Businesses often struggle to come up with newsworthy content for press releases.  The marketing team often assumes that only revolutionary news is suitable for a press release.  In reality, there are hundreds of types of content that businesses should share. 

To help businesses get started thinking about all the newsworthy events they should talk about, we created a list of the top 10 newsworthy events which should be discussed in a press release.

Keep in mind, this is a starting point as each business is unique. 

#1 – New Product Announcements

New product announcements are by far one of the most effective press release topics.  This is true for brand new products your business is bringing to the market, however it is also effective when announcing significant improvements to your product.  This could include an upgraded version, inclusion of extra functionally as an add-on or a change in how the product is sold.

#2 – Personnel Announcements

Here is one area which is vital to an effective media relations process.  Whenever your business hires a high-level employee, such as a new manager or director, you should issue a press release.  In your press release you should include background information related to your new hire, such as their professional history.  

Another great topic is internal promotions.  Journalists, bloggers and readers enjoy when they see an employee doing well and growing within your firm.  This type of press release helps you build credibility for not only your firm, but the employee as well.

One often overlooked type of newsworthy content is retirements.  When you have a high-level employee, who is an industry leader and chooses to retire, let the press know about it.  If the employee will still be available to your firm as an adviser, make sure to include this information.

#3 - Company Milestones

Readers like to know your business is secure and long-standing.  Create a press release when your firm celebrates an anniversary such as your first, fifth, tenth, etc year of business.  Other milestones can be numbers based, such as when you sign your 10,000^th customer.

#4 – Notable Business Changes

Businesses change over time, and communicating these changes is vital.  Issue a press release when your business opens a new office or store or moves an existing location. 

If your business makes a major change to its brand, such as changing your business name, logo or overall marketing style, you should issue a press release explaining the change and giving background information on why the change was made.

#5 – New Ventures and Partnerships

As businesses grow, they often go into new lines of business by creating ‘sister companies’ or ‘divisions’.  This is a great time to issue a press release.  By doing so, you help to build credibility for your new associated brand. 

New business partnerships can also be great press release content. This can include signing a new reseller or distributor for your product, adding a new outside  manufacturer of your product or partnering with other businesses to bundle their product with yours.

#6 – Community Involvement

Many businesses are active in their community, donating their time to causes they believe in.  When doing so, remember to let the press know about it.  This could include volunteer work your employees do, causes your business supports, events your business sponsors or donations your business or employees make to a charity.

Many businesses encourage their employees to let management know which causes are important to them, making it possible for the business to get the entire team involved in a cause.

#7 – Achievements and Awards

When your business is recognized by another organization, such as a local chamber of commerce, a research firm, or other award or listing service, make sure to issue a press release highlighting this event. 

Whenever possible, work with the issuing organization to obtain approval of a joint press release or at a minimum, the option of including their boilerplate information within your press release.

#8 – Notable Clients

When a well-known business chooses your product or service, it can lead to validation of your firm to others.  When signing a notable client, communicate with them that you would like to share, with members of the media, the fact that they chose your product or service. 

It is best to give them some time to use your product before issuing a press release. 

When doing so, it is vital that you have the other businesses' permission to use their business name for your press release.  You should include a boilerplate for the other business and whenever possible, a quote from a decision maker from your client’s firm.

#9 – Providing Free Resources

Businesses often have a vast amount of knowledge they share with their clients and prospective clients.  It is a good idea to develop a formal process of sharing this information, such as a corporate  blog or an eBook publishing process.

When releasing notable content, issue a press release summarizing the content and let the readers know how to access it.

You may also choose to use the “Tip Sheet” strategy, where you issue a press release with the knowledgeable content included directly in the press release.  While this method works well, it is recommended that the content also be used in a blog or eBook.

#10 – Related Current Events

Our final tip is to issue press releases when your firm, product or service relates to a current event or notable person.  We have found that current events and notable people such as celebrities, in almost all cases, draw more readers to press releases.

One area that works well is celebrity endorsements.  When a celebrity has used your product or service and expressed a favorable view, issue a press release.  It is highly recommended that you contact the celebrity’s representatives and ask for permission before you issue your press release. 

If the favorable statements are made in another media publication, include the quote in your press release and a link to the online version of the referenced article, video or podcast.

In Summary

An effective media engagement process requires communicating newsworthy content as often as possible.   Above, we provide 10 common newsworthy topics, however there are many more. 

Visit our new Media Engagement Tips blog often for more tips on how to improve your media engagement process. 

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