HOW TO CREATE A PRESS RELEASE FOR YOUR HEARING CARE BUSINESS

Hosting a customer event? Got a revolutionary new product coming up? If you have something exciting to share with the world, or simply your local community, don’t hesitate to write a press release.
There are plenty of good reasons to write one (and reasons not to!). Just remember to keep it timely, relevant and interesting to people outside your business. But where to start?

First, remember these important things before you start crafting your press release:

  • Only write one if you have something new, relevant and interesting to share
  • Make sure the press release provides value to the reader, not to you. No one outside your business is interested that you got a new receptionist  
  • You can write about anything you’d like, but remember to write objectively about your business. Don’t use “I” or “we”, unless it’s in a quote
  • Stick to the relevant facts. Make them clear and provide as many as you can, as that will help the journalists get a good basis for writing a story
  • And take a moment to think about the journalists picking up the stories. What are their goals? How can you make their job easier?
  • Make it objective, informative and to the point. Avoid jargon and write clearly
  • Don’t write more text than you need to provide the necessary information
  • Use quotes from trustworthy or authoritative people – quotes are great for giving a personal take on the news or giving the news your desired angle

Now let’s take a look at how to structure your story

A press release consists of:
  • Headline
  • Body copy
  • Copy about your company
  • Contact information
Many news stories are written using the inverted pyramid, which works great for press releases too. This means that you start with all the important information and ease your way into elaboration or perspectives on the news.

Headline

A great informative headline is cardinal.

Keep the journalists in mind and remember that they might not know your business or what you’re selling. Make sure your headline is interesting and makes sense to someone who doesn’t know about the hearing industry. The same goes for the subject line in your email to the press.

Cision has made a great list of 10 tips for the perfect headline. You may also want to take a look at Adweek’s list of really bad headlines  – just to be safe!

Body copy

Start by thinking about the four Ws – what, when, where, who – and how. All these questions must be answered in the body copy.

The introductory paragraph should provide a full overview of the story, so you understand the gist of the story from simply reading that. Again, the four Ws and how.

The following paragraphs should expand on the information and give more details about the news. You can include statistics, research data and quotes to give your story more perspective.  

Statistics and research can come from any kind of trustworthy source, including yourself! A quote from someone (relevant) in your business helps you explain how your business feels about the news. It can also help you nudge the receiver into thinking how they should feel about it. Remember to provide the full name of the speaker and their title after the first quote. 

Your company

Finish the press release with a few lines about your company, so the journalists can expand a bit more on your company if they want to. Again, keep it relevant and factual.

Contact information

It’s very important that journalists can get a hold of you if they pick up the story. But remember to put the right contact person on there, not your receptionist. Include name, title, email and phone number, and you’re all set!

There are plenty of online resources that’ll help you craft a great press release, including templates. Check out Hubspot, Class:PR, or CoSchedule. Good luck!