By Frank Hamilton
Crisis management is an important part of managing a business of any size. Problems happen all the time, both inside and outside of your company. That’s why you need to know how to solve them correctly and respond to the crisis swiftly. But it’s not enough to simply solve the issue – you should also announce how you will solve it.
To make an announcement like this, you will need to write a crisis communication press release. Such a press release is just like any other one, but it still has its own peculiarities you should keep in mind when creating it. Hence, here’s how to write a crisis communication press release.
Why Do You Need a Crisis Communication Press Release?
Depending on the situation you are in, your crisis communication press release could have different purposes. Yet, the main idea behind it is always the same: to deliver information about the situation to your target audience and to explain how you will respond to the crisis (and solve the problem at hand).
The first thing you should do is consider what kind of crisis you are dealing with. Is it something that happened outside of your company and influenced you in some way? Or is it something within your company? Perhaps, your company is responsible for creating the crisis in the first place (and now must apologize for it)?
Once you understand what kind of situation you are in, you can define your target audience. When it is an external crisis that has affected your company in some way, you will most likely want to address the general public as well as your own team. If your company is the reason for an external crisis, you will need to respond to it correctly to solve it. When it is an internal crisis, you will mostly be addressing your team (but also the public in some cases).
What Should a Crisis Communication Press Release Contain?
After determining what kind of crisis you are dealing with and who your audience is, you will need to choose what to include in your crisis communication press release. Marcus Gatsby, an expert from the writing services reviews and ratings site, puts it this way, “Every press release is structured in a similar way, but the type of your press release determines the details you do or don’t include.”
A crisis communication press release will usually contain:
- Headline and Press Release Info: Your press release headline should summarize everything in your press release in a brief and precise manner. At the same time, you should have all the necessary press release info (such as the press release publishing date) in place.
- Overview of The Crisis: The first paragraph should provide a brief overview of the crisis while the body of your press release should expand on the situation.
- Your Response to It: Another crucial piece of information that should be included in the body of your press release is your response to the crisis.
- Call to Action: The final paragraph should summarize everything and end with a call to action.
- Contact Information: At the very end of your press release, include information about your company and information on how to contact you.
#1 Prepare Information for Your Press Release
Before you sit down to write your crisis communication press release, you should prepare information for it. Without such preparation, you could easily forget crucial details. Here are some tips on how you should prepare:
- Get a complete timeline of events. You don’t have to recount everything that happened in your press release, but you should point out the key events, nonetheless.
- Consult with your team and the executives at your company on how to respond to the crisis. An improper response could only escalate the situation.
- Gather quotes from relevant people. Some press releases can be enriched with quotes from experts or even directly from your company representatives. These quotes can make your press release more sincere.
- Update any necessary information. Make sure that your company and contact details are correct and up to date.
- Schedule your press release to align with your strategy. Timing is important, so make sure that your press release gets published at the right time of day and week.
#2 Make an Outline for Your Press Release
When you have collected all the necessary information for your crisis communication press release, your next step is to make an outline for it. Victoria Longbow, an expert from the custom writing reviews site, explains it this way, “An outline is not just another way to prepare before writing your press release. It’s a way to organize all you have to say and to structure your press release for easier readability.”
Indeed, a proper outline for your press release is crucial. Here are some tips on how you can make your outline better:
- Start with the elements you should include (listed earlier). This will already give you an idea of what you should have in place and in what order it should be added.
- Pay close attention to the body of your press release. This is where your main overview of the crisis is as well as your response to it. Your body shouldn’t be too long, but it needs to cover all the key points in a way that makes sense (e.g. in chronological order).
- Be concise with your final paragraph. No need to summarize every single point. Instead, have a strong but brief conclusion and a bold call to action.
#3 Respond to The Crisis Appropriately
Now you can finally start writing the press release itself. This shouldn’t be too difficult by this point considering that you have all the relevant information and a good outline in place. Yet, you should still keep in mind one fundamental point: you should respond to the crisis appropriately.
This isn’t just about what you want to do, but also how you word it. A press release is an official piece which means it should be written using an official style of writing. Avoid using jargon and be particularly careful with words that have certain connotations. In addition to that, don’t make the crisis personal, even if you know that there is a certain group of people responsible. Politeness and respect should be your top priority.
To summarize, a proper crisis communication press release not only informs your audience about the situation but also explains how you are planning to solve the problem. Use the tips in this article to help you craft your own crisis communication press release and easily deliver the right information to your target audience.
Frank Hamilton has been working as a freelance writer at custom research paper writing services. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.