With many other daily activities shifting online, news and media have also been repositioned with digitization. The audience has said goodbye to the last-century mediums, such as television and radio, and has embraced smartphones to get world updates. The digital media market is now a whole new landscape, with its revenue expected to reach US $848 by 2027.
Among the many tools used in this industry are news and press releases. Though both are used interchangeably, they are far unique and provide distinct benefits. Let’s end the debate about a news release vs press release for digital branding and understand how each tactic conveys messages effectively.
What are Press Releases?
Press releases are written releases for official business updates and involve supporting information around them. They are crafted to educate journalists, stakeholders, and the general public regarding a business’s activities. These can include promoting a product or service launch, an upcoming event, a company achievement, or a fundraiser. All in all, press releases are packed with tons of benefits for businesses, as journalists consider them the best source of brand information.
A well-crafted digital PR, or press release, involves quotes, company specifications, and persuasive elements to attract buyers and investors. A Call to Action and contact details at the bottom induce results.
Benefits of Press Releases
- The catchy storyline and newsworthy angle in PRs present your brand as fascinating
- Utilizing press releases for PR marketing helps build immediate exposure and credibility
- The impeccable press release writing creates buzz around your company, increasing the sales potential
What is a News Release?
As the word “News” suggests, these media releases cover any fundamental news or information of the public or media’s interest. They are formal announcements for any event, achievement, or update and are considered an authentic source of business information. News releases are devoid of any promotional or storytelling material. They are concise and involve crucial data only.
A company can create news releases for any significant announcement to inform the media and public. The paper covers answers to essential W questions of Who, What, When, Where, and Why.
Benefits of News Releases
- Posting on high-authority channels can attract investors, clients, and stakeholders
- Mitigates any negative remarks or rumors about your organization
- Ideal for crisis communication and emergency press coverage
News Release VS Press Release – A Detailed Comparison
Whether news or press releases are considered the most valuable PR assets by 59% of journalists. However, the two digital materials are not just categories with unique definitions. They serve different purposes and have exclusive benefits. Choosing the right one strategically can significantly impact a company’s branding effort.
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Purpose
News releases are written to inform and report. They are statements that clearly define a situation to educate media professionals and the audience about an event or happening. Thus, their main objective is to deliver accurate information.
PR campaigns, on the other hand, serve more than a single purpose. They do inform, but they also promote the announcement for coverage. The content body includes every piece of information that journalists need to create stories.
The persuasive writing element in PRs enables professionals and audiences to take necessary action. In short, press releases can also be used as a marketing assistant. Additionally, these formal pieces are intended to build a company’s image and establish its name in the market.
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Tone
Though both materials have a formal nature, news releases are considered more authentic and professional. Therefore, they must entail a straightforward and neutral tone. There must be little to no promotional touch, and the content structure must follow standard media guidelines. As for PR writing, it must have some elements of interest to engage readers. A storytelling, semi-formal tone with a persuasive touch ideally defines press releases.
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Content
News and press releases are structured around informative content. The news release offers freedom for content formatting. However, the basics involve a headline, summary, body, and conclusion. On the other hand, PR content is focused on elaborating news elements with industry-specific words and phrases. The basic press release format is 300-500 words and involves quotes and a boilerplate. Both releases must mention company contact details to fulfill the purpose.
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Target Audience
Press releases are primarily written for journalists, influencers, reporters, and people associated with the media industry. They may also have impactful elements to attract investors, partners, and stakeholders. In contrast, news releases are made to reach people from all walks of life, depending on the type of news. These individuals can be consumers, clients, investors, media channels, or stakeholders.
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Distribution
Over 70% of marketers believe distribution is the key to a PR’s success. For this, you either manually reach the journalists or trust a reliable press release distribution service. These agencies have years of experience in the field and can disseminate your material on as many news platforms as possible. For a similar topic, you can publish news releases on social media, websites, magazines, emails, and any other channel you can access.
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CTA
Since informing readers is the primary goal of news releases, they are usually devoid of a call to action (CTA). They just need to notify journalists accurately, not hurry them to take action. However, press releases perform better with unique and persuasive CTAs masterfully added at the bottom. The examples involve mentioning the company’s uniqueness or the benefits to excite end consumers.
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Timing
PRs are meant to gather journalists’ attention so that they can cover an event. Therefore, they must be distributed before the event occurs. Press content is pre-scheduled and planned often a week in advance to bag maximum coverage. Meanwhile, news releases are published immediately after the event to break news.
How to Write Effective Releases
Creativity and structural considerations are required to create an effective press or news release. A thorough comprehension of the type of announcement and the intended audience is also necessary. In this section, we’ll discuss some pointers for well-formatted releases.
Writing a News Release
News release writing is a complex process demanding a unique strategy. It is much less organized than press releases and, therefore, provides more room for experimenting. Although the structure is not strictly mandatory, the primary sections involve:
- An attention-grabbing headline that sounds urgent and dense
- A subheading supporting the main title
- Introduction paragraph pointing out the main ideas of the release
- Content body with every necessary data, answer to W questions, supporting evidence
- A short summary with key news points and contact information
Writing a Press Release
A press release is an organized document with a predetermined format meant to make it as simple as possible for reporters to comprehend your news. Some elements, such as a headline, subheading, content body, and contact details, overlap with the news structure. Exclusive writing points involve;
- Lead paragraph that covers every essential detail regarding the announcement
- Supportive quotes from leaders or celebrities toward the ending paragraphs
- The Boilerplate is an additional element in press releases and resembles the About Us section of the brand
- Press releases also involve persuasive words, phrases, and unique selling points of the business in focus
How Press Connect Can Help Deliver Winning Digital Releases
On average, every person spends at least 6 hours weekly reading news. Since most of them prefer digital platforms, imagine the visibility your brand could get if its news reaches even a tiny portion of this population. The strategy could lead to unlimited digital growth, given that you invest in careful planning and trust the right distribution service.
Press Connect offers secured media coverage with its global and regional press releases. Our qualified team can read your brand voice and convert it into professional yet persuasive updates. If you still can’t decide on the News Release VS press Release question, let Press Connect find your ideal strategy! We create standard media material, giving your brand a professional edge.
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