When it comes to communicating company news, we routinely turn to the strategy of drafting a press release and planning its distribution. Make no mistake, issuing a press release is a valuable way to help companies spread its key messages, raise awareness around updates and further establish itself as an industry leader.
However, what happens when you can’t or would prefer not to issue a release? Maybe you’re running into external roadblocks, struggling to secure internal approvals, faced with financial restrictions, or perhaps your announcement just doesn’t feel press release-worthy. Where do you turn to then?
For new or small start-ups, issuing press releases can be a big investment and not always the best way to go. Even larger and more established companies face the dilemma of whether or not to issue a press release when they are dealing with multiple shareholders or sensitive information.
If you end up at this fork in the road, it’s important to have a few go-to strategies in your back pocket.
Consider executing one of these four communication tactics next time you’re unsure about issuing a release. You may find that you can still secure the benefits associated with distributing a press release, while also communicating with your target audiences and building SEO.
- Offer the news as an exclusive. Offering the news as an exclusive provides the company and a news outlet with a handful of benefits. For example, the company controls the topic and placement, and the reporter has first right-of-refusal and can cover the news before his or her competitors. Before reaching out to your top target, you’ll need to craft the announcement into a timely and compelling story pitch.
- Design the announcement into a webinar. Webinars are a cost-effective way to promote products, expand professional networks and build thought leadership. Similar to a conference or trade show, a webinar allows your company or an executive to present on a specific topic, without the expense of traveling. Once the webinar is complete, you can post it on social media channels, mail it to your customers and share it with relevant media targets.
- Share the news in a weekly newsletter. Depending on the subject of the news and if your company has a strong e-newsletter, selecting this strategy can be a great tool to announce new hires and recent product announcements to your existing customers and current newsletter subscribers. Keep in mind this strategy would eliminate targeting media as a priority.
- Create a case study. Weaving a new partnership or company milestone into a customer case study is a great way to highlight a successful product offering or solution implementation. Ownership of the development of the case study will allow you control the key messages and overall sentiment. Because case studies traditionally demonstrate a company’s proficiencies, they are also a great tool to attract and engage potential clients. Once the case study is completed, you can either share it with your customers and social media following, or offer it to a publication to cover as an exclusive before publishing it to your website.
Before deciding to draft a press release or selecting one of the strategies above, it’s important to review your news with a critical eye and to determine your objective, target audience and desired results. If you’re still stuck at the fork in the road, check out these other blog posts: Writing the Winning Press Release and How to Drive Meaningful Coverage Without Hard News.