How to Use a Press Release to Announce an Event

There are many occasions where it’s appropriate to write a press release. When you have a new product or service, or when you partner with a new organization it’s a great time for a release. Releases can also be created and distributed when your company has important and compelling news.

Maybe you have new research findings or your organization has achieved newsworthy results. Another time that you might consider issuing a press release is when you’re hosting an event. Events are prime press release material and when positioned properly can attract attention of both prospects and local media.

Stick to the Facts

One common mistake for press releases that announce events is to deviate from traditional press release format. The press release ends up looking and sounding a lot like the flyer for the event itself. Keep the release to the facts about the event. The 5 W’s are a good guideline. They are: who, what, where, when and why.

Why is It Newsworthy?

Your headline and subheading, as well as the foundation for your press release, still need to focus on being newsworthy and unique. Why is your event newsworthy? What do your prospects have to gain by learning about your event? How will your event benefit people and what’s the angle that the media might be interested in for your event? What’s your hook?

Don’t Forget the Call to Action

What do you want your readers to do when they read your press release? Make sure that you have a goal for your event and that your call to action supports the goal. For example, if you are holding an online webinar then the goal for the release may be to get more people to sign up for the event. Your call to action should direct people to the registration page. If you’re distributing your press release on social media, consider placing your call to action after the first paragraph.

Boilerplate, Social Media Links, and Media

Your event press release should contain many of the basics. It should have a boilerplate at the end. That’s a paragraph about you or your company. I should also contain buttons so that people can share, like, and follow you on social media. These buttons will help you reach a broader audience and achieve your press release goals. Finally, press releases perform better when they contain images and media. Consider adding infographics, video, and photos or other images to your press release.

Hosting an event is an ideal time to issue a press release. It helps bring awareness both to your company and to your event. Consider adding this tactic to your press release marketing campaign. You may find it’s a powerful way to grow your business.

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