How to Tuesday: How to Choose a Press Release Topic
Written on June 16, 2009 by Susan Payton
If you plan to use press releases to spread the word about your business, you first need a topic, right?
For some reason, this seems to be the hardest part for people. On today’s How to Tuesday, I want to help you decide on a topic for your release.
Why is it so hard to toot your own horn?
I guess when you’re in a business, it’s hard for you to see it from above. You may not recognize your achievements as such. You may not think that promoting an employee is newsworthy. That’s where this post comes in handy (as does this one, which gives you lots of ideas to start with).
1. Review your last 6 months. Go back through old emails, documents, et cetera, to refresh your mind about what your company has done. You’ve likely forgotten some good press release fodder.
2. Make a list. As you come across items like securing a new client, adding a new product, or donating to a charity, write it down.
3. Talk to employees. Get another perspective on press release ideas. Your sales department may be pretty proud of exceeding its sales goals. That’s a great release to show your company’s success. Or R & D might want to share its recent discovery that will cut costs by 35%.
4. Look to the future. Don’t only focus on the past. You can write a press release before something happens, such as announcing plans for expansion, or the start of an important project.
5. Map out your releases. Decide how often you want to put out a release, and assign dates to each topic. If you’ve followed these steps, you probably have enough releases for several months. Put them in your calendar so you can remember what you decided to write your release on.
6. Don’t be afraid to change. If some major news happens out of the blue, don’t be afraid to bump a scheduled release in favor of the more exciting news. You can always add to your list and change it around.
