The press release will need a compelling narrative to secure valuable press attention.
You did it — your hard work has paid off and your company won a prestigious award! This recognition is an accomplishment worth celebrating, and with some strategic planning you can use the company’s achievement to generate significant buzz and boost reputation. The press release is a powerful tool to achieve this.
Follow these seven tips to craft a compelling press release that will make news outlets excited to cover your achievement.
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1. Highlight what makes the award newsworthy.
Only a fraction of the thousands of awards won each year appeal to news media outlets, which is why it’s important to stand out. Start by emphasizing what makes the award distinguished. For example, is it especially competitive or granted by a prominent organization? Does it recognize achievement in an important or cutting-edge field? The more newsworthy your honor is, the better chance it has of securing coverage.
2. Share the backstory.
Don't just state that your company won an award — tell the story behind it to appeal to the reader. How did your company earn this recognition? Provide qualitative and quantitative details demonstrating the scope of your efforts. For an individual, this may include volunteer hours contributed, funds raised for charity, people helped through community initiatives, etc. For a company, share sales revenue benchmarks achieved, new products launched, jobs created, and/or sustainability goals met. These facts help showcase how and why you earned the award.
3. Explain the impact.
Demonstrate how your work made a difference and bettered your community or industry. Avoid vague generalizations. Quantify how many people were aided, jobs were created, emissions were reduced, etc. Help the media understand why your award matters to their audience. This gives them a compelling, newsworthy reason to cover your achievement.
4. Distribute news prior to the awards event.
Don't wait until after the award ceremony to promote the news you won an award. Once you know you've won, draft a release right away and circulate it to media outlets. This positions your announcement as an exclusive preview they can report on versus old news. Let media outlets know that you will provide photos/video of the presentation itself when available so they have visual content to accompany their coverage.
5. Provide visual assets.
Images and video dramatically increase press release pickup. Supply media outlets with high-resolution photos pre-event of the winner, as well as photos/video from the award presentation itself. Professional headshots and pictures of the recipient volunteering or engaged in award-winning work allow news outlets to put a face to the story. Reporters may also request these “action shots” as part of their initial contact about the release.
Post-ceremony shots of them accepting the award or posing with the physical award trophy should also be provided.
6. Follow up persistently.
Email your release to every relevant reporter and follow up diligently. Journalists receive hundreds of pitches a day, so you need to be proactive about pursuing coverage. Don't take initial non-responses as a definite no. Continue to check in periodically to remind them of your news.
7. Leverage social media.
In addition to seeking earned media coverage through press releases, continue to maximize exposure of your award on company media platforms. Share the announcement on your website, blog, social media pages, and email newsletter. Do an interview-style video with the winner describing what the recognition means to them and post it on your YouTube channel. Share posts from the award pages to promote the award and your win. The more buzz you can build online, the greater the chances of mainstream media picking up on the story.
With persistence and compelling storytelling, you can translate your well-deserved award into an opportunity to enhance your reputation, raise awareness, and drive engagement. Strategic distribution of an impactful press release gives you an excellent shot at securing coverage and amplifying your achievement.
For more information about how we can elevate your PR strategy, contact us today or book a one-on-one consultation.
Photo by RDNE Stock project
Topics: awards, earned media
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