How to write a press release to launch an event
The press release is an indispensable tool for promoting an event. It is therefore not enough to have a profile on social media, but it is effective to be able to promote it by involving journalists.
The press release is a very useful digital PR resource, functional for quickly and widely spreading news regarding a company, a brand and the activities of a volunteer organisation. The aim is always to involve your target and increase the media exposure.
How to write a press release?
The purpose of the press release is to give maximum visibility to news of public interest. For example, a specific event organized by your community or a funds raising activity for a particular purpose: the topic of the press release can obviously vary depending on the type of non-profit organization and the audience it is aimed at.
You can ask for the support of communication professionals, such as Connect, whose team has specific skills, otherwise learn to do it by yourself.
The press release must include a short highlighted title, in which the news you want to spread is presented, and a longer subtitle, which integrates the title by providing further information relating to the news. The title must be clear and engaging. You should try to use keywords relevant to the event and organization to capture the attention of the public and search engines. An eye-catching title will, also, increase the chances that the press release will be opened and read, amplifying the diffusion of the event.
What should be in it?
In the first block, you need to specify: what, who, where, how, when and why. In other words, through the title, summary and first paragraph, the reader must have received all the fundamental information. The following paragraphs – usually two or three – are used to provide additional details still useful for fully understanding the news. At the top you can also add the logo of the company presenting the event.
The language must be as simple, understandable and clear as possible. An effective press release must be supported by figures and facts that make the event more interesting and relevant. In case of collaboration with other entities to organize the event, it will be worth mentioning the name of partners involved and the support received from sponsors or donors. Another good tip is to insert the quotation mark of one of the organisation’s managers, in order to give authority to the source through his statements.
What informations should I include?
It is then appropriate to report a series of information such as: the date, time and exact address of the venue and any links to book, register or buy the entrance ticket. Furthermore, it is also advisable to include links to social pages, such as the Facebook event, the Instagram channel or promotional videos, in order to increase engagement and stimulate the virality to involve as many users as possible. Paragraphs should be short and can be accompanied by bullet points to make the text more readable. It is essential to clearly explain why the organization is holding the event and the impact it expects to achieve. Don’t forget to include details about any special guests, entertainment or activities planned to capture readers’ interest.
In this regard, here is the example of a press release that Connect wrote to announce the presentation of a book in Rome. For this reason at the end we also included a short biography on the author.
Where to send a press release?
The press release must then be distributed through appropriate channels. For this reason, provide to create a mailing list on an Excel sheet, with the email addresses of the main national and local newspapers and magazines, both generalist and more sector-specific. If an African community is launching an event, it is recommended to send it to sector magazines such as: Africa Rivista, Notizie Geopolitiche, Limes, Internazionale.
The press release written in Word format, will be sent as attachment together with any photos and posters related to the news or event. You should sent the press release from the email address of the association and not from a personal address, pay attention to enter the recipient addresses in the ccn bar (anonymous mailings). This is not to disclose the list of newspapers to which the press release was sent.
In the body of the email briefly summarize the content, leaving the telephone numbers for contacts and paying attention to the subject of the email which must capture attention and make the matter immediately understood. Many emails containing the press release are opened starting from the first impression that the object makes. In the following days then you need to monitor carefully the web to check which newspapers are publishing the news.
If any of them don’t, you can start a recall activity. Call the editorial offices, whose numbers are often visible on the websites in the “contacts” or “editorial” section. You can explain to them the importance of the news contained in the press release just sent. The press office activity, therefore, requires a sort of “commercial” attitude. Very often it’s necessary to push several times, especially with the most important newspapers, in order to have the news published.
Traduzione di Nicoletta Pavero