A backgrounder is a piece of information that is frequently included with a press release, press advisory, or as part of a broader media kit. The backgrounder provides more thorough information on a topic, event, person of interest, or launch to the press or other interested parties. Many freelance writers and public relations professionals should know how to compose a backgrounder.
It is supplied because other press or media materials, such as media advisories and press releases, must be kept brief and to the point. The backgrounder gives the journalist or media outlet extra information without jeopardizing the readability or conventional structure of the media advisory or press release.
How to write a Backgrounder with Tania Donovan
The Advantages Of Including A Backgrounder
Before you learn how to write a backgrounder, consider the advantages of incorporating one with your press release.
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This allows you to decide which choice is best for your scenario, allowing you to make an informed decision. The main advantage is that it increases the number of news outlets that publish your press release.
Reporters and other media personnel are under pressure to fulfill tight deadlines, and they often get a flood of requests from corporations seeking to distribute information on their news networks. Make yourself stand out with a backgrounder to increase your chances of success.
When you include all of the necessary information in your content, you save media personnel a lot of time since they won't have to perform all of the research on their own. If you save media outlets time and effort, they are significantly more likely to pick your press release.
Another advantage is that a well-written backgrounder increases your trustworthiness.
How To Write A Backgrounder?
Tone And Style
If you're ready to learn how to write a backgrounder, this part will go through the tone and style you should employ.
The majority of journalists and media outlets exclusively publish news written in AP style. The American Psychological Association (AP) style is a set of defined norms and principles that journalists must follow while writing stories. Major news organizations have all agreed to utilize AP style so that their readers know what writing style to expect, regardless of whether they are reading articles online or different newspapers from around the world.
If you are unfamiliar with AP style, you should read the most recent edition of the AP Stylebook. The Associated Press now provides tools that examine your work and assist you in correcting any AP-style problems that may exist. Before you send out your press release and backgrounder, keep in mind that automated systems can only take you so far. They can't always pick up on context or other little aspects that impact how you design your content, so knowing AP style is crucial regardless of the tools you employ.
You may now concentrate on the tone of your backgrounder. Remember that most journalists are pressed for time, so keep your backgrounder brief and to the point. To make your work professional, avoid utilizing slang terminology and write in the third person.
Mission And Vision Of The Company
You go through your company's present vision and mission statement in this part.
Some individuals merely put one or two phrases in this part, but you don't want to miss out on the excellent opportunity to express your principles. You might begin by stating your company's mission statement.
However, you should also go into greater depth about your vision and what you intend to achieve in the long term. Consider how your company can have a beneficial influence on your community while you work toward your long-term objectives, and you'll be on the right route. This area is also a wonderful opportunity to highlight any organizations or causes that your company supports.
Details About Your Company Or Product
Before they feel comfortable publishing your press release, the news sites you approach will want to learn as much as they can about your organization. Keeping this in mind, devote some time to writing about your organization or its products and services. If you are having difficulty providing pertinent information about your firm, begin by explaining all of the goods and services you provide and how they benefit your clients.
In this part, explain your approach to customer service and how you earned your clients' confidence. You should also analyze what distinguishes your products and services from the competition. Write about any future plans you have for your firm, such as growing into other markets, to provide a complete image.
Describe how you manage and organize your business. For instance, state if you are a single proprietorship, an LLC, or another type of business structure. If you own a publicly traded firm, inform the media outlets you contact. Are you attempting to entice investors?
Your Company's Or Product's History
Put yourself in the position of the media outlets you intend to contact while learning how to create a backgrounder.
Make sure to mention your company's relevant history in your proposal. If you're still stumped on what to write in this part, start with the date the firm was created. Indicate if you are the company's original owner or if you purchased it later in its history.
You should also discuss your company's original goal and how it may have developed. Examine how much your business has developed over the years. Many major chains began as modest businesses in small towns that most people had never heard of, so consider how much your business has grown over the years. Write about what prompted you to start your business if you feel it is relevant to the press release you plan to send.
Facts And Studies Related To Your Press Release
Incorporating facts and research about your items might help you attract the attention you require.
Reputable journalists simply want to present correct information, and they understand that any error in their publication might jeopardize the confidence they have created with their readers. If you claim that your product or service provides superior results to customers than the competitors, back up your claims with facts.
You may believe that if you have previously included this information on your website or in another publication, you can skip this step. Remember that many journalists are busy and may not always have time to study the material you supply; thus, save them time by presenting the facts in your backgrounder.
Include the findings of any side-by-side comparisons you conducted between your product and other items on the market to create credibility in the eyes of the journalists you approach. Backing up each claim with facts might mean the difference between gaining the attention you seek and being missed.
Stories And Examples
Include a few tales or examples to make your backgrounder stand out even more.
Consider some of the ways your consumers could utilize your product or service, and use this part to go into depth about how your product or service might enhance their life.
Don't forget to highlight several scenarios in which your product or service would be most useful. While recommending how your clients could utilize your products or services might be beneficial, it is not always sufficient to achieve the desired results. Improve your outcomes by contacting your consumers and asking how they utilized your product or service to make their lives simpler.
Revisions And Editing
Some folks finish each piece of their backgrounder and then quit, but this is a mistake.
Once you've finished your backgrounder, you must read it from beginning to end and make any necessary changes along the way. Typos and other mistakes reduce the likelihood that media outlets will want to publish your information.
Finding errors in your own writing is sometimes more difficult than finding them in other sources. If you have the time, you may save your backgrounder and leave it for a few days. This stage allows you to go back and look at your backgrounder from a different angle, making it much simpler to discover problems. Another option worth exploring is to have someone else in your firm proofread your backgrounder.
If you want big media sources to evaluate your publication, you must guarantee that your language and punctuation match AP rules. You should also check all of the data you present. Many journalists conduct independent research on your words. Some media sources may refuse to publish any of your future work if you cite erroneous events in your backgrounder.
Conclusion
We understand how difficult it is to grow a business. Getting free media attention, on the other hand, is a lot easier. Including a backgrounder in your press releases will give you the boost you need to get there. Best of luck!
Why Is A Backgrounder Important?
In general, a backgrounder is distributed to all media outlets with your news announcements, press conference invites, feature pieces, and other papers to provide a quick description of the firm. They are critical since a media outlet may use it in their statement.
How Is A Backgrounder Different From A Regular News Feature?
The backgrounder provides more thorough information on a topic, event, person of interest, or launch to the press or other interested parties. ... The backgrounder gives the journalist or media outlet extra information without jeopardizing the readability or conventional structure of the media advisory or press release.