Press releases are one of the best ways to engage journalists and influencers to cover your story. You might ask, “What types of content are newsworthy?” Throughout my career, I have worked for both publicly traded and start-up companies. Along the way, I collected a list of newsworthy content you may consider for press releases.
Category 1: Your business-related news
- Company going public (IPO)
- New product launch
- New hiring or promotions
- Award announcement
- Signing of a new contract with major clients
- Strategic partnerships with other companies
- Major accomplishments or milestones
- Reporting financials for the quarter or the year
- Acquisitions, sales, or divisions of a business
- Participation in an important business event or conference
- Commencement or completion of an important project
- Moving your office to a new location
- Unveiling a new or unexpected use for your product
- Publishing a collection of testimonials from satisfied customers/clients
- Sharing customers’ success stories
- Interviews on TV, radio, in a magazine or a blog
Category 2: Piggybacking current news articles and hot industry news
- New research findings that affect your industry
- Taking a stand on a controversial issue
- Making a prediction
- Identifying a trend within the industry
- Debunking a common myth in your industry
- Sharing a stirring story about overcoming an obstacle
Category 3: Other news or events where you could find a good story angle
- Explaining why you started your small business – the “human-interest” side of your business
- Sale or promotion
- Participation in local events, fairs, or tradeshows
- Donation to a charity
- Employee service on a board or committee
- Being quoted in a book or article
- Business’ anniversary
- Upcoming presentations or speaking engagements
- Workshops presented by your company
- Holidays that are relevant to your business
- Sharing a company mission statement
- Sharing a free “special report”
- Sharing a free tip sheet, and FAQ
- Publishing the results of a poll or survey your company created
- Revealing how your business can solve big problems, such as helping people save money, save time, make their life easier, or avoid common mistakes
- Creating a “Top Ten Best Uses of Our Product or Service” list
- Creating an extraordinary guarantee on our product or service
- Debating the pros and cons of relevant research in your industry
- Answering the three most common questions that prospects have about your product
- Sharing free educational material, such as video lessons
When you’re working on your pitch, remember this key question, “What can readers of the media outlet do with this story?” Journalists need to write stories that their readers love to consume. Your role is to identify the newsworthy angles people care about.
