You made it. You now have a product or service that you’re confident will have potential when given the right exposure. Aside from making the big reveal on your website and across all your social media accounts, you might also want to think of another powerful medium that could get the word out. This is where a press release might make the difference.
Press releases have a unique staying power that continues to be relevant despite how marketing has changed over the years. If you want your startup to reach a wider audience and make a louder impact, you may want to tap into the power a killer press release holds.
Step 1: Master Your Copywriting Skills
Whether it’s for a product launch, to increase brand awareness, or to announce a partnership, a press release could help ensure your voice is heard. As an official announcement for your startup, it’s supposed to be a newsworthy message with the goal of getting media coverage. And how do you do that? You need to write killer copy that you can send to journalists, influencers, and bloggers.
Your copy can’t just be average if you want it to gain considerable exposure; you have to start mastering your copywriting skills. If you need an extensive resource for that, you can visit this website for helpful tips and copywriting book recommendations for beginners.
A press release is perfect if you want to share any relevant news about your startup. Examples include:
- Winning an award
- Acquiring funding
- New service or product launch
- Announcement of a new hire
- Renewing a partnership
- Issuing research findings
- Upcoming startup event
As you can see, press releases cover a wide variety of areas beyond a product launch. Mastering your copywriting skills is key. This is especially important if you want to be a versatile copywriter who can come up with killer copy each time the business needs to make a press release announcement.
Step 2: Write A Compelling Headline
A compelling headline is one of the most crucial parts of any copy. A well-crafted headline will capture the attention of the readers, and compel them to keep reading. Keep in mind that you only have a few seconds to pique their curiosity, so you have to make sure you include all the essential elements in your headline to avoid wasting time.
One of these elements is creativity. You’re telling a story, but you need to make it stand out from all the other stories and noise out there. One way to do that is to be as creative as you can without overpromising anything.
Then there’s also the lead (or lede), which has to be compelling enough just right after you’ve caught their attention using the headline. The lead should compel the readers to continue reading. Again, be creative and use everything you’ve learned in copywriting to make your headline and lead unique, catchy, and newsworthy.
Step 3: Tell Your Story
More than anything, a press release is designed to tell a story. If you’re writing one just for the sake of it, you might want to rethink that decision. You need something that’ll intrigue and capture the interest of not just the press but also, more importantly, your target readers.
Say you’re having a product launch. What’s new about that? Every day, thousands of startups launch a new product. You need to choose an angle that’ll make your press release worthy of people’s time and attention. Will your announcement solve any problems or struggles experienced by consumers? Does it help you progress toward a goal? If you achieved something, is this of any value to readers and consumers? What other benefits will they get from it?
Adding substance to your angle will also help in hooking your readers. They must feel the need to continue reading to get on that hook. The hook is what will engage the audience and will lead them to satisfy their curiosity. Don’t forget the basics of reporting—the 5W’s (who, what, when, where, why) to make sure the information is of value.
Final Words
A killer press release won’t just help you in spreading the word about your startup. It can also give help your company to reach your public relations (PR) goals along the way. While you already have the best products or services, you need the boost in PR that only the press can give.
Writing a killer press release is the first step in building a relationship with the media. If you can navigate your way around this content marketing trend, you can amplify your reach and potentially grow your startup in time.