A press release is an interesting way to get your message out to the public. It’s a piece of writing that announces something newsworthy or events taking place, etc.
With so many ways to spread messages online today, using a press release as source material is not only effective. But it also costs nothing but time.
By adding extra context to your press release and linking it, you can create your own news story!
Here are some tips for rewriting and revitalizing your press releases into articles and pages on sites by altering the tone, content, and emphasis.
What Elements of a Press Release Can Be Adapted for a Theatre Show News Story?
When writing a theatre show press release, it’s important to include key elements such as the headline, opening paragraph with key details, quotes from the director or lead actors, show details including dates, times, and location, and a brief background about the production. These elements can be adapted when writing a news story about a theatre show.
Find the news outlet that will publish the story
As we know, writing a solid press release is an integral part of creating your media presence. But what happens after you send your release is another key piece in getting readers to pick up and read your message!
After you send your release, you must find where and how to pitch your story to editors or reporters.
This includes different social media platforms and publications as well as direct emails from members of the editorial team.
By being proactive in this process, you can have greater success in getting coverage for your launch event.
And with digital journalism becoming the norm, it’s impossible to not be familiar with at least some parts of it.
Contact those editors to see if they would like to read the press release
If you are having trouble turning your press release into an article or story. Then it is time to look beyond sending out a mass email message with a pre-written introduction!
Instead, find someone at the publication that you have contact information for. You can use Google to search for “contact [name of magazine/ website]” to find their most common ways to be contacted.
You can send them an email using their tools to ask if they want to publish your content.
The best way to do this will depend on the publisher. But many free services only need your name and email address as well as whether you are looking to promote their product or service.
Write your press release based on what you think they will find interesting
Sometimes, yet, you may come across a press release that does not seem to be ringing true for their audience.
You can take this as a challenge or an opportunity, depending on how you look at it!
You might read through the article several times before deciding whether to add some content or not.
Or you could choose to leave out certain parts instead of adding in your commentary.
The important thing is to remain neutral and avoid injecting your opinions into the story. Let the press release speak for itself!
Your goal should be to give readers more reasons why they should care about the topic mentioned in the press release.
And if there are any opportunities available, include those also.
But remember, even though you want to help them promote the article. You do not have to agree with their final decision to drop the idea.
Only contribute material if you feel comfortable doing so.
Publish the press release
After you have done your research, prepared your message, and gathered all your materials, it is time to publish your press release!
The first way to do this is to create an account in one of the many free press release sites that exist out there.
Most of these sites allow you to upload your press release as a document or via video streaming.
Some will even let you edit your press release online, which can be helpful if you need to add or take away information or tone down some statements.
After you have published your press release, start looking for websites to share it with. You may already know of some places where you can send your press material. But you should always look up what times are best to send it and how much traffic each site allows before sharing.
That way you can get the most exposure for your press announcement without overloading any given website.
Monitor your press release to see if it went live
After you have written your press release, you must now check it!
After you have published your press release, you will need to check the website where your press release was posted for comments or reactions.
You may also want to check social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to see what people are saying about your press release.
If you notice that anyone has replied to or commented on your press release, take some time to read their comment and respond to them.
If there is nothing new in their comment, then do not add anything more content related to your press release.
This can be done at the end of the day or morning when you start working again. By doing this early in the week, you will give yourself enough time to review everything and get back into work mode.
Respond as quickly as possible when someone reads your press release
When you publish a press release, people will share it online or talk about it on social media.
That’s why it is so important to respond immediately to what others say about the content of your announcement.
If someone posts their opinion about something about your news item, reply within the next few hours!
This is especially true if they mention or link to your product or service.
Your reputation may depend on how you react to negative comments about your work.
Instead of responding with complaints or excuses, try being more positive and encouraging.
This can be much better for your image than showing anger.
Link to your press release on all your social media profiles
Now that you have written a solid, interesting press release. It is time to link to it across your various social media platforms.
Post the article on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, using appropriate timing and content. Yours could be the next big news story!
Your followers will likely enjoy reading the article, and some may even find the information helpful.
Encourage people to click on your press release link
Now that you have written a solid, interesting article or lead for your news story, it is time to start marketing it.
The first thing you should do is add media influence to help spread the word about your new announcement.
You can do this by sharing your article on social media, direct messaging journalists via their email addresses, leaving comments on their website articles, and/or calling them on the phone. Make sure to keep up with them!
By interacting with the media, they will notice you and be more likely to feature your write-up on their site or show interest in having you call into their radio show.
This isn’t free advertising, but it is cost-effective and easy to put in place. Many companies hire professional marketers who are paid to promote products and services like yours.
