Ideas for Writing a Press Release: 12 News Angle Ideas & A Challenge…

Posted on 01. Nov, 2010 by Christine OKelly+ in Press Release Writing Tips

My friend Robyn used to say… “It’s hard to see a picture when you’re in it.” I find that to be so true when it comes to writing a press release! So many people that I talk to say, “but we’re not doing anything newsworthy…” or “we’re just not that interesting…” — I would love to challenge that!

One wonderful client of ours said last week that the most interesting thing going on in at their office was that “a colleague had cooked bacon in the microwave that morning and that it had smelled really good.” Katie knew that our client was suffering from the syndrome of not being able to see the big picture because they were too close to their business — and perhaps also being a bit modest. After a bit of digging, Katie found four absolutely valid and interesting news angles just begging to be boasted about, including a new ‘green’ initiative and some great limited-time web specials!

Could you be overlooking opportunities to reach out your clients, the media, and to gain backlinks and online visibility? We’re even guilty of it within our own business. There have been several milestones that have come and gone without a press release. But that’s because it’s often hard to see a picture when you’re in it — unless you know what to look for.

12 Questions to Ask Yourself To Uncover Press Release Ideas

1. Have you published anything new lately — such as an informative how-to guide, video, slideshow, article, or feature blog post?
2. Has your business added any new services or packaged services in a new way to provide even greater value for your clients?
3. If you sell products, have you added any new products to your inventory or have any existing products been updated?
4. Are you scheduled to participate in or host any upcoming events — including trade shows, webinars, Twitter chats, or conferences?
5. Have any company members been featured or quoted in a blog, webinar, conference, newspaper, or magazine?
6. Have you added any enhancements to your website to better serve your customers or that are revolutionary in your industry — such as adding live chat to your website or enhancing the way customers search for products on your site?
7. Has your company or have any of your company principals participated in any volunteer opportunities in your industry or in the local community?
8. Are you running or about to run a blog contest, Facebook contest, or any other type of contest?
9. Are you offering a special limited time deal or sale?
10. Has your company or have any company principals recently earned an awards or received kudos from an influential source?
11. Have you created any new strategic partnerships that will allow you to better serve the needs of your customers or lead your industry forward?
12. Have you made any key hires that will result in better serving your customers or revolutionizing your industry?

My Challenge to You….

If you have a legitimate business, I challenge you not to find something newsworthy! If you really believe that you have nothing at all newsworthy happening within your company — I accept the challenge of finding something. You can either reply in the comments or email directly — I will put my pride where my mouth is and find something newsworthy that your company can pridefully announce!

Tags: press release topics, writing a press release