Social media has evolved into a media beast. Many in the natural products industry have all but given up on the press release. After all, much of this content can be used on many of your social media platforms.

Not so fast!

A powerful press release can tell a great story—and there is so much to tell when it comes to innovative ingredients and the science that supports these ingredients. Smart writers know that a well-written press release can take a message to new channels and reach thousands, or even millions, of new readers. Furthermore, a great press release also has search engine benefits.

Press coverage makes potential customers aware of your business in a way that is more credible than advertising. But how does a natural products supplier attract the attention of the news media? A press release is one way to get your company exposure.

Writing a killer press release will create high visibility for your message and drive measurable results. And the way to drive meaningful, measurable results is by creating a compelling hook. But before you can generate a powerful message, you must research other press releases and blogs on the topic you are going to write about. Be sure these press releases and blogs have generated their own media buzz. Use these as a guideline for your release. Additionally, know your audience so you create content that will produces a reaction. Great hooks pull readers into the story you’re trying to tell, creating an insatiable thirst to find out more.

Always remember the primary audiences for a press release are trade and mainstream journalists. Be sure to answer the five “Ws” of news writing—who, what, when, where and why—in one sentence. It is vital to develop and then convey in your press release a compelling storyline that will make the journalist’s job easy. The objective is to provide content readers will not forget. Ideally, you also want readers to pass along your message in their own personal marketing channels. 

A press release, however, is DOA without a headline that smacks you in the face. All marketing tends to be interruption-based. Your reader won’t give you their attention unless the press release has profound impact. This means writing a headline that features the most impactful aspect of the story and not a product or company name. If not, the reader will move on.

To accomplish this you need to decide on a compelling angle. How can you add suspense, intrigue, or advice to the story? Try to tie your story into a trend, local news, pop culture, or a holiday. This will create a relevance many can identify with.

Finally, distribution can make or break a press release. Every company has established brand fans. Alerting these existing audiences of new content is a great way to increase impact. Place your press release in your corporate newsroom, on your blog and across all social channels. Distribute the news directly through email lists, including social share buttons to jumpstart social sharing.

However, while placing your content on your own channels is a great start, this alone will not provide the visibility you want. For the genuinely serious natural products supplier, consider paid promotion. For years, public relations professionals have been leveraging paid channels to increase impact and visibility of all kinds of news. And with good reason: commercial newswires provide the best Return on Investment (ROI) when it comes to news distribution.

To ensure the highest possible ROI for your press release, closely examine the following news distribution options: 

A comprehensive understanding of the above will drive meaningful results. Plus, in today’s digital environment, content must include multimedia for additional impact. There are thousands of press releases distributed each day—and woefully understaffed media outlets. The inclusion of a digital feature of some sort may be the key differentiator separating your press release from your competitors’. You want your story to be heard, after all, not discarded into the dreaded circular file.