Podcast and radio hosts are constantly searching for innovative methods to market themselves and their programs. Despite this, press releases remain an underrated tool for raising awareness of shows and new episodes. Essentially, a press release is a written statement that is distributed to media personnel to announce information that is newsworthy. In the case of a radio show, newsworthy topics include but are not limited to the launch of their show, featuring a special guest on an episode, and rebranding. VoiceAmerica submits hosts’ press releases to SBWire and once published, it will be disseminated to over 200 media websites. This article will delve into how to create a press release step-by-step.

Every Press Release Should Include These Elements

  • Headline: The headline should grab the reader’s attention and fully encompass the message of your press release. It is important to keep your headline short; it should not be more than one sentence. Sub-headlines are optional for hosts submitting a press release to VoiceAmerica.
  • Introduction: Begin your press release with the main reason you are creating the press release. Following the main announcement, it is crucial to include all the key information relating to the subject that you are writing about. Don’t forget your 5 Ws and 1 H! 
  • Body: After you got the main details of the press release out of the way, we encourage you to insert a quote from either the host, guest, or executive producer to incorporate other voices into the press release. The body of the statement does not need to be lengthy but try to expand on the details that you gave earlier in the press release. We suggest sharing the anecdote behind the announcement (if there is one) and give enough insight for the reader to care about the news that they are ingesting.
  • Once you have finished articulating the message, write a short biography about yourself, your guest if they are involved in the press release, your radio show and/or your company. VoiceAmerica always includes information about the network at the end of every press release.
  • Contact Information: When submitting your press release to our social media manager, ensure that you have included the contact information for whoever handles your media inquiries. Typically, if you are a host at VoiceAmerica, your Executive Producer will be the media contact, but if that is not the case, include their information in the press release. We strongly recommend that you leave out personal emails and only insert company emails.
  • Optimization: Add keywords throughout your press release to improve the likeliness of people discovering your announcement. Keywords will help boost your SEO, which is important for getting the word out there.
  • Multimedia: This is an optional step, but we highly recommend including at least one or two high-definition pictures to your press release. You can add videos or links to your press release as well. Common examples of multimedia are headshots, show images, logos, and video promotions.

We recommend writing press releases for these topics:

  • Special guests who have a large following on social media, are widely known to the public, or are an expert in their field.
  • New radio show or podcast launch
  • Book launch or book best-seller announcement
  • Major updates regarding your show, such as partnerships, featured in the media, etc.
  • Events surrounding your show or company like webinars, speaking events, conferences, festivals and more.
  • Article or magazine features

Keep in Mind

  1. A press release needs to be timely, relevant, and important. The information you are sharing in the news release should interest your audience. Don’t submit a press release on anything that isn’t newsworthy or an announcement. If there is a message you would like to share online but it doesn’t fit the press release criteria, blog posts are a successful way to do so.
  2. Keep your press release concise – your press release should not be more than a page long. Also, spell out acronyms and avoid using technical terms or jargon that someone working in a different field wouldn’t understand.
  3. Maintain an active voice to keep your audience engaged. This means that when writing the press release, you are emphasizing who is doing what in your news release.
  4. This is optional, but we recommend that you break up your press release into a few different paragraphs when you are giving separate information. 
  5. Since the press release is going out to several media sites and journalists, it is critical to make sure that you are only including factual information and reliable sources.

Press releases are an important tool for promoting your podcast or radio show. If you are thinking about writing a press release, please verify that it is newsworthy, concise, and well-written. By following the steps described in this article, you can write an effective press release that will get the attention of the media and the general public. If you need a sample or template to follow for writing your own press release, our social media manager, Rachel, has provided a document in the host portal specifically for hosts at VoiceAmerica.