Content Formats: How to navigate the minefield of PR terminology

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.

1. 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).

1. 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](https://mvpr.io/blogs/how-to-create-compelling-topics-for-thought-leadership-articles)

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

1. 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.

1. 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.).

1. 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