How can you create urgency in a press release without hype or exaggeration?

The hook is everything in a fast-paced world. The content needs to be really relevant to make the journalists even want to open the PR. While clickbaiting is never a choice for me, I always try to word the title in a way that makes it compelling, even if it's not all that much in the end. Spin it, spin it...

Before we discuss an upcoming announcement, we must first as ourselves a couple of questions. Is this timely? Is it a blanket statement; or does it come supported with facts? Is it really "newsy"? Will it excite stakeholders and readers? If the answer to these are a no, then we must find a way to build it better or use a different PR tool. We must remember, there is a sweet spot between what the client wants to convey and what the media wants to hear. If we tap that, then we get insightful stories. If we cant find that, well, perhaps it should be looked at again.

The hook/headline is the first impression your press release makes and determines whether your audience clicks on and reads it.  Create compelling hooks that spark curiosity, offer a solution, or promise valuable information. Use powerful words, numbers, and emotional triggers to create a sense of urgency or excitement.

You can make your hook seem more urgent by tying it to a current crisis or situation being covered by the media. This is called “newsjacking”. For example, a “hospital at home” company could build urgency to an announcement about a new offering by tying it to media stories about a problem at hospitals. Or a senior living company could focus on the “loneliness epidemic” that media are covering as a way of building timely interest in what their communities offer to counter loneliness. Or an HVAC company could build urgency by connecting their services to needs highlighted in media coverage of airborne diseases, etc.

Conveying your hook in a clear way is your main battle. What should the recipient care about? Don't crowd it with arbitrary calls to action or artificial alarm bells. Think of the email subject as an article headline in a sense. In the copy, add the option for journalists to follow up with questions. Unique content is king, and they don't want to report on something everyone else is covering if they can help it. None of this matters if you don't ship it to the right person. Land in the correct inbox, and the hype is inherent, as the recipient will naturally want to cover your brand. Make it to the wrong inbox, and you're wasting a lot of people's time. Depth is better than breadth, so curate your press list.

Avoid sounding like a bot, it’s essential to ensure that the language used is credible, interesting, and concise. By incorporating active and specific language, such as impactful verbs like "launch" and descriptive adjectives like "exclusive," the message becomes more engaging and compelling. This approach not only adds credibility but also maintains the reader's interest while delivering a concise and effective message.

Is there any specific thing the recipient should care about? An opportunity only you can offer them? An exclusive announcement? A product launch? Your wording has to be so blatantly obvious you could hit them over the head with it. I remember my time as a journalist. I'd get such a ridiculous number of press releases that without specific signposting of what's on offer, it'd get added to the "it's probably nothing" pile. Make it clear that it's definitely something.

Keeping the press release crisp, simple, sharp, stirring and factual. A press release is not an advertisement. Let the media decide if your announcement is 'exceptional', 'extraordinary', or 'best'. If it is 'industry-first approach', tell them. If it is 'record breaking', give them facts. If you've run a pilot and have results, mention them.

Something that’s helpful for me is running the final press release through Grammarly Pro before running the announcement over the wire.

This is an important aspect of a press release when expedient, especially for those in the crisis (security) communication circle. It makes feedbacks to press releases very possible

Focus on the real and immediate benefits or implications of your announcement. Use clear, precise language to describe the time-sensitive nature of the information, such as limited availability, a special offer deadline, or an upcoming event. Include compelling data or statistics to underline the significance and immediacy of your message. Employ strong, action-oriented words that encourage prompt response or attention, while staying grounded in facts. Frame the narrative around how the news directly impacts the reader or their audience, making it relevant and pressing. By combining factual clarity with a direct appeal to the reader's interests or needs, you can effectively convey urgency in a credible and professional manner.

"Call to action" is something like an elixir of life for any PR. Without this the writer just leaves the reader hanging without a direction.

The most important question you can ask when writing a press release is “why does this matter?” Even in press releases - one of the most self-aggrandizing things we create as communicators - we need to always shift our mindset to audience. Rather than think about the “important, credible, and trustworthy” information we CAN share, we need to think about making it “important, credible, and trustworthy” to the reader - either spoon feeding them standardized industry data or shaping a narrative that makes the reader the hero of the story. Thinking this way justifies our work as communicators and allows both the bland templated financial update and the most story-driven inciteful press releases, to live in the same universe.

The 'Cover Note' that accompanies the Press Release attachment, gives PR practitioners the canvas to paint that 'X' factor underscoring the relevance of the release. Urgency is determined by news trends and story filing deadlines. By highlighting the context and mentioning how the readers stand to benefit, in a succinct manner, the objective of 'angling' the editorial interest would be accomplished.

I don't believe in prompt follow-ups on press releases. It might be a good idea to text them 5-6 hours later, to ensure they have seen the release. But calling them right after your email might not be a good idea.

While an immediate call follow up on press release would not be ok, drafting a crisp sms or Whatsapp message post an hour of the release with key news to grab attention works. Most importantly, say why this is important to the readers or highlight what this means for the brand/sector.

My top take on creating urgency is to keep the press release 'topical'. Say, for eg., you are creating a press release about a luxury fashion product. If you answer how the product or the brand helps in saving water or sources raw materials from vendors who are doing sustainable farming, it will appeal to the conscience of the journalist. Another example could be a press release on a payments app. Does this app allow an illiterate to make payments and how? Besides topicality, outliers create urgency for coverage. For example, in a world full of VC-funded, loss-making businesses, if a bootstrapped business is earning profits year after year, journalists will like to write about it.

Ensuring the press release is accessible and shareable is vital for widespread media pickup. This means optimizing the content for different platforms – print, online, and social media – and making it easy to share. Provide additional links, contact information, or resources for readers who wish to delve deeper. In crafting such a press release, the objective is to create a narrative that is not only newsworthy but also resonates on a deeper level with the audience. It’s about presenting a story that is compelling, credible, and urgent, engaging a diverse media landscape in a conversation that extends beyond the immediate announcement to the broader implications and impact of the news.