s how to do it.
Open the social channel your audience spends the most time.
In the native search bar, type in a relevant keyword. Hit enter.
Scroll through the results and read through people’s content and comments.
- What are they talking about?
- What angle are they taking when covering topics?
- What are their questions? Pain points? Problems? Interests?
This information should fuel your content creation. By understanding your audience, you can create and share press releases that are relevant and interesting to them. This will help you connect with your audience and address their concerns effectively.
The Importance of Your Press Release Format
Now that you have these four tips in mind, it’s time to put them to work.
After finding an interesting angle, you need to arrange the information in a clear and simple way for readers to comprehend.
That’s why your press release format is important and it’s why you need to follow the
inverted pyramid
.
The inverted pyramid helps you emphasize essential details at the beginning of your release. This ensures that your readers remain engaged and focused on the most crucial information.
Download our FREE
press release template
to help you follow the right press release format.
This press release template provides you with an outline you can use so you cover everything your audience needs to know.
