Press Releases

The 2021 State of the Press Release report reveals that businesses filed even more press releases than ever before. Studies indicate that brands’ PR campaigns have seen returns as high as 100X in earned media. If your brand needs press releases that turn journalists’ heads and win media coverage, you’ve come to the right place.

What makes for a press release that actually gets attention?

A press release is a powerful marketing tool to garner publicity for your brand and business. The catch is that it only works when it’s done just right. Compare the sample press releases in Category A against those in Category B below. Which ones do you think would catch the attention of a journalist or news editor, and get them to read through?

If you answered, “Category B”, you’re in good company. Media professionals respond better to press releases that present opportunities (e.g., zero upfront cost gardening franchise), reference well-known names (Amazon) or trending news (building industry). By contrast, the headlines in Category A leave an important question unanswered: why is this relevant and why should anybody care?

Keep in mind – at the very outset, a press release faces a daunting challenge: It has to stand out from among hundreds, even thousands of other releases, emails, tweets, video releases and similar media updates.

The headline is a crucial element of that — journalists won’t even read most releases with sub-optimal headlines. That said, the headline is just the first step; there’s a lot more that goes into successful press releases, as we’ve outlined below.

At Lime, we maximise the odds of success of every single press release your brand puts out by fulfilling six key criteria:

1. Find the ‘newsworthy angle’

One common mistake while crafting press releases is to focus on the achievement that it represents for the business. No doubt it is that – but that is seldom relevant to anyone outside the business. The real question is, “Of what interest and/or benefit is this information to the readers?” At Lime, we’ve mastered the art of getting at that very angle, non-obvious though it may be.

2. Tell a story that resonates with the readers

A great press release is one that readers relate to, because it addresses a question or topic that they care about. At Lime, we appreciate the importance of building an emotional connection with readers, which is why we pick and polish the phrasing of your press release so carefully. This ensures that your business’s announcement elicits a tide of positive feeling in your readers–pride, joy, strength or inspiration, shaping the outlook of your customers towards your brand.

3. Integrate a Persuasive Call-to-Action (CTA)

The team at Lime understands well the truth of the adage, “strike while the iron is hot”. A press release represents an ideal opportunity to capitalise on the renewed goodwill of your readers towards your business. This is why a powerful CTA must form an essential part of every press release.

Whether it’s a link that readers can click to visit your business’s website or sign up for an upcoming event, or a QR code that they can scan to receive updates or even a freebie – LVS makes sure that your business gets maximum mileage out of every press release.

4. Provide all relevant information

At LVS, we respect that journalists face the enormous challenge of sifting through thousands of pieces of information to choose the select few that will make it into their articles. This is why we adhere so strictly to the 7-part format recommended for Australian press releases.

5. Include multimedia

Press releases that provide additional context with links to images, graphics and videos, get up to 6 times more attention than releases without them. We ensure that your releases always have the most newsworthy images and videos, and can also help you craft content with the potential to go “news-viral”.

6. Avoid reading like an advertisement

A press release can do a lot to promote your business and brand. That said, a release that sounds remotely like an advertisement will be panned by the media. What journalists are looking for are newsworthy stories, not promotional pieces. In our hands, your business’s press release will read exactly as it should – an announcement that is relevant to your readers, reflects their priorities and respects and rewards their time and attention.

Why should I choose Lime to craft press releases for my business?

Being a one-stop shop for all marketing communication needs, the benefits of choosing Lime extend far beyond just well-written, successful press releases. Thanks to our hands-on experience with everything from – from websites, to marketing funnels, SEM, social media management and beyond – we stitch everything together. Whether you hire us on a single project or a broad campaign, working with Lime delivers that 1+1 = 11 effect to your brand.