How do you write a newsworthy press release? That’s the big question you’re faced with when trying to present topical company news to your reader base. Yes, you want it to be interesting, but you also want it to be informative.
Relative and beneficial content is the cornerstone of any good piece of writing, but it’s the information that goes into providing content that’s the real key to creating a newsworthy press release.
But being faced with all the raw data can be daunting, especially when it comes to converting it into writing and numbers aren’t exactly your thing. Yet there’s no need to be scared of all that data; after all, it’s what’s going to make your press release newsworthy, more reliable, and get it noticed by journalists in the first place.
If you’re struggling to convert your data into usable and informative content, here are our top tips to help you write a newsworthy press release.
Why is data important for a press release?
Data is one of the most important parts of any press release and should always be used if it’s available. Data not only helps validate your press release and make a story more reliable in the eyes of a journalist, but it’s also entirely responsible for shaping your press release’s angle.
For example, if you’ve conducted a survey that shows that 90% of Brits don’t trust their partners, you have a great angle for a newsworthy press release that’s sure to be of interest to journalists. All you have to do is take this data and make it more interesting to digest. And the easiest way to convert your data into interesting words is to make that data relatable for the public in the first place.
Example: There’s news that property sales have plummeted by 50% in the past six months. If you’re outreaching to the press with data showing that 70% of sellers are struggling to sell their home, you’re going to see an increased chance of pickup.
Shocking or surprising statistics also help make a great data-led story and ultimately make for a newsworthy press release. Try using the ‘F**K me, Doris’ test; if the data you’ve gathered would shock your grandma, it is sure to be a great story!
How do you use data in a press release?
The first thing we recommend when creating any data-led press release is to put together a data analysis. This ensures that all your stats are in one place. Next, highlight any stats that match the criteria of your piece and use them to lead your press release.
When it comes to writing your release, always include the very best statistic in your headline and reiterate it in the first paragraph. Use a couple of bullet points under the headline to highlight other notable stats, and explain them in more detail in the first few paragraphs. And if it doesn’t add anything to the story, don’t use it!
Data should only be used if it’s newsworthy and adds something to the point you’re already making, so don’t just pop a stat in for the sake of it. For more info on how to format a case study correctly, you can check out our piece on how to write a killer press release.
What makes good press release data?
You may not think so, but there’s an art in choosing the best data for your press releases. Particularly high or low statistics always work well with the press, especially if it’s less than 20% or higher than 80%.
Look out for any clear differences between men and women’s answers as you go along, as these are especially attractive to lifestyle press groups. Any anomalies in age data can make a strong news hook as well, so think along the lines of ‘gen z vs millennial vs baby boomers’. Lastly, regional data will always be of interest to regional papers, especially if it’s related to property or crime statistics in that particular area.
And one final thing – always make sure the data you’re using is taken from a large enough respondent rate. If less than 100 people responded to the questions you were asking, the data you have isn’t reliable enough to be used as a statistic.
A final checklist for using data in your press release
Got all of that? If you need a friendly reminder, here’s a final checklist for how to make a press release newsworthy:
- Are you using only the strongest stats?
- Has the data used been taken from enough respondents?
- Are the contrasting stats different enough? If it’s 44% of women and 48% of men, it’s not that different and not that newsworthy!
- Are these stats surprising and interesting?
- Are you contradicting yourself with the data? If you don’t know what you’re trying to say then a journalist won’t either. Always keep your point clear.
If you follow these tips, there’s no reason you won’t be able to put together a newsworthy press release!
Hopefully, by following our tips and advice, you’ll now be able to create an effective and newsworthy data-led press release. But we don’t just work on press releases and digital PR – from content strategy and SEO, to social media and CRO we aim to make our clients market leaders in their fields. Get in touch today to see how we could make your business even better, or check out even more from our experts over on the connective3 blog.
