3 things to keep in mind when creating press releases

August 8, 2013

3 things to keep in mind when creating press releases

Recent studies, announcements and upcoming events are just a few reasons why nonprofits would want to send a press release to a local newspaper, magazine or online news wire. However, supporters will only pay attention to these releases if they are well-crafted and audience-focused. Below are some tips nonprofit marketers can use if they want their organization to greatly benefit from distributing a press release:

Add photos
The purpose of press releases is to get as many people as possible to see the information included in them. An article for Nonprofit Tech for Good stated organizations have a better chance of seeing Facebook shares and Twitter retweets of links to their press release if they pair the information in the document with a photo. It has been proven that people are more interested in content if its thumbnail is accompanied by an engaging image. Nonprofits should keep this in mind before they distribute their next press release.

Use bullet points
In many instances, people are interested in what a nonprofit has to say in a newsletter or a blog post, but they don't have time to read through the whole piece. This is why MarketingProfs suggests integrating bullet points for the most important aspects of press releases. Not only will this strategy allow for quick scanning, but it will also help more people get the most out of a release in a limited time period. 

Include opportunities to find more information
Supporters who read a press release and want to become engaged with an organization or learn more about it should be able to do so with just a few clicks of a button or by visiting a website. Releases that don't allow for further engagement will only see limited amounts of success. It is also important to make sure each release is easily sharable on the Web.

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