PR for DMOs: a guide to writing effective press releases

Bandwidth. Staffing shortages. Other priorities. We hear you loud and clear. 

Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) of all sizes often approach their public relations (PR) efforts with similar mindsets: who has the time?

PR can be a tricky task on your endless to-do list. Crafting the right message to give to the right media at the right moment takes a bit of finesse that your team might not have time for. Don’t worry, Simpleview is here to help. We’ve compiled some tips, tricks, and a template to help jump-start your PR endeavors.

Before we dive in, here are some newsworthy topics to consider sending to the media:

• New hires to your leadership team or board of directors
• Publishing reports and/or visitor guides
• Awards or recognitions given to your DMO
• Events, celebrations, and exciting happenings 
• Unique initiatives created to support the community 
• New campaigns to entice travelers 

It all starts with a press release. Writing a purposeful press release can be quick and simple. The key is being concise and straight to the point. Say more with less … meaning brief and precise copy goes a long way. 

Organizing your press release in a way that can be quickly digested by even the busiest media professionals will help your message go further. Keep the process simple and the lift light by using these four key points to build out each of your press releases: 

1. State your news first, loud and clear, to catch the skimmers
2. Follow it with a brief, one-sentence company description 
3. Provide a more in-depth description of the news with key details
4. Wrap it up with a quote and any applicable call-to-action (CTA) links

Once you have your core content, the rest of the details can be cookie-cutter. Insert your company logo at the top, contact information, date, title and subtitle, location of the release, and boilerplate. If you don’t have a boilerplate, here’s how to write one:

1. Introduce your company, including its name and primary objectives, providing a clear snapshot of who you are and what you stand for
2. Highlight notable facts about your company's history, showcasing its growth and impact within the industry
3. Include a forward-looking statement, expressing your company's vision and commitment to continued success, ensuring the boilerplate leaves a lasting impression on readers
4. Conclude with links to your website or any social media pages you’d like to promote 

Here is Simpleview’s boilerplate if you need some inspo: 

About Simpleview

Simpleview is a worldwide leading provider of CRM, CMS, website design, digital marketing services, and data insights for convention bureaus, venues, tourism boards, destination marketing organizations, and attractions. The company employs staff across the globe, serving clients of all sizes, including small towns, world capitals, top meeting destinations, and countries across multiple continents.

Because we are invested in setting you up for success — we did some of the heavy lifting for you. Here is a templated version of everything described above (it might be the same template we use for our press releases)!