New York event planners have to be creative with all the available marketing tools in the arsenal. And one of those event marketing channels you should master are press releases. These media statements can generate huge buzz for your upcoming NYC event. And they’re incredible for attracting event guests, exhibitors, and sponsors. But there’s a right and a wrong way to leverage the all-powerful press release. And today, we’re sharing an ultimate guide for crafting your way to PR success for all your events.
Benefits of Using Press Releases
If you’re not using press releases to promote your New York events and event business, you’re missing out on valuable marketing opportunities to engage your audience. There are a host of advantages to using PR campaigns. These are the most notable benefits to consider:
- Garner media attention for your cause, event, and client.
- Generate additional publicity and brand awareness.
- Shape any public perception of your event, client, or brand.
- Improve search engine rankings.
- Attract event supporters and sponsors.
- Increase event attendance or sell more tickets.
Know Your Press Release Goal First
Don’t just issue press releases without first sitting down to identify your goals. What do you need the press release to achieve? For example, you might want to share announcements about a fundraising gala monetary goal, inspiring donations from the public. Or maybe you’re hosting a monumental corporate event and want to increase brand mileage for your client. Whatever your goals are for your PR marketing, make sure you develop them first so you can have clarity about what to include in your press release statement.
Create a Press Release Timeline
The next step is to create a timeline for issuing press releases leading up to your event date. You might want to issue a press release early on announcing your event. And then, a few weeks later, you might release another press release announcing the keynote speakers you have lined up for your event. Finally, consider another PR announcement closer to your event date, with last-minute ticket opportunities or opt-ins for the community to donate or participate. When you have a press release schedule in place, you’ll have an easier time developing those tiered messages and campaigns.
Develop a Customizable PR Template for Efficiency
Save time and valuable resources by creating a few go-to press release templates. You can then source them and customize each for every corresponding event. Know the structure of a great press release and build out templates that prompt you for each must-have segment. These include:
- Newsworthy Title
- Captivating Introduction
- 1-2 Body Segments
- Quote Segments
- Contact Information
How to Craft Effective and Exciting Event Press Releases
Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to create a press release that gets noticed and drives results. Follow this format every time.
- Write a clear, captivating headline
- Include the event date, location, and purpose
- Quickly describe what the audience needs to know
- Provide more context, describing the anticipated event experience
- Be honest and unbiased throughout
- Eliminate any industry jargon
- Include relevant, meaningful, colorful quotes
- Sign off appropriately with instructions and CTA
- Describe how to contact you for more information.
- Provide a brief description or summary of your business.
Golden Rules of Press Releases
As you’re crafting your New York event marketing press releases, stick with this guide. You can also adhere to the golden rules of any impactful PR campaign.
- Remember, your press release has to feel newsworthy and depict a strong story.
- Remember, everything about your PR needs to be attention-grabbing but not salesy, including subject lines and headlines.
- Remember, do your homework and ensure that every detail you share in your press release is factually and grammatically correct.
- Remember, always tie in memorable quotes from notable authorities or personalities for improved credibility.
Press Release Mistakes to Avoid
When developing your press release strategy, goals, and timelines, be mindful of PR mistakes to avoid. These tend to be the most common errors and faux pas to look out for when drafting your press release.
- Don’t issue a PR if you don’t feel you have storytelling or newsworthy announcements to make.
- Don’t issue a press release in any other format, or it may be overlooked.
- Don’t make up quotes for the sake of having quotes.
- Don’t make your press release sound like an advertisement in any way.
Discover All the Marketing Insights You Need at The Expo
Use press releases as part of your overall marketing strategy to promote your NYC events, and keep this ultimate guide handy as a reference. And if you really want a marketing edge, get to The Event Planner Expo. It’s the one conference event planners can attend to get in the room with top marketing professionals and industry experts. It’s where you need to be if boosting your event marketing game is the goal.
