Public Relations and Crisis Management

Today, we would like to discuss a topic that seems to be the source of a lot of questions and confusion among both, many PR pos and their clients – what the social media release is and how it is different from the regular news release . Both the traditional news release and the social media release (SMR) serve a similar purpose – to share the latest news with company stakeholders - however, they do so in slightly different ways. The main difference between the two types of news releases is their target audience. Unlike the traditional news release, which is focused on conveying an announcement to reporters and news outlets, the SMR targets the end reader directly. Traditional news releases are typically written in a formal tone using the so-called inverted pyramid approach where the most important facts are laid out in the very first paragraph and additional details are provided in paragraphs below. This is done in order to make it easier for reporters to quickly absor...

If there is one skill that all public relations professionals need to master, it’s being able to write an effective news release. Yet, despite all the fuss about its supposed demise in the age of social media, the good ol’ news release still remains one of the most important tools in the PR toolkit. To help you refresh your skills and knowledge, we’ve come up with this helpful memo of the 20 Dos and Don’ts of news release writing: Do: 1.     Make sure it’s newsworthy 2.     Create an engaging headline 3.     Answer the five Ws: Who, What, When, Where and Why 4.     Include a quote from someone directly involved in the news 5.     Break up your content into several easily digestible paragraphs 6.     Provide contact information for media inquiries 7.     Include a photo or company logo 8.     Include links to company websi...

Read the full story on our new Medium blog at:  https://medium.com/@crisisPR/6-essential-parts-of-a-press-release-f5e5cabb62d1