How to navigate the minefield of PR terminology
August 2024
Tom Lawrence
Founder & CEO
I frequently speak to non-PR professionals that confuse content formats with PR tooling.
The PR industry has some unnecessarily confusing terminology, so I have shared a breakdown here below which I hope will simplify how to think about structuring your PR strategy, and a guide for what kinds of content you can use to communicate information with relevant external stakeholders.
I’ve outlined here which content formats to use, what they should be used to communicate, the format, and how they are usually shared.
Press Releases
Press Releases can be used to:
Announce company milestones (Funding, Partnership, New Customer, Major Hire, Product Launch, M&A, IPO).
Press Release Format:
Headline: Catchy, informative summary of the news
Dateline: City, State, Date
Lead paragraph: Who, what, when, where, why, and how of the news
Body: Additional details, quotes from key stakeholders
Boilerplate: Standard company description
Contact information: For media inquiries
How press releases should be shared:
Emailed to journalists (sometimes pitched under embargo as an exclusive to a top tier publication), posted on company website, sometimes shared via newswire (mainly for less newsworthy announcements).
Thought Leadership Articles
Thought Leadership articles can be used to:
Share educational material, opinions, or vision.
Thought Leadership Article format:
Engaging headline
Introduction setting up the context
Main body with 3-5 key points or insights
Conclusion summarising main takeaways
Author bio highlighting expertise
You can read more about how to write compelling thought leadership articles in last month's blog post here
How Thought Leadership articles should be shared:
Pitched to journalists at industry publications via email or social media using a short introduction of the spokesperson and company and a synopsis / outline of the full article you are proposing
Thought Leadership articles can also be turned into LinkedIn articles or X threads once published and referenced on the company blog
Commentary
Commentary can be used to:
Provide educational material, opinions, or views on recent trends.
Comment or Quote Format:
1st person written comment or voice recording from an individual (usually 100-300 words)
Clear stance or perspective on a topic - as unique and original as possible
Supporting evidence or examples
Quotable soundbites
How comments should be shared:
Offered to journalists for inclusion in larger stories - ideally before or during a major story unfolding - posted on social media, turned into short thought leadership if the topic has shelf life.
Social Media Posts
Social Media Posts can be used to:
Share educational material, opinions, views on trends, company milestones, or customer achievements.
Social Media Format:
Concise text (platform-dependent length)
Engaging visuals (images, infographics, or short videos)
Relevant hashtags
Call-to-action (when appropriate)
How Social Media posts can be shared:
Posted directly on company social media accounts (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.).
Award Entries
Awards nominations can be used to:
Highlight vision and company milestones reached.
Award Entry Format:
Executive summary
Detailed responses to award criteria
Supporting evidence (metrics, testimonials)
Company or personal background
How Award Entries are submitted:
Directly to award organisers, results potentially shared in press releases or social media posts if won
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