Writing Impactful Press Releases

⚠️ PSA ⚠️ Ban the use of "We are thrilled" and "I'm excited" from your press releases, social posts and executive quotes!! These phrases waste valuable real estate and dilute your message. Editors cut them. Readers skip them. Instead, say why it matters — to your audience, your customers, the industry. Say something meaningful that moves the story forward and adds value to the conversation. Rather than announcing how you feel, share why it matters. 💬 Instead of: “We’re thrilled to partner with X” ✅ Skip directly to: “This partnership brings [concrete benefit] to [target audience/market].” 💬 Instead of: “We’re excited to launch Y” ✅ Skip directly to: “We can now help [target audience/market] [pain point] with [new solution].” 💬 Instead of: “We’re honored to be acquired by X” ✅ Skip directly to: “Joining X gives our team access to [resource or capability], so we can serve [audience] with even more [new solution].” I have seen this too much lately and needed to post a friendly reminder. #PR #comms #writingtip

i had an executive once tell me "just send the release on friday" and can you guess what i did? most people don't realize that fridays are where announcements go to die—it's not their fault, they have work to do. what they don't see is the invisible work pr does to protect their reputations and amplifying their wins. this is what great pr actually does beyond the press releases: -strategically select days and times that maximize visibility (tuesday/wednesday mornings outperform fridays by 43%) -build in lead time not because we're difficult but because we respect media workflows—journalists and creators need time to research, develop context, and craft meaningful stories -anticipate the questions no one's asking yet but everyone will wonder about once the announcement hits -translate executive vision into language that resonates with specific audience segments early in my career i scrambled to meet impossible 48-hour turnarounds on major announcements. now i smile when partners proactively say "i know sarah, at least two weeks" because they've seen the difference in results. my team's most valuable contributions are often the crises that never happened—the unfortunate timing conflict we avoided, the competitive launch we positioned around. this is why integrated comms teams need seats at strategy tables, not just execution meetings. we're not just distributing your news—we're protecting how the market perceives your entire brand narrative. the difference between good and great communications isn't in the press hits you see—it's in the strategic counsel that shapes decisions before they're even announced. #executivecommunications #CEO #PR #agency #marketing #communications

My first communications hot take of 2025! 🔥 Traditional PR metrics are dead. Stop counting press releases. Stop tracking AVE. Stop chasing meaningless numbers that don't tell you anything or move the needle. These metrics are a relic of the past. If you're still using them, your strategy is falling behind. (And if your agency is serving up these metrics as proof of their impact, then it's time for a hard conversation.) 🤨 Here's what needs to go: ❌ "Number of press releases" is just vanity. Nope, press releases aren't a strategy—they're a tactic. Publishing isn't the same as reaching. ❌ "Volume of coverage" tells you nothing. A hundred mentions in low-tier outlets don’t compare to one strategic feature that influences decision-makers. ❌ AVE (Advertising Value Equivalency) is meaningless. This was never a meaningful metric. Did you spend that budget on ads? No? Then why measure it like one? It doesn’t capture influence or impact. ❌ "Total impressions" lacks context. Reaching the wrong audience 1M times = wasted effort. Context is important here. If it’s 1M impressions with your target audience that drives some meaningful outcomes—that’s your metric. ❌ "Social follower count" is shallow. Having 50K silent followers is cool and all, but give me 5K engaged people any day. Social is shifting from brand followers to people, making follower count even less relevant. . Here's what (I think) actually matters in 2025: ✴️ Narrative Share (think thought leadership, elevated) → Are you shaping how people think about key issues? → What percentage of relevant conversations include your POV? → Are you leading the narrative—or playing catch-up? ✴️ Share of Voice *Quality* (not just mentions) Focus on: → Authority & Impact: Topic leadership and decision-maker credibility → Message Effectiveness: Perception shifts and resonance → Business Value: Lead quality and customer story impact → Stakeholder Engagement: How key audiences interact and respond ✴️ Audience Journey → What happens *after* someone sees your message? → Do your efforts drive real behavior change? → How are stakeholders engaging, retaining messages, changing behavior, or taking action? ✴️ Community-Driven Influence (beyond basic engagement) → Are you building advocates or just awareness? → What's happening organically in your networks? → Is your community telling your story for you? 🤔 I'll be the first to admit that measuring these isn't "easy" or as simple as open rates. Measuring the metrics that actually matter in PR requires a *mix* of qualitative and quantitative approaches, and it means leaning into tools, methodologies, and frameworks that go beyond surface-level data. 🗣️ Bottom line (and something I've been saying for years): PR isn’t just about getting your name out there. It’s about influencing how people think, feel, and act—to drive business OUTCOMES. If your metrics don’t reflect that, it’s time to rethink them. 📈 What PR metrics are you focusing on in 2025?

Over the years, working in & now leading PR, I’ve observed one of PR’s biggest loopholes is how we measure success. we’re still obsessed with reporting numbers that don’t necessarily mean anything. Take Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) - for example. It assigns a notional advertising cost to earned media and presents it as the “value” of PR. Sounds impressive - except it tells you almost nothing about whether the coverage actually worked. Infact - Industry's own measurement body has spent over a decade calling this number invalid & not backed by real research. Most PR folks know this already. Then why do they hand it over anyway? Not because it is a standard practise but simply because it’s the easiest answer possible to the hardest question: “What did this media coverage actually achieve?” 🔸 Did it improve sentiment? 🔸 Did our Share of Voice (SoV) increase against competitors? 🔸 Did it move branded search, website traffic, inbound enquiries or sign-ups? 🔸 Did it help us build stronger relationships with journalists who now come to us proactively? Those are the questions that matter. The difficult conversation is about outcomes. PR isn’t meant to optimise for the cost of coverage. It’s meant to influence perception, build credibility, increase visibility in the right conversations, and ultimately support business outcomes. The best PR performance reports I’ve seen do not even mention AVE. They state what actually changed. Sentiment. Share of Voice. Message pull-through. Brand search. Quality of media relationships. Business impact. So, next time be a little inclined towards asking the right wuestions to get indicators that matter! All the best! - - - Follow Priya Vajpeyi for more! #marketing #PR

The best strategy almost no one outside PR understands: taking a strategic breather. Sometimes the smartest media move is to pause. Not forever. Just long enough to let the moment pass, the fog clear, or the timing improve. Here’s when a strategic breather is the right call: 1. The headlines are packed. Global conflicts. A major Supreme court ruling not involving you. Congress on the cusp of passing landmark legislation. No one’s reading your announcement or your pitch and if they are, they’re not retaining it. Reporters working 18 hour days on breaking news aren’t thinking about you right now. Several climate orgs pushed their comms calendars during COP28 because even the most compelling stories couldn’t compete. 2. A deal is in motion. If you’re raising money, merging, or finalizing a partnership, your messaging needs to stay locked down. Headspace kept a low profile while finalizing its merger with Ginger, then made a coordinated splash once the paperwork was done. 3. The media landscape and jobs in turmoil. Layoffs in your industry or even more crucially at the publications you’re targeting change the tone. Respect the moment, read the room and wait. One mental health startup postponed its funding news after TechCrunch cut its health desk. They waited six weeks and got a better story once the dust cleared in the newsroom. 4. You’re managing internal turbulence. If a lawsuit, leadership shakeup, or sensitive issue is brewing, hold the proactive push. You’re not hiding; you’re choosing the right sequence for highest impact. 5. You have nothing meaningful to share. Yeah, I know I sound like a broken record. Not every quarter needs a massive headline. Not every initiative is real news. If you’re pitching just to stay busy, you’re doing it wrong. The “always be pitching” mindset confuses motion with impact. Strategic quiet is about knowing when to move and when to wait for the real moment. What else belongs on this list? As always, call or DM me if you want to chat. Happy less Sunday Scaries going into a 4 day week.

What to say when you announce a sponsorship, so people actually pay attention. This ain’t the run of the mill press release. You’re building the story that your partners, execs, and media will build from. For context: I co-write messaging with sponsors and service providers across sport. From the first post to the follow-up that actually drives momentum. Here’s the 13-part checklist I use with sponsors to make sure that happens: 1/ Headline POV Lead with perspective. Not the deal. → “Why [Brand] is backing [Athlete/Team]” → “This is what [Series] got right about the future” 2/ Opening line that earns attention Start with a stat, insight, or belief. Not a logo. Not a thank-you paragraph. 3/ Logo placement with purpose Use it once, early, and tie it to meaning, not just exposure. 4/ Strategic pull-quote from exec No boilerplate. No fluff. One line from the CEO/CMO/CTO that frames the why of the deal. 5/ Athlete or team reference Tie their style, performance, or history to your brand’s values. This is where sports meet story. 6/ Photo or visual asset Use race-day imagery, behind-the-scenes shots, or real team integration, not stock images. (More to be said on this) 7/ Internal link to company POV or press release Bridge to the deeper story. Let them explore the details, but don’t shove it in the feed. 8/ Quote or POV from second voice Let the CTO or Head of Innovation speak to tech. Let a customer reference the impact. Add depth through voice layering. 9/ Race-week timing Don’t post in the void. Align to the race calendar, qualifying hype, or post-podium conversations. 10/ Pre-baked reshare language Give execs and partner teams a 1-line summary to repost with intent. No “We’re thrilled...” reshares. (Please) 11/ Hashtags with purpose (or none at all) Avoid the hashtag soup. Use one or two that shape narrative, not reach. 12/ Tagged collaborators (if useful) If you tag the team/athlete, it should add context or bring new eyeballs. Never tag out of obligation. 13/ Soft CTA that drives alignment End with clarity: → “What’s something you want to see more of in sponsorships?” → “We’re just getting started. More from this journey soon.” Final note: You’re writing a reference point that sales, PR, and investors will return to all season. Don’t publish and vanish. Publish and position. Photo by Darren Heath.

(A note to all my overwhelmed comms managers who are doing it all!!) If you’re in a comms role and suddenly expected to “do PR,” you're definitely not alone. Press isn’t just an extension of marketing, it’s a completely different discipline with its own rules, rhythms and relationships. Over the years, I’ve worked with lots of comms managers who were expected to “just send a press release” and instantly generate coverage. Often, they're given KPIs that simply don’t work in press, because media coverage doesn’t follow the same logic as campaign impressions or email open rates. Below are a few common mistakes I see (as a former journo), usually driven by pressure to deliver arbitrary amounts of coverage, that can actually backfire (and what to do instead.) ❌  𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 I know your internal stakeholders think it’s a big deal, but unless it’s a senior appointment, a substantial survey (2k+ sample) that has something new to say, or a genuinely new product/service, a press release is overkill. Focus on the story, not the format. 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 Sending a generic release to 200 journalists isn’t outreach, it’s a lot of unnecessary noise. Offer an exclusive where you can. Build fewer, stronger relationships. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗞𝗣𝗜 Press releases aren’t monthly deliverables. Only send one when there’s actual news. It’s better to pitch strategically than tick a box. Focus on outcomes, not output. ✅ 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵) I rarely pitch to more than 10 target titles. And each one gets a slightly different version - based on what that journalist actually covers. Spend the crafting your pitches, instead of pushing out hundreds of emails. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 Open with: why this matters and why now. Then add three concise bullet points max. You’re aiming to save the journalist time, not take more of it. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 - 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 If the story isn’t strong, even the best contact can’t place it. The story always comes first. Showing that you care about a journalist's time and respect their craft, also leads to better relationships in the long run anyway! 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 Polite persistence is fine. Pestering is not. If it’s a “no,” consider reworking the angle or holding it for a better moment. Or if they do respond with a no, ask them what they are working on and how you can actually help. This has led to me securing whole op-eds for my clients as a result! Personally, I prefer the little and often method. Pitch one smart idea a month - a comment, insight or news reaction. If it’s not picked up = save it, repurpose it as a newsletter or post, or pitch it later when there’s a relevant hook. Would love to know how other comms managers have managed to strike this balance!

PR is a powerful tool for growth, but I still see entrepreneurs and business leaders making the same mistakes that hold them back. Here are five common mistakes and how to avoid them: 1️⃣ Overusing press releases Press releases should be reserved for big announcements, like a capital raise or a senior hire. Sending them for every minor update can hurt your credibility. Tip: If it’s not time-sensitive, find a way to tie your message to a bigger industry trend. 2️⃣ Sending generic pitches Journalists are overwhelmed with pitches every day. Sending out mass, one-size-fits-all emails rarely gets noticed. Tip: Personalise your pitches and focus on why your story matters. Who will benefit, and why is it relevant? 3️⃣ Not tying PR to business goals PR isn’t just something nice to have. It’s a tool to help you achieve your business objectives. Tip: Align your PR strategy with your short- and long-term goals. 4️⃣ Not staying updated on news To be featured in the media, you need to be aware of what’s going on in your industry and beyond. Tip: Follow the outlets your target audience cares about and stay informed on what your competitors are up to. 5️⃣ Not amplifying your media coverage Got press coverage? Great! But don’t assume everyone saw it. Tip: Share your media hits across your website, here on LinkedIn, newsletters, and social channels to maximise their impact. Whether you’re handling it yourself or working with a team, make sure your PR strategy is intentional and aligned with your goals. Read more via the link in the first comment below 🔽 #PRStrategy #PR #PersonalBrand #Entrepreneurship #Growth

Founders: Got a launch coming up? Here are the timings you need to know about for a PR pro to help get the word out. 📺 Exclusive news: 3+ weeks of embargoed media pitching 💰 Funding announcements: Minimum of 2 weeks of pitching ⚡ New product/feature announcements: Minimum of 3 weeks pitching 🎉 Events: depending on the scale of the event - up to 6+ weeks in advance And that's JUST for the pitching to media/influencers - which is all hyper-personalised. We still need time to write the press release, get sign-off, and source killer visuals to tell the story. Don't screw it up with insufficient lead times to get the best results. The earlier you bring in a PR expert, the better.

If your PR team goes quiet between major announcements, you're throwing away months of potential media coverage. The "we have nothing to announce" excuse is costing you visibility. Strategic PR doesn't necessarily require breaking news to be effective. Most agencies will tell you it's impossible to generate meaningful coverage without big announcements. They're wrong. The true difference between average and exceptional PR is what happens between those major moments. The secret? A three-tier media approach that works even during "quiet periods": 1️⃣ Trade publications When a fintech client had no product updates for Q3, we created an industry report on payment processing pain points. Result: 7 trade features and 3 speaking opportunities. 2️⃣ Mainstream media For a healthcare client between funding rounds, we positioned their CEO as an expert on industry consolidation trends. Landed coverage in WSJ, Forbes, and CNBC without a single company announcement. 3️⃣ Niche publications These hidden gems are PR gold. When we identified an emerging publication before competitors, our retail client became their go-to expert source for 6 consecutive issues. The strategy works because it isn't about your news—it's about solving publication problems. Editors need: • Expert commentary on industry challenges • Fresh perspectives on emerging trends • Real-world insights on specific problems When your previous agency went silent between announcements, they weren't lacking news—they were lacking strategy. Your company's story doesn't pause between press releases.    Neither should your media coverage.