How to Write a Crisis Communication Press Release in 5 Steps

If your company is involved in a crisis and you need to release a press statement, below are easy steps for writing one.
1) Research the news outlets that will be reporting on your issue. Look at who their audience is and what they cover or have covered recently. Use social media analytics tools like BuzzSumo to see which journalists might be interested in your story based on content shared by others (that’s not always reliable!). 2) Write an email to the journalist with contact information attached highlighting how much time you’ll spend talking about this topic so they can schedule as soon as possible 3) After getting confirmation from them that they’re ready, write up some background info including dates of events leading up to the current situation 4) Briefly discuss what happened 5 ) Finally provide any additional resources such as statistics

A press release is a document that is sent to the media and public in order to promote or announce an event. A press release can be used by organizations, businesses, or individuals who want to make a big announcement. The “crisis communication press release example” is an example of a press release that was written for a company that needed to give out information about their product.

A crisis communication news release is a written communication that identifies a crisis that the firm and its stakeholders are experiencing, as well as a detailed strategy to reduce the damage or assist those who have been affected. By publicly sharing the facts and providing a single source of information from the organization, it helps to prevent conjecture regarding the crisis definition and corporate reaction. To create a press release, first determine your objectives, target audience, and response strategy, and then compose a typical news release that incorporates all of this information.

When you’re in the middle of a crisis, you don’t have time to squander. Get your press release created and published as quickly as possible by the pros at eReleases to get your word out there and help reduce losses.

The Importance of a Crisis Communication Press Release

People naturally tend to guess when a crisis occurs, whether it is a natural disaster or an internal issue, due to a lack of information from the organization. They come up with their own hypotheses about the present situation and future projections. They often exaggerate a crisis by spreading rumors and disinformation in the process.

A crisis press statement may assist to reduce speculation (ideally before it starts), create confidence in your company by laying out a specific recovery or mitigation strategy, prevent investment drop due to conjecture, and provide a central source of factual information (with contact information within your release).

The announcement also avoids further speculation or disinformation from third-party sources by ensuring the public that your organization will continue to update when new information becomes available. People will instead turn to your firm for the information they need.

5 Steps to Writing a Crisis Press Release

To produce a crisis press release, start by defining your target audience, the scope of the situation, and your objectives. Develop a tangible reaction based on the facts acquired to lessen the crisis’ effect or to assist affected stakeholders in the middle of it. Finally, draft your press release, remembering to include important details such as your logo, business contact information, title, first and second paragraphs, release date, boilerplate, call to action, and multimedia.

Here are five stages to producing a press release for crisis communication:

1. Identify Your Target Market

Many businesses issue a press release with the intention of reaching journalists. When you produce a press release to reach your target journalist’s target audiences, however, you also demonstrate the release’s worth to journalists. After all, journalists are more inclined to publish a piece that they know their viewers will like or that has an influence on them.

As a result, while producing a press release, your ultimate objective should be to reach those who are impacted by the problem, are turning to your business to solve it (in the instance of a data breach, for example), or might benefit from your organization’s assistance (in the case of a natural disaster, for example). By defining your target audience, you’ll be able to speak directly to their requirements, increasing the number of reads and engagement for the pieces that journalists will publish around your release.

Ask yourself the following questions to help you determine a target audience:

• Who is impacted by the current crisis? Your community may be impacted if your town is hit by a natural catastrophe. Employees may be your main audience if you have a data breach involving employee information. However, keep in mind that your clients will want to know how you intend to prevent this from occurring to them. Consider not just the persons directly affected, but also those who are impacted in more indirect ways.
• What is their connection to my company? You may have already answered this, but think about it again. In addition to being an employee, an employee may also be an investment and a consumer. Depending on whatever hat people are wearing, their worries about the issue are likely to shift.
• What makes them want to hear from my firm? Complete the following sentence to answer this question: “My audience wants to hear from my firm about this situation because…” Fill in the blanks with reasons why your press release will be useful to your target audience.

2. Define the Crisis & Concerns Surrounding It

Defining your issue may seem to be a simple task at first, but it may become more lengthy or intricate as you investigate deeper. Take some time to consider how to completely characterize the current issue. When feasible, speak with the people you identified as your target audience in step one. Team members and stakeholders in your firm will have differing viewpoints on why what is occurring is a crisis for them.

If you’re unable to discuss the situation right now, consider how it could effect all of your stakeholders by asking, “What danger or worry does this crisis bring to my audience members?” This will enable you to identify the situation from numerous viewpoints, including their dangers and worries, in order to comprehend the whole scope of what you need to include in your press release.

If your audience comprises consumers, workers, and investors, for example, each group may have a distinct perspective on the situation. A data breach of employee information may seem to your human resources (HR) team to be a disaster since it will make individuals feel unsafe working for you. Meanwhile, your finance and IT departments may see the same scenario as a catastrophe, fearing that they would be sued for enabling the information to be shared without permission. Other reasons why your breach constitutes a danger or causes worry for your consumers or investors may exist.

3. Specify Your Reaction

It’s time to write out how you intend to react to the issue now that you know what it is and how it impacts your audience. Your task is to determine which options may be used to handle the problem in a manner that alleviates worries and reduces dangers. Nonetheless, you must devise a strategy that is feasible to execute.

If your town has been devastated by a natural catastrophe, for example, you may not be able to rebuild the whole town, but you may gather cash to help with relief operations. Contributing to groups that are working to restore what has been lost will not fix all issues (such as loss of life), but it will assist to address the dangers and concerns that can be addressed. But don’t be afraid to tackle challenges that aren’t easily solved. While we can’t halt the pain in the event of a death, showing empathy may provide consolation to a grieving community. Aiding in the funding of counselors may also be beneficial.

Answer the following questions to help you define your response:

• Was it your firm’s fault? If that’s the case, thorough openness and acknowledgment of wrongdoing should be part of your answer. People must be aware that you are accepting responsibility. People may get worried about the future and furious at the firm if they are not held accountable.
• What tone should your business adopt? It’s important to have the right tone while responding to a crisis. If you’re the one who caused the situation, use a modest yet confident tone. People need to know you’re sorry, but you’re also capable of finding answers. If the corporation has a charitable solution to reveal, on the other hand, an optimistic tone may be acceptable.
• How can you realistically assist people who have been affected? Trust increases your connection with your audience during a crisis. However, broken promises weaken confidence. As a result, your declared crisis solution must be practical and feasible. Examine your company’s resources (both internal and external) to determine what solution(s) you can realistically implement.
• How can you reassure individuals who have been affected? If the crisis was caused by the business, your reaction should contain specific, proactive measures your firm can take to reduce the harm and reassure your audience that it won’t happen again (if the crisis was caused by the company) or that hope is on the way (in the case of a natural or community disaster, for example).

4. Define the objectives of your press release

Even if you don’t issue a press release when a crisis occurs, stakeholders are likely to be aware of it. Rather of merely informing them of the event, consider your audience and your reaction, and then define a purpose for what you want them to do with the knowledge to benefit your company. Your objectives might include changing unfavorable public opinions of your company or persuading your audience to support your brand or response campaign.

The most crucial thing is that your press release aids you in achieving your objective. To do so, use our goal-setting instructions to create an S.M.A.R.T. objective. A S.M.A.R.T. objective is one that is precise, measurable, achievable (with available resources), relevant to your company model and stakeholders, and time-based (has a set deadline). This ensures that your objectives are achieving the results you need for your company.

Read our post on the greatest small company S.M.A.R.T. goal examples to understand how other firms create excellent press releases.

“I see a lot of small firms rushing their crisis communications out there in order to ‘get ahead of it.’” They may believe that their consumers and partners are anticipating a statement sooner than they are. The more time you spend planning a controlled reaction to a crisis, the more professional and successful your answer will be.”

— Joe Szynkowski, NuVinAir Global’s Senior Director of Franchisee Recruitment and Brand Management

5. Prepare a press release

Use the information to construct your press release now that you’ve established your problem, audience, reaction, and objectives. A logo, release date, date and location stamp, contact information, a header and subheader (optional), a first and body paragraph, quotations, links, a boilerplate, a concluding note or call to action (CTA), and multimedia should all be included. The length of your press release should be between 300 and 500 words.

As you write, be sure to include three crucial concepts: a characterization of the crisis from your company’s and stakeholders’ perspectives, clear measures you’ll take to assist with or address the problem, and what you want readers to do with the information you’ve provided. If your firm caused the issue, be open and modest about it. Don’t use defensive language or try to conceal anything. Maintain a fact-based approach to all emergencies while still being soothing and empathic.

While many aspects should be consistent throughout all press releases, other elements should be tailored to the specific sort of news release you’re writing. Your logo, location stamp and date, end notation, multimedia, and boilerplate should all be consistent (with no variations) throughout all versions.

Read our guide on press release format to discover how to draft and format these and other parts in a standard manner. Your release date, contact information, title, opening paragraph, body paragraphs, quotations, call to action, and multimedia are all basic aspects that should be altered dependent on the kind of press release.

The following are the important parts that should be altered for a crisis press statement, along with instructions on how to do so:

• The release date informs journalists when the release is ready to be published. Use a date when your organization will be completely prepared to answer to any queries or responses to your announcement.
• Designate one person in the firm as the principal point of contact for giving accurate and up-to-date information regarding a crisis (typically the CEO). At the upper right-hand corner of your release, provide that person’s contact information, including their complete name, professional title, phone number, and email.
• Headline: Your headline should inform your readers why they should care in a few words. Use your headline in a crisis to convey your audience what they can anticipate from you throughout the crisis.
• First paragraph: Summarize the who, what, when, why, and how of the situation in the first paragraph, then provide a quick explanation of your company’s reaction. Consider all stakeholders and how the crisis may be described from their viewpoint when you explain the situation.
• Body paragraphs: Discuss your strategy to service stakeholders impacted by the crisis in two to three paragraphs, and, if your organization is to blame, reduce the damage and take remedial actions to guarantee it does not happen again. Don’t take a defensive stance. Accept responsibility for your actions, demonstrate real concern, and provide specific, proactive remedies.
• Quotes: The designated corporate person responsible for providing the most up-to-date and accurate crisis information shall provide quotes. Quotes might discuss your company’s dedication to remedial action or public service, as well as why you selected the solution you did. Include a few quotations to give journalists an option.
• In one to two phrases, notify readers how and where they may learn additional and always up-to-date information as the tale continues and you execute your response plan in your final note. You might, for example, refer readers to a website where they may sign up for updates. Journalists may also be invited to contact your crisis communications specialist.

Once you’ve prepared your press release, you’ll need to disseminate it to your target audience in a targeted manner. Read our step-by-step tutorial on how to submit a press release for more information.

It’s critical to monitor the performance of your press release once it’s been released. This will allow you to assess the effect of your release. If you’re not getting the results you want, your analytics data might help you figure out how to retarget for more success.

Examples of Crisis Press Releases

Product recalls and data breaches, as well as natural calamities like the COVID-19 pandemic, are all examples of crises. Companies would do well to present clear facts and estimates, a solid strategy for risk avoidance or recovery for all people affected, and an empathic tone that does not divert blame, regardless of the situation at hand (if the company was at fault). Historically, some businesses have done a better job of delivering these signals than others.

Here are three examples of crisis news releases from which small firms might learn:

1. Shenandoah Telecommunications’ COVID-19 Response Benefits a Wide Range of Stakeholders

COVID-19 Press Release from Shenandoah Telecommunications

Shenandoah Telecommunications is a wonderful example of how to conduct a press release after a natural disaster. They look at the situation from the viewpoints of a variety of stakeholders, including parents, company owners, and workers, all of whom have distinct difficulties when it comes to quarantining for COVID-19. They also provide a specific strategy to address stakeholders’ risks and concerns by providing a free service upgrade to all customers. Finally, they reassure consumers and workers who depend on them to look after their companies and families by declaring their commitment to continuous service, ensuring that stakeholders can continue to rely on them.

2. Appco Pharma Issues a Recall for a Cancer-Producing Product

Press Release on the Appco Pharma Recall

The press statement from Appco Pharma does a good job of articulating the crisis—a cancer-causing chemical in their product at hazardous levels. The corporation then talks directly to people who are affected (i.e., customers) about their intention to recall the product voluntarily. The press statement goes on to address consumer questions regarding the recall, including how to identify recalled items (with multimedia), who to contact with concerns if they have been harmed by the hazardous component, and who to contact with more inquiries.

While Appco Pharma does an excellent job of presenting information that customers would find useful, it might do a better job of providing comfort and empathy to individuals who have been affected. A few remarks from the firm’s CEO expressing a commitment to avoiding such recalls in the future and helping individuals affected would have provided a human touch to the story and increased confidence in the brand.

3. Target Updates Stakeholders on Data Breach Investigation

Press Release on Target Data Breach

When Target discovered a data breach involving 7 million customers’ sensitive personal information, they launched a full-fledged investigation to determine the full extent of the damage. This allowed them to characterize the problem from the viewpoints of all stakeholders, allowing them to build a strategy to minimize the situation for all those affected. Target’s investigating team published a follow-up news statement after learning that the harm to consumers was higher than they had anticipated.

In their news statement, Target did a good job of accepting full responsibility. The CEO’s statement was contrite and did not contain any defensive material. After accepting full responsibility, the corporation outlined its plan for correcting the issue, which included providing affected clients with a year of free credit monitoring.

Furthermore, the press release informs investors about the company’s unsatisfactory financial situation and their intention to recover in order to reduce investment risk. Finally, in areas where Target lacked answers, the press statement indicated as much, with no guarantees until further information became available. This helped the firm gain investor confidence by demonstrating that it would not provide misleading guarantees or filler information. Investors would be more willing to accept the estimates if the firm provided favorable information in the future.

Top 3 Press Release Writing Services in a Crisis

On a small company budget, press release writing services should be able to provide a personalized press release prepared by national pros. They should give editing services once your release is written to assure your entire happiness. Free services such as a search engine optimization (SEO) audit, various drafts to pick from, quick turnaround, and many communication channels are also included in the finest services, making the process simple and the end output polished.

Here are the top three small company press release writing services:

Send2Press: The Most Trusted Source for Accredited Public Relations Writing Services

Press release writing services from Send2Press start at $199 per release. When you sign up for their services, you’ll be assigned to a qualified public relations expert, a working journalist, or a published author. After that, your writer will create many drafts from which you may choose your final article. If you don’t want complete writing services, editing and rewrite services are available for $89 to $169 each press release. Visit get started, go to Send2Press.

For Unlimited Revisions, eReleases is the best option.

Press release writing services from eReleases start at $300 per release, but they don’t stop until you’re completely happy. This means you may resubmit your resume for edits as many times as you need. When it comes to gathering material for your press release, the editors at eReleases provide you a lot of options. They may also pull information from your website and supplied remarks if you wish. You may also set up a phone conversation or an email chat to go through the specifics. Visit discover more, go to eReleases.

Best for bundled press release distribution with SEO-audited writing is PR distribution.

PR Delivery provides packaged subscriptions that include both press release authoring and distribution services, beginning at $168. A free SEO analysis is included, as well as limitless modifications. You can also turn to them for writing and distribution services if you need a quick turnaround; you can anticipate your first draft in two to three business days. They may then distribute to local channels and search engines, as well as top-tier national networks such as ABC, CBS, and Fox. Visit their website to get started with PR Distribution.

Conclusion

A crisis press release is a document that firms distribute to certain audiences (typically journalists) in order to provide corporate communication in the event of an internal or natural disaster. Companies produce a press release to provide the public with factual information, reassure stakeholders, apologize (if required), and explain a mitigating strategy. To draft a press release, start by establishing your target audience, crisis, objectives, and reaction strategy. After that, compose a typical press release using the facts you’ve gathered.

Time is of the importance during a crisis. Consider eReleases if you need assistance drafting a crisis press release rapidly. For $300, you may just send your comments and website to an editor for review, or you can work with an editor on the phone, through chat, or via email to go over topics in more detail. Visit get started, go to eReleases.

Visit eReleases for further information.

A press release is a document that includes information about the company, its products, and its services. It is often used to inform the public of an issue or event. The “damage control press release example” is a good example of one.

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