Press Releases

5 Primary Types of Press Releases

Team Pepper
Posted on 13/02/225 min read
5 Primary Types of Press Releases

Table of Contents

  • 5 Different Types of Press Releases 
  • Key Takeaways 
  • Conclusion 
  • FAQs

Press releases are widely believed to be a tool for garnering publicity. Let’s say you’ve released a product or launched an event, and you want your consumers to know about it. How can you achieve this effectively? When it comes to communicating with your audience about anything that is going on with your brand, a press release can be your best bet. 

Different types of press releases offer additional opportunities to communicate with your target audience about crucial information pertaining to your brand, including product rebranding, event launches, and more. When writing a press release, you must be mindful of the fact that it should not include verbose sentences delineating the story. Ideally, the topic in the release should be buzz-worthy, and personal opinions should not be included.

For instance, Hobby Lobby, a retail company in the United States, declared in an opportune news release that it had raised the minimum wage for all full-time employees to $18.50 per hour this year. It was a momentous story on account of the pre-existing contentious minimum wage debates in the country. Besides helping in the development of a positive brand image, this news also helped in attracting more audience, as well as retaining the old one.  

5 Different Types of Press Releases

In this section, we explore the primary types of press releases you can use to up your public relations game. 

1. Business launch press release

A business launch press release refers to the release of a new undertaking, venture, product, website, initiative, and so forth. This type of press release puts greater emphasis on timeliness. A launch release should aid in creating a sense of urgency regarding the forthcoming news. You must provide a personalized and distinctive touch to your brand image when creating a press release centered on a launch. 

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2. Event launch press release

Event press releases refer to the types of press releases that lay out the specific details of an event so that the public can be apprised of them. The technical details like the type of event, location, timing, and so on, should not get buried underneath the story. Usually, the most coherent format for an event press release is a bulleted list, outline, or icons that help present the details systematically.

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For instance, in October 2020, artist Jimmy Nelson presented a catalog called The Last Sentinels at Atelier des Lumières in Paris. In this regard, he launched an event release. The text of the press release contained the requisite details about the event. Furthermore, it even contained high-resolution images and embedded videos. The aforementioned elements helped in making this type of press release exceptional.

3. Product announcement press release

Another type of press release is a product announcement. Product announcements are released whenever an organization launches a new product in the market. You must ensure your product announcement press release contains the key product specifications.

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For example, for the launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (Product Red), Apple opened its press release with the mention of its fight against AIDS. The release then switched to a fairly detailed description of the phone’s technical specifications, such as size, characteristic traits, color systems, etc.

4. New hire press release

Large companies typically announce new hires, especially those in executive positions, in a press release. This type of press release includes fairly extensive information about the new employee. Generally, a photo of the person is also included.

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Making an employee announcement lets the team know that a warm welcome should be given to the new employee. Moreover, this also furnishes the old employees with an opportunity to connect with the new workers. 

5. Expert hire press release

This type of press release is used to establish an individual or an entity’s credibility in a specific domain. It helps in showcasing a person or company as a storehouse of information that can be contacted whenever certain information needs to be solicited. 

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An expert hire press release puts forth a rudimentary introduction of the person or the organization, as well as some type of unbiased verification. For example, certain companies provide a comprehensive explanation of the roles, responsibilities, and past successes of the person or company to establish their credentials.

Key Takeaways

  • A person must have certain attributes in order to thrive in the domain of public relations: communicative, articulate, tech-savvy, and creative.
  • News releases should be distributed for an important official announcement that needs to be made. 
  • A business launch release should be released when a new company is being introduced in the market. 
  • An event release should be made in order to inform the public about the specifics of an event. 
  • A product announcement should be made when a novel product is being launched.
  • New hires press releases are circulated whenever a new employee joins the company. 
  • Finally, expert hires are released in order to declare that an expert of some field has joined a company of that domain.
  • The different types of press releases help in forging a bond with the audience and also aid in gaining publicity. 
  • Marketers should incorporate certain factors into their press releases. They are lucid language, provision of key details, such as timing and location, and avoidance of unnecessary details as well as personal opinions.

Conclusion

Different types of press releases help in increasing engagement between the brand and the audience. Effective implementation of a press release is dependent upon many things, such as the provision of an engaging headline and plenty of accurate, well-written information. Journalists always prefer pre-written professional press releases that can be easily incorporated into their reports. 

FAQs

1. What is a press release?

A press release is a formal statement intended for journalists. It provides information that is directed for public cognizance. There are various types of press releases, such as news releases, event releases, and the like.

2. What are the steps to follow when writing a press release?

The steps to writing a fantastic press release are as follows:
1. Locate a newsworthy angle. 
2. Identify the aim of your press release and make it known using the heading of the press release. Ensure that the headline is catchy and engaging.
3. Create your story. 
4. Include a CTA button. 
5. Include a boilerplate: it is a concise paragraph that imparts an idea of what your company entails or what your brand stands for.
6. Provide an image. 

3. How should you construct a press release for an event?

Here’s how you can write an event launch press release. 
Provide a fascinating headline. 
1. Highlight the logistics of the event, such as location, timing, and so forth. 
2. Write for your target audience and avoid including unnecessary details. 
3. First-person and second-person narratives are best avoided. 

4. What is a PDF press release?

A PDF press release is an official news announcement that is sent to journalists. It is used to generate publicity for a product, service, or event.

5. What are the six common elements of a press release?

The most significant elements of the different types of PR are as follows:
1. Headline: the headline or title of the press release should be concise and compelling.
2. Summary: this section summarizes the key points of the press release. 
3. Dateline: This section specifies the date and location of the announcement.
4. Body: body copy is the most important part of each type of PR. It details the announcement and communicates all the requisite information in a detailed fashion.
5. Boilerplate: This is more like an “About Us” section of the press release.
6. End: The different types of PR are concluded with the “###,” which is placed at the bottom of the page. In this manner, no extra text can be inadvertently published as part of an official company announcement.