You have a great event and the story to spin it. You also have a dream list of media whose attention you’d love to grab. Now it’s time to connect the dots.
The most tried and tested way to get the attention of the media is a press release. Journalists and publications get countless press releases, so you have to make yours stand out.
Every press release has a few important things in common:
- It’s limited to one single page
- It’s typically written in third-person (“they, he, she” versus “me, you, ours”)
- It includes a headline, subhead, body copy, and a paragraph about the brand or company sponsoring the event
- There’s clear contact information for the press
Beyond the basics, follow these eight event press release best practices to stand out.
1. Don’t bury the lede
It’s time to turn your event’s story into a short pitch — an “elevator pitch.” In the business world, an elevator pitch is just what it sounds like: You’re in an elevator with a prospective client, and you need to sell your idea in 30 seconds or less. Think quick!
Likewise, you should be able to sum up your event’s brand story in a handful of words, for example:
“Tough Mudder is a series of hardcore 16-20 kilometre mud run obstacle races, designed to challenge the toughest of the tough.”
A compelling elevator pitch is the sound bite you can use to launch your press release. Put this important information toward the top of your press release so a journalist can find it quickly. Be sure to include the who, what, where, and when of your event. Then, use the rest of the press release to share details, compelling tidbits, and quotes from the event directors, past event-goers, or other press sources.
2. Know your audience
When you’re writing a press release, make the approach broad enough that you can send it to multiple media sources. But you might want to consider creating several versions, to accommodate publications and journalists with different core interests.
For instance, if you’re approaching a sports publication about your upcoming marathon, the focus might be on the competitive nature of the event. But when sending your event’s press release to a publication focused on humanities, bring the charity component up a bit higher.
3. Don’t leave the good stuff out
Are there going to be cute kittens at your event? People want to know! Balance pragmatic information with colourful details that make your event sound special. People seek out events that are unique. If your event is different, it’s more likely to be newsworthy.
Even while you are being comprehensive and colourful, always be concise. Don’t compulsively tell the whole story here. Leave the reader hungry for details so they reach out for more.
4. Include visuals
Since you’ll be emailing your event’s press release, you can easily include photographs and links. So embed a picture to add that proverbial thousand extra words to your story, and if you have more great photos and videos online, include links.
5. Always include a call to action
How can the journalist’s readers sign up for this event? Don’t make them work for it; make this information very easy to find at the bottom of your press release.
6. Don’t forget about the subject line
When you’re emailing a press release, the subject line can make or break a journalist’s decision to open the message. This is probably the most important line you will write. Make sure to write one that’s impossible to resist.
7. Prepare your release to be read on a phone
Nearly three-quarters of journalists read emails on their mobile device first, so make sure your email is mobile friendly. That means short and easy to read on a tiny screen. Cute fancy fonts won’t work in this context.
You should also avoid sending the release as an attachment for this reason. It’s better to cut and paste the release into the body of your email.
8. Timing is everything
To best determine when to send out your press release, work backwards from your end goal. Does the release announce a ticket on-sale date? Or are you using it to spread the word about a high-profile speaker you’ve booked in order to get people excited about upcoming registration?
In general, it’s a good idea to give journalists about a week of lead time to write about your event. Some publications post their editorial calendars online, so you can check to see if they already have content planned that might go hand in hand with your news, and time your submission accordingly.
To figure out when your event press release fits into the rest of your event marketing timeline, check out this post for a template and tactics for your event’s marketing and advertising strategy.
