A key part of any good PR or comms strategy is impactful written content and editorial. This includes press releases and feature articles which both play an important role in enabling firms to share information. However, it’s important to know the difference between the two, especially as they both serve different, but important purposes.
So what is the difference between a press release and an article and why are both important as part of your PR plan?
What is a press release?
A press release is a brief statement issued by a company or organisation to share information that is newsworthy. This is disseminated to the news media – such as industry trade press, local and national press or all of the above – who then share this with their readers.
Press releases are always written in third person – i.e. National brokerage has launched a new academy to train and nurture new mortgage brokers. Rather than a long-form editorial or War and Peace, a press release should be short and concise (no more than one-page ideally) and provide all the essential information a journalist needs to easily and quickly produce their own story. It should also include a quote from a company representative to add some relevant insight.
Six steps to successful press releases
- A clear news angle – Journalists are not interested in sharing PR puff pieces. A press release needs to read like a news story.
- All the essential information – Who? Want? When? How? and Why?
- An eye-catching headline – What makes the story newsworthy? Is it interesting enough to jump out of a crowded email inbox?
- Quotes that add value – Quotes are the most likely part not to be edited by journalists. But instead of sharing values, we need to add value and explain the purpose of the story. Go back to what, why and how.
- Tailored to the journalist – A press release that is easy for a journalist to read and that doesn’t require lots of editing is far more likely to be used.
- Tailored to the audience – Why would they take time to read it – what’s in it for them?
What is a feature article?
In contrast, a feature article is a long-form piece of editorial that is pitched into one publication. Rather than purely news, a feature article is focused on the opinion of a company spokesperson or representative on a particular subject. As a result, it is a fantastic way to raise a person’s profile and establish them as a thought leader on their chosen topic or in their sector/industry, sharing their insight and analysis.
Features are not sent to the masses and far from a given. They have to be earned. This requires a powerful pitch to a journalist or publication, explaining more about the article and convincing them why it is relevant and what value it offers to them and their readership.
Four things you’ll find in good feature articles
- Compelling headline – What is the reader going to learn? Why is it important?
- Offers value – use the longer platform to go into depth on a subject or issue. Demonstrate your knowledge and utilise relevant data and findings to support your story or argument.
- Clear headings – while some publications may not use these, make sure your articles make clearly defined points and are interesting and engaging to read.
- Personality… but not too much! – Features are usually written in first-person so can be more personal and anecdotal. This provides writers with an opportunity to take a more personal tone. Too much though and it could become distracting and lose its purpose.
How can both be used?
Let’s say I am an intermediary-only mortgage lender specialising in the buy-to-let market. I’d like to announce the launch of a new range of products to support smaller, non-portfolio landlords. What should I do?
- A press release is the perfect medium as it is a quick and concise way to share this news with the biggest possible audience. This one news story can be distributed to all the relevant industry publications, to be seen by brokers and intermediaries.
- Then to support this, a follow-up article could explore the challenges facing smaller landlords in the current market and climate, and why products designed specifically for these landlords are so important.
To see this example in action, click the links below to see how we supported our fantastic client Landbay.
Press release – Landbay launches new non-portfolio buy-to-let range
Article – Backing smaller landlords is essential to rental market stability and success
Getting it right
With both serving very clear purposes, there’s no question that a good PR strategy must contain a mix of press releases and feature articles, along with a full range of other tools and mediums. It is important though before you start writing to look at which is the most relevant and which will best serve your purpose.
Don’t forget, if you need help with writing press releases or articles, or even building a high-impact PR strategy, a specialist PR and communications agency such as bClear can certainly help! That’s especially true if you’re looking to crack your industry trade press. Along with local and national press, we have extensive experience in this area, creating high-authority, high-impact editorial that not only works for journalists and publications but is read by your target customers.
Why not get in touch today!
Written by Ashley Robertson
Read our next blog on: How to handle a PR crisis – before, during and after (bclear.co.uk)