Press Release Templates

Tell your story! Whether you’re customizing our new grad certification news release template or announcing some other exciting news for your business, news releases are a great opportunity to tell your unique story.

• • This is your why. Know your audience, share your story, how and why it matters for your readers and for your business. Tell reporters a little bit about yourself and why you’re doing what you’re doing.
  • Make sure your news ties to your mission as a travel professional servicing travelers. This could be certification and ongoing education with The Travel Institute, it could be a new team member, trends you’re seeing on the frontline of the industry, a guarantee for response times or pricing, or other differentiators.

Differentiate yourself starting out and ongoing by sharing your digital credentials, work experience, and more.

Include company facts: How many travelers have you served? How long have you been in business?

Get quotes from satisfied clients to further validate your expertise.

Include images when possible: A picture’s worth a thousand words! Supply high-resolution images with a transparent background and make it easy for content publishers to use your photos, logo, or other graphics that tell your story.

Recognize others: If there’s anyone else in your business besides yourself, share their story, their role and how they got involved in your business. If you have an executive team, you’ll want to include their bios here.

Refer to previous new releases: If you have produced news releases previously, consider including them to further tell your story.

Reach out to various local media members to ensure you have the right contacts AND to let them know you have a release you’d like them to publish. Also offer to be a subject matter expert ongoing with consumer-focused tips and information to ensure their interest in this news release as well as other travel-related stories they cover.

Be ready with back-up material if your media contacts want to know more about you and your business:

• • Samples of articles/press: Share with new reporters any previously written articles and publications about you or your business. This can include blog posts, interviews, magazine articles, articles on other websites, etc., but be selective and pick only the very best to share.
  • Audio/video interviews or segments: If your business has been mentioned on a podcast, on the radio, or on a local news station, link to the clip or embed the media on your ecommerce press kit page.
  • Quotes: Create a set of canned quotes that the media can use in their publications. Depending on your business model, these can be from your leadership team, your employees, or your clients. This makes it easier for reporters to attribute direct quotes without having to reach out or coordinate an interview.
  • FAQs: Again, eliminate the need for back-and-forth with the press by listing commonly asked questions and answering them. This also keeps the information put out by the press consistent and accurate.

Check your news release against basic usage guidelines:

• Name spelling/capitalization: If your business has unique spelling or capitalization, specify how you wish your brand name to be printed in your media kit. For example, if you are CompanyName and not Company Name or company name, make it clear!
• Keep it short! You have a lot to share, but don’t go over two pages, double-spaced, at a maximum. This applies to your headlines, too; make them powerful and intriguing as much as you can. Also, use web links to provide more information to media and to the readers.
• Avoid sending attachments unless you know your contacts and they know you. Attachments can trigger an email to be moved to a spam folder.
• Consider including a brief “About” section at the end to:
  • Introduce yourself and/or your company, your mission, and other highlights for your business.
  • Awards/recognition:Share any awards or recognition your business has received. This adds validity to your business.
  • Non-profit and volunteer involvement:Include any charities you support or non-profit work your business has supported.

Review the media-related materials from your certification course as appropriate. If you recently completed the CTA® course, take full advantage of the additional media know-how and tips provided there.

Don’t ask for a preview. If you are interviewed for a story, don’t ask to review the journalist’s story before publication, which is widely unacceptable. Do your homework and practice in advance so your remarks are more likely to be included and so there is less chance of being misunderstood or misquoted. Jot down your key messages and have them next to you during the interview. Take your time when answering so you have time to respond clearly and appropriately for your business.

Follow up. You contact your travelers when they return from a major trip, right? The same applies to media. If you’re quoted, email the reporter and thank him/her for the opportunity to be included. Following up is even more critical if you didn’t make the story – but, of course, in a positive way. Express your interest in the coverage, share feedback when appropriate, and offer your expertise for future articles to build an improved reciprocal relationship.

Maximize your news via social media and other channels. If you have an engaged social media following, email list, or other well-established audience, send your news to them, too! Consider an abbreviated version with a link to full news release text or a different version altogether with details and messaging that will better resonate with a particular audience, from customers to industry organizations and more.