Episode 49: What Great Press Releases Have in Common
Between all the noise of PR, you'll find thousands of companies and business owners distributing fresh press releases every day and everywhere!
Everyone is trying to attract the media outlets' attention through press releases on newswires, social media, and even extravagant conferences. If you closely look at these official statements, you'll find there are press releases that will bore or overwhelm you with all the details. But then, there are press releases worth reading and emulating.
Without a doubt, you'd want to produce a press release that creates genuine buzz among journalists. It would help if you found ways to make media outlets be interested in you and your story.
And the first outstanding step you can make is to examine the 'great press releases.'
That's an important point to remark because you might be quickly falling into the trap of following what most companies and business founders have been doing with their press releases—they're often dull, self-absorbed, or lengthy.
Having read and crafted several press releases, I can definitely say that great press releases contain elements beyond written words.
If you've been following our discussions on Episodes 41 & 42 about the significance of press releases for organic PR, you'd be more interested in what I'm about to share with you!
In this episode, let's take press releases from being good to great by understanding how PR works for journalists and, most importantly, by studying examples of press releases I have written that achieved national recognition. You'll gain expert insights that are extremely difficult to find in the tight PR competition.
By looking at these exemplary models, you’re taking that unconventional yet proven step to help your press release stand out from the rest!
"The most successful press releases are used as conversation starters and as seen as a tool to get on the radar because it's not the entire journalist story. It's just a way to get the journalist to be interested and then get on the phone with you so that they can ask you more questions in hopes that they will turn it into an article."
-Gloria Chou
No matter what season you're in, whether or not you're launching, think about the possibility of using a press release. Once it's out on the internet, it's forever searchable, and you'll get steady traffic back to your website. You just can't miss this episode if you finally want to launch and create that great press release!
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
How being specific makes your press release great
Examining exemplary press release structures and content
The importance of concise and relevant messaging in press releases
How press releases help you in your SEO and PR activities
The elements and characteristics of a well-performing press release
Insider tips and tricks in testing your press release
If you want to land your first feature for free without any connections, I want to invite you to watch my PR Secrets Masterclass where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses use to hack their own PR and go from unknown to being a credible and sought-after industry expert. Register now at www.gloriachou.com/masterclass.
Resources Mentioned:
Gloria Chou's Masterclass: PR Masterclass
Let Gloria Chou write your press release: Gloria Chou VIP
Small Business PR Podcast: Episode # 41: Understanding Press Releases
Small Business PR Podcast: Episode # 42: Leverage Press Releases
Additional Resources:
Join the Small Biz PR Pros FB group
Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Platform
Follow & Review on Apple Podcasts
Are you following my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss any future episodes!
I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review! Reviews help me make sure I am providing the content that you need! Plus, you will be entered to WIN a 1:1 pitch writing session with me where I will help you find your press-worthy angle! Click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.
Here’s a glance at this episode…
[0:21] The reason why it's great is that when you issue a press release, it's a great tool to leverage to get SEO and backlinks back to your website. And it's a great tool to start conversations with journalists.
[2:19] All the press releases that get featured are all specific. It's not a background summary of the company, what you've done in the last 12 months. They are specific around one time-sensitive event.
[9:12] Think about how specific you can be in the headline because you might have so many different modules, so many different products, so many things that you're solving, and selling but what is the one message that's going to draw people into your world and establish you as a disrupter?
[10:06] Remember, there are hundreds of press releases, if not thousands being issued every day. You need to be able to get to the point quickly, just like in a cold pitch.
[15:59] The press release in and of itself is not an article that's up to the journalist editorial discretion. But it is a great way to summarize what you're doing, why it's important. And use that as leverage to start a conversation.
[16:39] The first step is to write the press release. And before you put it out there on a newswire or on your blog, use that as a way to see if any top-tier journalist would be interested in covering it first. You're basically giving them first dibs or a first sneak peek before it goes live.
-
Gloria Chou 00:00
All right, since we're all looking for ways to build SEO and sustainable traffic to get more eyeballs on our business, the topic of press releases always comes up. Now, I covered this in the previous episodes, but press releases is something that you, as a founder issues as an official company announcement. It's coming from the business directly. And the reason why it's great is that when you issue a press release, it's a great tool to leverage to get SEO and backlinks back to your website. And it's a great tool to start conversations with journalists. Now all companies big companies, legitimate credible, successful companies issue tons of press releases, anytime for example, they have a launch a new partnership and event, a fundraise maybe research findings annual recap or something that is time-sensitive. You can for sure combine multiple things into one release, such as an announcement that you've launched, and that you exist as well as details of an upcoming product launch or maybe a fundraise. I've written over 30 plus press releases and for companies big and small and every different industry. And on this episode, I am going to share what they all have in common because we've all gotten media pickups and national coverage.
Gloria Chou 01:15
Hey friends, I'm Gloria Chou, small business PR expert, award-winning pitch writer and your unofficial hype woman. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people get the recognition they deserve. And that starts with feeling more confident to go bigger with your message. So on this podcast, I will share with you the untraditional, yet proven strategies for PR marketing and creating more opportunity in your business. If you are ready to take control of your narrative and be your most unapologetic and confident self, you're in the right place. This is the Small Business PR podcast.
Gloria Chou 01:44
To get a sense of what a press releases and kind of a press release 101, how it can help your SEO and all the ins and outs of it, you can go listen to episode number 41 and 42 of this podcast after this episode. So number 41 or 42. I cover the ins and outs of a press release. And you can access that by going to gloriachoupr.com/41, which is Gloria C-H-O-U pr.com/41 or 42. Now, back to this episode, which is things that all the best press releases have in common. Number one is that all the press releases that get featured are all specific. It's not a background summary of the company, what you've done in the last 12 months. They are specific around one time-sensitive event. So here's the reason why that specificity is important. It's that if it's not a specific point that the journalist or the media can quickly understand, you're going to lose them and it's not going to be relevant. So for example, a lot of press releases is specific about the fact that you've launched. Boom! That's one thing. If you have something that is around a conference that you're holding and why it's important, why it's unique. There you go, there's another topic. So press releases, remember are company announcements to the media. And so it has to establish in a very confident tone, why it is a big deal, that it's big enough for you to actually use a press release to announce it. Think to yourself, what is so unique or monumental about this announcement? Why are we launching in this climate? What kind of problems are we solving for our audience? Why is this fundraise important? What have we established in this time? If you're doing something that's around an event, why is this event different? It's not just to sell more tickets or get more people involved. Why is his conference or event going to be a part of the solution? Remember, it's all about being a part of the solution and not selling or promoting yourself. That's why there's ads. And this is organic press. And the reason that you want that is because you don't have to pay for an ad because you're establishing yourself as a valuable thought leader and expert by being a part of the solution. Another thing is, I don't want you to feel intimidated that you're the only company that's doing something. So yes, even though I want you to to establish specificity around why this press release is announcing something that's important. It doesn't have to be this brand new thing that no one's thought of. Now, you probably have other competent other competition and things in the marketplace that's doing something similar. But think about what is unique about the way you're doing it. Maybe you're combining X, Y and Z methods. Maybe you have an important formula, or a step or a solution, or maybe you're launching to something in this unique market or jurisdiction. So again, it's not about being the only person or the only company that's launching this, but why is just a little bit more unique than the next one.
Gloria Chou 04:45
So for example, you might not be the first flexible, remote work company that's launching pay per hour office space, but maybe you're doing something in partnership with a tech accelerator to invite more talent, resource and investment into this underserved city. It could be something like that. I've written so many press releases for very competitive and market-saturated companies like software and AI and beauty. But we always are able to tease out the one unique thing about it. For example, I recently wrote a press release for a woman of color, founder of a beauty product. And there are so many different beauty products, especially another one that's pretty much the same as hers. But the reason why she was launching it is a) she was a woman of color founder and b) is that this is the season where people are travelling and so travel on the go beauty was what people were looking for this year, as travel returns, and people are finally taking that vacation. People are finally getting married during their honeymoon. So facial tools for your travel bag was all the rage. So think about this season and why it's relevant. Another example is of a company I just did a VIP day for which is the six hours that I do to help you write your press release. And I'll just tell you what the headline is and the sub-headline. The headline is so important because it specifically states what they are announcing, and the sub headline below it is the kind of the how. So back to the headline. The headline was this, 'Legends, a new social travel app announces the world's first user-generated NFT to empower users to own and monetize their travel data in a Web 3.0 world.' So again, it's specific, they're not the only travel company. They're not the first NFT company, but they're combining unique elements so that users can use travel and their data in a new way. Now the sub-headline communicates something different. It communicates the how. So the headline communicates the 'what.' The sub-headline communicates the 'how. ' And the sub-headline of the same press release reads, 'Legends is creating a new form of social currency, by translating real time data into a unique travel DNA, which enables users to visualize their travel history, create recommendations, socialize interest transact on a single platform.' So this product obviously has so many different modules, as very complex visualizations, really beautiful, but we were able to distill why it was important. Why because NF T is Web 3.0 travel. This is all at the intersection of the new frontier of travel. A lot of other companies were announcing things with Web 3.0 that has to do with travel. And so we were able to ride on the coattails of this trend. So that's what I mean by having a very specific message that you establish in the headline. Again, they're not the first travel app. They're not the first social travel app. They're not the first app to make an NFT. But they were the first to combine these various elements at the intersection of travel, and NFTS and Web 3.0. So hopefully, that gives you some idea.
Gloria Chou 07:55
Another example is a press release, I wrote about a company that was hosting a conference. Again, so many conferences, so many events. They're not the first or last to host a conference. But the press release stated very specifically why it was unique because it also gave a chance for new grads to get hired and included a giveaway. So it included like a charitable benefit and also an immediate benefit to the audience.
Gloria Chou 07:55
I'll give you another example. I wrote a press release for a founder who secured a patent for a technology. It's a refrigeration technology. And so he was solving the problem of keeping goods cool until the last mile. So think about when Amazon delivers stuff. It costs a lot of money. And the last mile refrigeration of keeping, let's say your ice cream cool, until it gets to your door is really a complex problem that many people are not able to solve. So he was able to patent a technology that was really for the COVID world, which means that it was able to transport perishable goods with cooling technology until the last mile and in a touchless delivery world. And he wasn't even launched yet he only had a patent and wanted to protect his intellectual property by using a press release to claim that he was the first to do something. So again, all of these different examples. Think about how specific you can be in the headline because you might have so many different modules, so many different products, so many things that you're solving, and selling but what is the one message that's going to draw people into your world and establish you as a disrupter or you as someone that is really paving the future and shaping up. You're shaking up your industry.
Gloria Chou 09:38
Now number two. Another thing to notice about why the press releases I write perform really well as they are no longer than four to six paragraph. My press releases are short and concise. Now I know it sounds counterintuitive because it sounds like it's such a formal thing and it takes a lot of time and energy to make an announcement. So you want to make sure that it's fully fleshed out. But the more details and background and info and the longer you make a press release, the less attention catching it is. Remember, there are hundreds of press releases, if not thousands being issued every day. You need to be able to get to the point quickly, just like in a cold pitch. And every method that I teach I always talk about this is, how can you communicate relevance in a shorter amount of sentences because that is really when you've shown that you've really mastered the art of messaging. Anyone can write a 15-page document, and keep shoving all the things in there. But what are the most relevant pieces of content that a journalist who is only going to give, if not 30 seconds to your press release. They're gonna say, 'Ah, okay, I get you.' So think about it in a way, if you're stuck in an elevator with Oprah, you only have 10 seconds to talk to her, what would you say in those 10 seconds? So this is what I say over and over again: the number one skill is honing in on your cold pitches, how to be specific, and how to be concise.
Gloria Chou 10:58
So what that looks like in terms of structure, my press releases, all have an opening paragraph. So again, I just talked about the headline, the sub headline, and then I have an opening paragraph about what time we're in right now. So why it's important right now, whether it's suitable for pandemic world, or the fact that your industry is changing. I don't care what industry you're in. Things are changing at an unprecedented rate. So I want you to comment in the opening paragraph about why this announcement relates to what's happening right now. And then I usually follow it with a quote by the CEO and founder. In that case, it might be you if you're listening to this, and why you're in the unique position to solve a problem. You obviously see a gap in the market, and that is why you started your company. That is why you've launched this thing. That is why you are announcing so really lean into that. That quote, I don't want you to waste a valuable real estate about saying something like 'I am so thrilled about this announcement,' or 'I am so proud.' You're wasting real estate. Remember, get to the point quickly— what is happening in the market? Why is there still not a solution like yours and why you are offering consumers a better way? That's what I want in the poll. And then maybe there's a section about how it works if it's a technical product. And then that's it, get to the concluding paragraph. That is the last paragraph of your press release. I don't want it to be more than four to five sentences. And it literally just includes something like who's invested in you maybe how many years you've been in business, maybe who your co-founder is, any certificates, awards, or accolades you have, and maybe something about what to look forward to. So maybe something like in the next six months, we hope to launch X, Y, and Z. We are partnering up with X, Y and Z organizations. We are doing this in the next six months. So that way it gives the audience something to look forward to, and it tells them 'hey, we're not going anywhere.' And then a very short about me section, which again, is not your entire pitch deck. The ins and outs of how you found out your company, your whole story is just three to four sentences about your company. And that's it and a link to contact you and an email. If you want to see a couple of my press releases that have gotten national coverage, go to gloriachoupr.com/services. That's Gloria C-H-O-U pR.com/services. You'll be able to see the press releases, I have written for companies in very different industry verticals, about various ways to announce. So I've written articleS, I've written press releases for fundraising, partnerships, research paper, sharing data, findings, events, and so much more. So definitely go there. And if you're interested in having me write your press release, you can definitely apply and set up a call with me at gloriachoupr.com/vip.
Gloria Chou 13:46
Now another thing about making it short and to the point. If you are in beauty, for example, maybe you can think about how you can make your press release short by highlighting the beauty trends consumers are into and opening up with that paragraph of relevance. So for example, if it's summer or winter, it could be about the fact that people are looking for solutions, whether it's travel, summer, beach bag, winter, whatever it is. Again, think about the season we're in and lead with that. If you're in tech, maybe something to do with automations, AI, privacy. Those are really trending topics. Maybe it's something to do with the future of work or stay at home, or how the pandemic has really changed the way we do anything. Again, if you're in wellness, which a lot of my founders are in, maybe it's something to do with how people are being more proactive about their health, how they are focusing on incorporating wellness into everyday activities. And if it's something to do with e-commerce, retail or physical products, maybe it's something about this season's trends, how we are using products differently, how we are gifting differently, and what it says about us. So there you go. Those are all the ways you can make your press release opening super specific and write that opening paragraph with relevance to tap into exactly why this announcement is so important to right now.
Gloria Chou 15:09
The last thing that all of the winning press releases have in common is that they're seen as a tool to start conversations with journalists who otherwise would not give you the time of day. Here's what I mean. It's kind of like an elevator pitch moment in time, but the tone of a company announcement. So it's to quickly let the media know what you're building or what you're launching, why it's different and quickly assess where you are in the market compared to other people, right. The most successful press releases are used as conversation starters and as seen as a tool to get on the radar because it's not the entire journalist story. It's just a way to get the journalist to be interested and then get on the phone with you so that they can ask you more questions in hopes that they will turn it into an article. Again, the press release in and of itself is not an article that's up to the journalist editorial discretion. But it is a great way to summarize what you're doing, why it's important. And use that as leverage to start a conversation. So here's the thing that most people won't tell you about a press release. A lot of people think that once you write a press release, you go public with it, you post it on all the things, whether it's your blog, social media, but I actually don't want you to do that yet. Before you shop it around to see who wants to cover it first, as an exclusive. You can Google this online. But a lot of people don't tell you that it's really a two-step prep process. The first step is to write the press release. And before you put it out there on a newswire or on your blog, use that as a way to see if any top-tier journalist would be interested in covering it first. You're basically giving them first dibs or a first sneak peek before it goes live. It's an email that you write to a journalist and say, Hey, since you cover this, we're announcing something that's important for X, Y& Z reasons. I would love, love, love to show you the press release because you are our top choice outlet to share the announcement with. And if you're interested in exclusive, let me know, I'll be happy to send you the press release. So actually, it's almost like a carrot that you're dangling in front of them. And you're seeing if they'd be interested to cover it first. That's your leverage, if you will. Now, obviously, you can still put it on the news wires, if you've done all of your pitching and no one's interested. And you can still get media pickups. In fact, the Legends App that I talked about earlier, they were able to get media coverage three, four weeks after they posted it on the internet, and got multiple pickups, and they're still getting media pickups, but you only have one chance to shop it around for an exclusive. So give yourself maybe a few weeks. I tell this to all my VIP day clients. I walk them through a process where we write the press release. We really hone in on the message that we want to go to media with. But I don't want them to post it anywhere yet. I want them to use this as leverage and kind of dangle in front of the journalists and say, 'Hey, we have this exciting announcement. Let me know if you're interested in covering it as an exclusive. And I'm happy to give you more details.' Do you see how that is power? That is your way of giving them an extra incentive to cover you.
Gloria Chou 18:20
Now I know I've thrown a lot at you with. The topic of press releases is not something that you can learn in 20 minutes, or maybe, not even in an hour. But I'm hoping that from this episode, you've been able to gain some valuable insights on how you can approach a press release. So whether you're writing your first or your third or your fifth, you'll be able to tweak it and make it extra concise, extra punchy, to increase your rate of getting it on that dream outlet and using it as a conversation starter. Remember, this is more than just a one and done. Doing your PR, honing in on your message is really about building powerful relationships for the long-term of your business. Because if you can just get that one journalist to be interested, there's no limit to the amount of times you can be featured. A lot of times, journalists write from multiple publications. And so once they have vet you, they know that you are a great communicator, it's very likely that they're going to go back to you for more comments or more quotes for additional stories. So don't think of it as once you have been featured then, that's it. In fact, it's really the opposite. It's that one domino that's not going to knock down so many other dominoes and open up so many doors for you to be featured on multiple outlets, maybe be invited to speaking, submit for your awards, and so many more. So for more information about podcasts, you can go to Episode 41 or 42. And also check out gloriachoupr.com/VIP on how I can help you hone in on your message and go to media with your very own press release announcement.
Gloria Chou 19:58
Thank you so much for listening and no matter what season you're in, whether or not you're launching, think about the possibility of using a press release. It's a great SEO tool. It's an incredible way for you to practice getting clear on your message. And once it's out on the internet, it's forever searchable and you'll be able to get continued backlinks and traffic back to your website. So until next time, thank you so much for listening. And don't forget to rate and subscribe, so that more small business heroes can benefit just like you have from this episode. Bye for now!
Gloria Chou 20:31
Hey, small business hero. Did you know that you can get featured for free on outlets like Forbes, The New York Times, Marie Claire Pop Sugar and so many more, even if you're not yet launched? Or if you don't have any connection? That's right. That's why I invite you to watch my PR Secrets masterclass, where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses used to have their own PR and go from unknown to being a credible and sought after industry expert. Now if you want to land your first press feature, get on a podcast, secure a VIP speaking gig or just reach out to that very intimidating editor. This class we'll show you exactly how to do it. Register now at Gloria Chou pr.com/masterclass. That's Gloria Chou c-h-o-u pr.com/masterclass. So you can get featured in 30 days without spending a penny on ads or agencies. Best of all, this is completely free. So get in there and let's get you featured.