What is the important role of a press release? Introducing the meaning and points that can be easily written

Many of you may have heard the term press release at least once.

Many companies and marketers are now using press releases to communicate their business and services to as many users as possible, increase awareness, and gain sympathy for their business and services.

Press releases have established their value as a bridge between companies and many users.

In this article, we will discuss what is a press release? From this point on, we will introduce in detail the benefits of using press releases, points to keep in mind when creating them, and important constituent elements.

What is a press release?

Press releases, which have been heard more often in recent years, are announcements and disseminations (releases) of services, products, and business offered by a company to people in mass media such as television and newspapers called press. ) means a document. It is also called a “news release” in the sense of disseminating new information.

In the past, detailed and useful information about businesses and services was delivered to companies and general consumers through press releases. However, with the improvement of the Internet environment and the explosive increase in the number of smartphone users, the number of users using SNS tools is also increasing, and the world is changing to one where press releases can be provided directly to general consumers.

In today’s world, there are many stakeholders, and it is important to understand that it is used to send a message to each stakeholder about the services, products, and businesses that companies and marketers handle.

To introduce the stakeholders explained here in detail, there are the following types of corporate stakeholders.

A company’s first goal is to build good relationships with the stakeholders listed above. Among stakeholders, there is a lot of demand for media items, and a variety of companies are using them.

Although there may be some differences depending on the company, press releases are mainly a part of

PR

and are generally handled by the company’s public relations department.

It is important to make each stakeholder aware of this through press releases. The content provided by companies and marketers is wide-ranging, including the disclosure of information about services, detailed information on products, announcements related to human resources, and announcements of information on internal events.

By specifically providing the message that a company wants to send to each stakeholder in the form of a press release, the result is that the company has developed a great product, that the company’s business is something that I can empathize with, and that the company is very attractive. This will help you make a good impression. The key is to implement content that resonates with many consumers and that appeals to them in a variety of ways.

When it comes to posting press releases, the most common methods are to use websites operated by companies, platforms that specialize in press releases, and SNS tools. There are also various other methods such as issuing press releases through business partners, web advertising, public relations magazines, email, fax, and mail.

Advantages of using press releases

If a press release issued by a company is widely covered, the market’s attention will increase, which may indirectly increase sales or improve the reputation of each stakeholder.

A major feature of press releases is that if the contents of the press release are published as news in various media, there is no cost. The biggest advantage of publishing in various media is that the information that the company wants to convey can be quickly spread over a wide range of areas, and PR activities can be carried out. It also leads to

branding

.

However, although it has the advantage of not incurring any costs, it does not allow the content to be treated as a press release unless it attracts the attention of the editors and reporters of each media, and the publication format of the release cannot be freely selected. This is not possible, so be careful. When designing a press release, be sure to take into account the publication format and media used.

Taking this into consideration, it can be seen that there is a big difference between advertising and advertising where the purpose is to post information in an advertising space by paying a fee.

Essential points when creating a press release

In a press release, it is important to convey the main points concisely to the press.

Among them, in order to attract the press to the content of your press release, you should keep the following in mind.

The information provided is the latest information

Press releases are characterized by disseminating the latest information. When releasing new products or disclosing information about new products, it is important to do so before or at the same time as the product’s release date.

The information provided is not fabricated information.

If you are providing information about your own products or services, make sure that the information you include in your press release has clear evidence, such as preparing and providing clear research data on the product or service in advance.

When presenting survey data, it is important to conduct surveys on many survey subjects and present a sufficient number of respondents in order to ensure reliability. This is something you should be careful about when disseminating information not only in press releases but also in various aspects, and you need to be especially careful when there is a possibility that your information will be published in the media. . If a case were to occur where incorrect information was circulated, it would lead to a loss of trust in both the company that provided the information and the media that published the information.

The information provided has social significance.

It is also important that the social significance and story behind the announcement of a press release are clear. What kind of user is the product or service developed for? What role does the product or service play in solving the problem? What kind of thoughts of the company or manufacturer are behind the production? Let’s implement a design that will be evaluated as having socially significant content by clearly expressing what the content is.

Elements of a press release

In order for your press release to be selected by media editors and reporters among the many press releases that exist, it must have content that arouses interest and has the following elements in place: the article must be easy to read. There is a need. You may think that creating a text with the eyes of an expert in each media is a difficult task and requires good writing ability.

However, creating a press release is relatively easy. By incorporating important points and following the template, you will be able to naturally create sentences that are easy to read. Some press releases have character limits. Make sure to summarize the important points and use appropriate expressions.

Component “header”

The header represents the beginning of the press release. Remember to include the sender, date, and recipient at the beginning of the email. When a press release is picked up by various media, it plays a role in appropriately conveying where and when the information was released based on this information.

Component “title”

The title is one of the most important components. The first thing that editors and reporters of each media check is the title. Be sure to express seasonality and topicality as much as possible, and be sure to use numbers to express your achievements clearly. Another important point is to keep the title concise and about 30 characters long.

Component “subtitle”

The subtitle is where you specifically write the content that supplements the title. Since the title and subtitle are generally placed relatively close together, it is possible to see both on the same page. Therefore, if you want to convey the information in the title but don’t have the space to include it, try including the information you want to add in the subtitle.

As with the title, in the subtitle, be sure to include specific numbers where expressions can be expressed in numbers, and to convey the content concisely.

Component “Lead”

The lead summarizes the summary below the subtitle and serves as an introductory sentence. Appropriate descriptions are also required in the lead part, and this is also the part where each media decides whether to adopt the work. Therefore, remember to clearly state “When, Who, and What” in the lead part. The important point to note is that it is not necessary to include all the content in the lead part, and it is better to include supplementary information in the main text.

Component “key visual”

The key visual will include a photo of the service or product for which the press release is being carried out. Photographs can convey expressions that cannot be conveyed in words. Also, expressing yourself through photographs has the advantage of increasing visibility and leaving a lasting impression on reporters and editors. Make sure to have one or two images that are particularly memorable and impactful. Also, keep in mind that each media tends to incorporate images used in key visuals into the actual article to create an image of overall balance, so you may choose photos that are easy to read and convey the content concisely. .

Component “body”

Although it is often thought that it is important to fully promote the product or service in the body of the text, it is also necessary to include information such as the social significance of the product or service and the background that led to the announcement of the press release. It is. Also, clearly state the use of 5W1H beyond “When, Who, and What” required in the lead, which is one of the components of a press release. In the main text, there is a tendency to write all the various detailed information about the product or service and somehow want to convey as much information as possible.

However, three important conditions must be met: “The information provided must be the latest information,” “The information provided must not be fabricated,” and “The information provided must have social significance.” Be sure to determine whether the requirements are met and summarize the content in a way that is concise and easy to understand.

Component “Contact”

Please include contact information that can be used in the event of an inquiry from each media. You don’t want to be in a situation where your pre-release is accepted but you can’t get in touch. We recommend that you include your company’s phone number, as well as the cell phone and address of the person in charge of the prerelease, so that we can respond immediately to any inquiries.

summary

In this article, we will discuss what is a press release? Starting from the basics, we have introduced in detail the benefits of using press releases, points to keep in mind when creating them, and important constituent elements. Press releases are an effective means of disseminating information that a company wants to disseminate to the world. However, we have found that press releases that simply emphasize the features of a product or service do not function properly.

In addition to the product or service, the press release must contain a variety of useful information for the recipient users, and the press release will only be effective if each item is expressed accurately. Why not provide value through press releases and expand the possibilities for your business, such as corporate branding, effective dissemination of information, and increased awareness of the services and products you provide?