First Four Steps To Writing An Effective Press Release Announcing A New Hire Or Promotion
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A great way to reach the general public and people within your field plus generate earned media for your company or organization is to produce a press release announcing a new-hire, new executive or manager taking on an important role in your business. Press releases announcing a new hire or promotion follow the standard press release format and include information on your new staff member, including details about their skills, experience, and expected contribution to your business. New-hire announcements are typically 400- to 600-words long and give your business credibility and media exposure. Following are eight steps to produce an engaging new-hire press release.
Follow these four steps and gain earned media by targeting industry and consumer media with a press release promoting a new executive or manager, or announcing an important staff promotion.
DETAILED SUMARY ABOUT ANNOUNCING A NEW HIRE
First Four Steps To Produce Engaging PR Promoting A New Hire Or Promotion –
- Follow Standard Press Release Format
- Write Your New-Hire Headline
- Create a Sub-headline/Summary
- Develop an Engaging Lead Paragraph
1. Follow Standard Press Release Format
Press releases announcing a new staff member should include the release date, headline, sub-headline, location, and the body of the press release. While the message will be specific to your business and new staff member, following the standard format ensures that your press release will be effective in reaching journalists and can be syndicated by media agencies.
Following are the elements that should be included in a news release announcing a new hire or promotion:
- Company logo: Add your company logo in the header area
- Release date information: Exact date or “For immediate publication”
- Headline: Outline the subject of your press release
- Sub-headline: Develop the headline further
- City, State: The location of the business
- Date: The date you distribute your press release
- Summary paragraph: A full description of the story in brief
- Body: Outline the story in detail using the inverted-pyramid format, with the most important details in the lead paragraph and information of and diminishing importance provided lower down the page, and include a headshot of the new staffer (add link to relevant article here)
- Quote: Add a quote to enhance the article (add link to relevant article here)
- Company information (often called “boilerplate”): A short – usually one paragraph – description of the business at the end, headed with a boldface headline (usually “About Company XYZ)
- Contact information: Provide the name and contact information for your media contact person – name, email, phone and website contact form information
- Three pound signs: ### to signify the press release is complete
Although a new-hire press release follows the standard format, there are three important points to follow in a new-hire announcement. First, name the company and the new staff member in the headline. Second, introduce details about the new employee in the first paragraph. Third, include a headshot of the individual.
2. Write an Attention-Getting Headline
The headline, consisting of 10 to 20 words, should include the business name, the new employee’s name, and his or her position. Including all these details will ensure readers and journalists know immediately what is under discussion. Follow this headline convention: [Business Name] Hires [New Employee’s Name] for/as [Job Title or Role].
3. Create an Informative Sub-Headline/Summary
The sub-head/summary should support the headline and expand upon the role or qualifications of your new employee in a single sentence of 10 to 20 words. The goal of the sub-head is to explain why this is an important hire, while the headline explains who and what.
Information important to mention in the sub-head could include the new hire’s years of experience, previous positions, and the reason for the new hire or promotion. If, for example, you are announcing a new vice president, it would be prudent to that state she is the first female executive or mention pertinent experience and education.
4. Develop a Lead Paragraph When Announcing a New Hire
The lead paragraph is the first paragraph of a press release body and should answer six specific questions—who, what, when, where, why and how—in 50 to 70 words. This leading paragraph is the most important paragraph since it communicates everything that the reader needs to know about the new employee, his or her responsibilities, and the way this individual will benefit the business and community.
The specific questions to answer include:
- Who: The new staff member’s name
- What: What the employee will be doing, his or her position and/or title
- Where: Where the new hire is from, his or her background and/or education
- When: The new hire’s first day on the job
- Why: The positive impact that the new hire will have on the business and in the community
- How: Why the position was vacant/created or how the new staffer was found
It’s ideal to include a headshot of the new hire in your press release in order to add personality and visual interest. Although not all press releases are syndicated with photos, many local news agencies will be able to include the picture in a write-up or a new hire section.
In Part 2 of this content, we’ll explain four more steps to follow to create a newsworthy press release. They are:
1. Discuss the Employee’s Background and Qualifications
2. Include a Quote about the New Hire
3. Describe the Impact of the New Hire’s Role
4. Conclude with Your Company Boilerplate and Media Contact Information
ANNOUNCING A NEW HIRE – FASELIS NOTE:
Choosing the right PR distribution option is imperative to a successful media relations campaign. Reach a wide selection of media outlets with Faselis Growth, and target specific industry media outlets and track the results with Faselis’ detailed reports.
by Jill McCoomber
