Content We Love: Lumia 930 launched in Hong Kong

Why we like it:

Releases that deal with product launches will get a lot of traction, especially when the company launching it is well-known. Microsoft needs no introduction, unless you’ve been marooned on a South Pacific island since March 1975 (Microsoft was established in April 1975), so their new product launches will result in wide exposure.

However, product launch releases can be a bit tricky to write as these releases need to establish credibility, include information about the product’s capabilities and excite readers enough to want the product. This is why this release can help others write about their own upcoming product launches. Below are a few ways to increase the probability that your next product launch release is an overwhelming success.

Create Exclamation Points not Question Marks

Sometimes, product launch press releases fail to mention the things consumers really care about. It’s nice to know that the product was officially launched today, but when can we actually buy it? Unlike the usual press release that seeks to provide just enough information to hook a prospective customer, product launch press releases need to include a call to action that will cause readers to respond. This should come in the form of an explicit statement announcing when the product will become publicly available, and also its cost. Microsoft’s press release accomplishes this while also including product specifications – a hook that will appeal to the more discerning consumer.

Hit Your Mark with Bullet Points

Microsoft is able to successfully educate readers about its new product by including product specifications while also having bullet points that help to highlight the advantages of the new product in a way that resounds with readers. Of course, there is a ton of information in here, which means a bit of finesse is required to identify what the most crucial information is and summarize them with bullet points to add emphasis. The pointers are an excellent tool because they allow people to scan through a release quickly and absorb information easily, rather than hitting them with daunting chunks of text that gets promptly forgotten two paragraphs in.

Content that Goes Beyond the Ordinary

Having Ella Koon, a famous singer and actress, speak about the product suggests that she reflects the values of the company and her image evokes a positive response among the target market. She also plays the role of a facilitator as she can share the release with her social media followers. As of Aug. 22, 2014, she has over 600,000 followers on Weibo, and these followers could share her posts, providing instant traction for the release. On top of that, the release also includes a photo of the quoted executive, Mark Trundle, which helps to attract eyeballs on Microsoft’s official Weibo page of over 600,000 followers.

Quotes that are from Humans

Speaking of quotes, a lot of releases tend to use business jargon or cookie cutter quotes that cause readers to want to print out the release and burn it. Stay away from these worthless content fillers. Keeping quotes conversational by using conversational words and natural language to appeal to readers. For example, Mark Trundle’s quote in the second paragraph sounds like something that a person would say and it also scores points for providing a valid reason for people to get excited about the product. An example of a suspect quote that adds nothing to a release would be: “We believe this innovative product will appeal to our loyal customers and we look forward to duplicating our splendid results in the years ahead,” said the D-5 model robot/CEO as it charged its photon phaser and peeled off its face, revealing its transparent skull and sophisticated microprocessor.