A successful press release begins long before it is distributed.
It begins with understanding what the business wants to accomplish. Every announcement has different objectives, audiences, urgency, and long-term value. Professional Partners recommend strategies—not products. They start with the goal, not the distribution package.
This lesson teaches you how to choose the most appropriate press release strategy before recommending any distribution package. You will learn to identify business goals, match stories to strategies, evaluate timing and audience, and use an editorial checklist to make wise recommendations.
Professional Partners do not begin with products. They begin with goals. When you understand what a business is trying to accomplish, choosing the right press release strategy becomes much easier.
Start With the Business Goal
Before recommending any press release strategy, understand what the business wants to accomplish. Different goals require different approaches.
Brand Awareness
The business wants more people to know about them. The strategy should prioritize broad visibility and reach. Local or regional distribution may be appropriate.
Product Launch
The business is introducing something new. The strategy should generate excitement and interest. Timing around the launch date is critical.
Local Publicity
The business wants to be known in the community. The strategy should focus on local media and community outlets. Local relevance is key.
Investor Confidence
The business wants to build credibility with investors. The strategy should emphasize business growth, stability, and future potential. Professional presentation matters.
Community Engagement
The business wants to be seen as a community partner. The strategy should highlight charitable work, community involvement, and local impact.
Recruitment
The business wants to attract talent. The strategy should emphasize company culture, growth, and opportunities. Professional reputation matters.
Reputation Management
The business wants to strengthen or rebuild its reputation. The strategy should be thoughtful, measured, and focused on positive news.
Start with the goal. The strategy follows.
Match the Story to the Goal
Different announcements require different strategies. Here is how to match stories to goals:
Grand Opening
Goal: Brand awareness and local publicity. Strategy: Local distribution with emphasis on the new location, community impact, and what makes the business unique. Timing: leading up to and immediately after the opening.
Award
Goal: Credibility and reputation. Strategy: Distribution that reaches industry peers and potential customers. Timing: as soon as the award is announced.
New Product
Goal: Product launch and brand awareness. Strategy: Distribution timed with the product launch. Emphasis on what makes the product unique.
Partnership
Goal: Credibility and strategic positioning. Strategy: Distribution that reaches both partners' audiences. Emphasis on the combined value.
Charity Event
Goal: Community engagement and reputation. Strategy: Local distribution with emphasis on community benefit. Timing: leading up to the event.
Expansion
Goal: Brand awareness and investor confidence. Strategy: Distribution that emphasizes growth and stability. Timing: when expansion is announced.
Funding
Goal: Investor confidence and credibility. Strategy: Distribution that emphasizes the business's potential and the confidence of investors.
Acquisition
Goal: Strategic positioning and credibility. Strategy: Distribution that explains the acquisition's strategic value. Timing: when the acquisition is finalized.
Executive Hire
Goal: Recruitment and credibility. Strategy: Distribution that emphasizes the leader's experience and what they bring to the business.
Community Project
Goal: Community engagement and reputation. Strategy: Local distribution with emphasis on community impact. Timing: when the project is announced or completed.
Every story serves a different purpose. Match the strategy to the goal.
Timing Matters
When a press release is distributed affects its impact. Here are timing considerations:
Seasonality
Some stories work better at certain times of year. Holiday announcements, summer launches, and back-to-school stories all have seasonal timing.
Business Milestones
Anniversaries, expansions, and milestones should be announced at the right moment. The timing should feel natural and significant.
Industry Events
Some stories connect to industry events. Timing a press release to coincide with a trade show or industry conference can increase relevance.
Launch Dates
Product launches and new services should be timed around the launch date. Press releases build anticipation and awareness.
Community Events
Stories connected to community events should be timed accordingly. Pre-event announcements build attendance. Post-event announcements share results.
Media Timing
Consider media cycles. Avoid holidays and busy news periods if possible. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings are often good times for distribution.
Good timing makes a good story better. Poor timing can reduce its impact.
Audience Matters
Who you want to reach influences the strategy. Here are audience considerations:
Local Audience
Local businesses, community members, and local media. Strategy should emphasize local relevance and community impact.
Regional Audience
Businesses and consumers across a wider geographic area. Strategy should balance local connection with broader appeal.
National Audience
A national or broad audience. Strategy should emphasize broader significance and industry relevance.
Industry Audience
Industry professionals and peers. Strategy should emphasize industry relevance, innovation, and thought leadership.
Customers
Current and potential customers. Strategy should emphasize value, quality, and relevance to customer needs.
Investors
Current and potential investors. Strategy should emphasize growth, stability, and future potential.
Partners
Strategic partners and collaborators. Strategy should emphasize mutual benefit and partnership value.
Media
Journalists and media outlets. Strategy should emphasize newsworthiness and provide compelling content for coverage.
Understanding the audience helps you choose the right strategy.
The Editorial Checklist
Use this checklist to evaluate whether a story is ready for a press release and what strategy to recommend:
- ✓ Is it genuinely newsworthy? Does it meet the criteria of timeliness, impact, community interest, innovation, human interest, significance, relevance, or local importance?
- ✓ Is the timing right? Is this the right moment to share this news? Is it timely and relevant to current events?
- ✓ Does it support business goals? Does this announcement help the business achieve what it wants to accomplish?
- ✓ Will people outside the company care? Is this interesting to the public, or is it only interesting to the business itself?
- ✓ Is there a clear audience? Who is this story for? Can you identify the specific audience that would find it valuable?
- ✓ Is the story complete? Does the business have all the information needed to tell the story effectively? Quotes, details, context?
If a story passes this checklist, it is ready for a press release. If not, recommend waiting.
Real World Example
Let us evaluate three possible announcements from the family-owned restaurant and determine the best strategy.
Announcement 1: 20-Year Anniversary
- Goal: Brand awareness and community recognition
- Newsworthiness: High — significant milestone, community interest
- Timing: Anniversary date or during anniversary celebration month
- Audience: Local community, customers, local media
- Strategy: Local distribution with emphasis on the business's history and community relationships
- Recommendation: Press release — strong candidate
Announcement 2: New Seasonal Menu
- Goal: Customer interest and sales
- Newsworthiness: Low — routine business update
- Timing: When the menu launches
- Audience: Existing and potential customers
- Strategy: Social media and email marketing, not press release
- Recommendation: Not a press release — better suited to other marketing channels
Announcement 3: Charity Fundraiser
- Goal: Community engagement and reputation
- Newsworthiness: High — community benefit, human interest
- Timing: Leading up to the event
- Audience: Local community, media, potential supporters
- Strategy: Local distribution with emphasis on the cause and community impact
- Recommendation: Press release — strong candidate
Which Should Come First?
The 20-year anniversary and the charity fundraiser are both strong candidates. The timing should determine which comes first. If the anniversary is coming soon, recommend that. If the fundraiser is approaching, recommend that. Both are valid press release opportunities.
Second Example: Roofing Company
- Announcement: Donating roof repairs to a local nonprofit
- Goal: Community engagement and reputation
- Newsworthiness: High — community benefit, human interest
- Timing: When the donation is announced
- Audience: Local community, potential customers
- Strategy: Local distribution highlighting community impact
- Recommendation: Press release — excellent candidate
The best announcements are newsworthy, support business goals, and reach the right audience at the right time.
Common Mistakes
Avoid these common errors when choosing a press release strategy:
- Recommending a press release without understanding the goal: Strategy starts with the goal, not the product.
- Ignoring timing: Even a good story is less effective at the wrong time.
- Forgetting the audience: Who is this for? If you do not know, the strategy is wrong.
- Recommending a press release for routine updates: Not every announcement is newsworthy. Use the checklist.
- Rushing to distribute: A good story deserves proper preparation. Do not rush.
- Not considering alternatives: Social media, email, and website updates are better for some announcements.
- Overlooking seasonality: Some stories work better at certain times of year.
- Choosing the wrong distribution reach: Local stories need local distribution. National stories need broader distribution.
- Not preparing the business for visibility: If the business is not ready for attention, wait.
- Giving up if the story is not perfect: Most stories can be improved. Work with the business to strengthen the story.
Facebook Field Assignment
This assignment helps you practice choosing the right press release strategy.
- Choose ten businesses from your priority list.
- For each business, identify:
- Primary business goal
- Best story to tell
- Best timing for that story
- Target audience
- Would you recommend a press release? Why or why not?
- Record your evaluation in your field notes.
This assignment helps you develop the skill of choosing the right strategy for each business.
Academy Field Notes
Record your strategy evaluations in your field notes. These notes help you track opportunities and refine your judgment.
Record for each business:
- Business: Name and industry
- Goal: What they want to accomplish
- Story: The best story to tell
- Audience: Who needs to hear it
- Timing: When to share it
- Recommended strategy: Press release or other approach
Your field notes are a record of your growing ability to choose the right strategy.
Continue Your Academy Journey
Before moving to the next lesson, consider reviewing these foundational concepts:
- Academy Homepage
- Facebook Business Prospecting
- Identifying Newsworthy Stories on Facebook
- Businesses That Benefit Most From Press Releases
- Understanding Press Release Distribution
When you're ready, continue to the next lesson:
Key Takeaways
- A successful press release begins long before it is distributed. It begins with understanding the business goal.
- Start with the goal. Brand awareness, product launch, local publicity, investor confidence, community engagement, recruitment, and reputation management all require different strategies.
- Match the story to the goal. Grand openings, awards, new products, partnerships, charity events, expansions, funding, acquisitions, executive hires, and community projects all serve different purposes.
- Timing matters. Consider seasonality, business milestones, industry events, launch dates, community events, and media timing.
- Audience matters. Local, regional, national, industry, customer, investor, partner, and media audiences require different approaches.
- Use the editorial checklist: Is it newsworthy? Is the timing right? Does it support business goals? Will people outside the company care? Is there a clear audience? Is the story complete?
- Not every announcement needs a press release. Routine updates are better suited to social media, email, or website updates.
- Avoid common mistakes: recommending without understanding the goal, ignoring timing, forgetting the audience, and rushing to distribute.
- Professional Partners recommend strategies, not products. They start with the goal, not the distribution package.
- When you understand what a business wants to accomplish, choosing the right strategy becomes much easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a story is worth a press release?
Use the editorial checklist. If it is genuinely newsworthy, timely, supports business goals, has a clear audience, and people outside the company would care, it is worth a press release.
What if a business has multiple newsworthy stories?
Prioritize based on timing and goals. The story that is most timely and best supports the business's current priorities should come first.
How do I help a business identify its goals?
Ask questions. "What are you trying to accomplish? Who do you want to reach? What would success look like?" Their answers reveal their goals.
What is the most common mistake in choosing a strategy?
Recommending a press release without understanding the business goal. Strategy should start with the goal, not the product.
Can a press release serve multiple goals?
Yes. A grand opening press release can serve brand awareness and local publicity goals simultaneously. The strategy should reflect multiple goals.
How do I handle a business owner who wants a press release for a non-newsworthy story?
Explain why it is not newsworthy and suggest alternatives. "This might work better as a social media post. Press releases work best for genuine news."
What if a business is not ready for a press release?
Recommend waiting. "I want to make sure this is helpful for you. Let us build a stronger foundation first."
How much lead time does a press release need?
Plan 1-2 weeks for writing, editing, approvals, and distribution. Some stories can be faster, but good preparation takes time.
Should every business use the same distribution platform?
No. Different stories need different distribution strategies. The best platform depends on the goal, audience, and timing.
What is the next lesson?
The next lesson is Explaining EMWNews Distribution Packages. It teaches you how to explain EMWNews distribution packages in the context of the business's strategy and goals.
Start With the Goal, Not the Product
Professional Partners do not begin with products. They begin with goals. When you understand what a business is trying to accomplish, choosing the right press release strategy becomes much easier.
You have learned to identify business goals, match stories to strategies, evaluate timing and audience, and use an editorial checklist. You are ready to help businesses choose the right press release strategy before ever discussing distribution options.
Your next step is to learn how to explain EMWNews distribution packages in the context of the business's strategy and goals:
Continue with Explaining EMWNews Distribution Packages.
