Remember your 5 W's

Have you ever wondered how a story about a company or brand ends up in a newspaper, on the TV or in a magazine?  In most cases the starting point will have been a press or news release.   This will have been written  by the brand's PR team and then sent out to the media and it is the information in the release that will have caught the eye of the journalist and ultimately resulted in the story appearing in the media. 

For your press release to catch the journalist's eye it needs to be news worth, topical and above all it has to meet the So What test.   A good way of ensuring that your release meets these criteria is to ensure it has the 5 W's, Who, What, Why, Where and When, in the opening paragraph.  

1. Who - this is often the name of your company, brand, or a member of your team 
2. What - this tells the journalist what you're doing, so it could be a company anniversary, new product launch, brand new service, charity fundraiser. 
3. Why - this is the most important element and is your news hook.  So you might be a local company who has won a big new contract which means that you will be employing more staff.  Perhaps you are a local caterer who had all their events cancelled when the lock down happened and you've taken to making meals for key workers and NHS staff. 
4. When - it might be today, tomorrow or next month.  The "when" is likely to impact which publications and outlets you send your release to.  There's no point sending it to a magazine that has a two month lead time if you're event is taking place next week. 
5. Where - This is particularly important if you're trying to get regional / local news coverage.  It has to be in the local area for the publication you're targeting.   

Keep it short and sweet, your release shouldn't be more than one side of A4 and always ensure it has your contact details on it, after all you need to let the journalist know how to contact you if they want to run the story.  Finally make sure you have an image you can send with it, make sure it's print quality and relevant.   

If you have as story to tell and need help to do it then get in touch by calling us on 01234 823700 or email info@shrewdpr.co.uk 

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