Press Release Tips for the Healthcare Industry
Generally speaking, a press release is a press release. Regardless of the industry, business model, or goal for the release, they all follow the same basic format. You have your headline, your lede, and the body of your release, where you address the 5W’s, who, what, where, when, and why. You also have your boilerplate and a call to action.
That’s the general format for a press release. Each release also has to be newsworthy, which means that it’s timely and relevant to the media and your audience. However, with all that said, different industries have unique needs for their press release.
There are expectations that go hand in hand with specialty topics or fields. Healthcare is one of those niche industries where a traditional press release needs a slightly different approach.
What Stays the Same? What is Different?
Press releases for healthcare follow the same format as any other press release, and we’ve already discussed those elements. You still need an attention-grabbing headline and a compelling reason to be issuing a release.
However, there are expectations that come along with the healthcare industry. This can play to your favor because both the media and the general public pay attention to health-related news. It also means that you need to be at the top of your game when creating a press release. Here are the ways that a healthcare press release is different.
1. What’s the hook? Generally speaking in healthcare people either want to know what the emotional/ethical hook is or how the information will improve their lives. For example, this headline – Healthcare CEOs Embrace Value-Based Care – is a moral/ethical press release topic. This headline – Egg shortage hits healthcare industry, – speaks to the vaccination shortage that’s looming due to egg shortages, and taps into personal healthcare concerns. It’s also not uncommon to see study or research results in the headline.
2. Where’s the proof? The medical and healthcare industry needs to back up every bit of data with a reputable source. People expect credibly and authority within the field and trust is essential. Any data that is included in a healthcare industry press release must be triple-checked and irrefutable.
3. Authority quotes. Generally speaking, quotes are designed to give a press release personality. This is true in healthcare as well. However, the personality that you may try to convey in a healthcare related release may be very different than that of a technology company, a fitness product or a service provider. Again, it has to speak to trust, authority, and credibility. Humorous quotes may not be appropriate in this type of press release.
Finally, a healthcare press release will do well if the information in the release is also backed up by graphics or visual representations of the information. It’s been shown that the media tends to favor releases that contain images and it will help strengthen social media engagement with the release as well.
Always include links to supplemental information and make sure your contact information is accurate and up to date. There are different expectations for a press release in the healthcare field and it’s important that your release lives up to them.
