One often-overlooked area of a marketing communications strategy is public relations. In today’s media-rich environment, PR is an area that savvy companies simply can’t afford to ignore. A positive news story can go a long way in strengthening your brand and creating “buzz” about the services you offer. And because it’s seen as more objective than a paid advertisement or your website, it increases your credibility.

One reason PR often falls by the wayside is that companies don’t think they do anything that’s newsworthy. But it’s often the little things that generate the most interest in today’s media world – a resident’s 100th birthday, tips on how to stay healthy, or a fund-raiser for Alzheimer’s are all topics that many media outlets are interested in.

Writing a press release needn’t be intimidating, although there is a format that is considered standard. Press releases are most frequently sent as emails these days and should be embedded in the body of the email as some media people will ignore or delete any email with attachments for fear of opening a virus. A few things all releases should include:

  • Release date (usually this is handled by stating “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” at the top of the page)
  • Contact information (someone the press can contact for more information)
  • Compelling headline (should be topical and newsworthy)
  • At the start of the release, the first thing you should put is your city and state and the date of release
  • It’s always nice to include a quote from someone in your company about the story you’re pitching
  • Something indicating the end of the release – this used to be done with “ – 30 –,” but more recently “# # #” is used
  • After the end of the release, it is typical to include a little paragraph that provides some information about the company, such as what you do, how long you’ve been doing it, who you serve, etc.

If you discover you could use a little help getting started, IlluminAge is now featuring press releases in our AgeWise content subscription service. Subscribers can use these releases to send to local media outlets to gain positive media attention. These releases will cover timely topics and position you as an expert in a variety of topics in senior care.

The releases are written to be easily customizable. Simply add in your specific information to make it a story specific to you and your organization. After you’ve customized your release, send it to local news outlets in your area. If you know of a particular reporter that covers health/eldercare issues, send it to him/her personally. If you don’t know who to send it to, most media websites have a section where you can submit story ideas or provide an email address to do so (e.g., newstips@anytowntimes.com).

AgeWise is a library of ever-evolving content that you can use in your newsletters, blog posts and social media pages. If you would like to subscribe to AgeWise, you may do so here.