Most companies still wait for an “official occasion” to enter the media space: an anniversary, a release, or an award. But journalists and editors work differently — they need content that is lively, fast, and useful. Information hooks are always around; your task is to spot them and package them in a way that works. We’ll explore how to do this.
Coming up with a quality news hook that the media will pick up and happily repost isn’t always easy. The reason: companies act from their own logic, not from the logic of editors or audiences. What seems like a significant event internally may be invisible externally. A strong news hook is always a balance: useful for the reader and convenient for the journalist.
Internal Angles: Show the People and Behind-the-Scenes
Companies often underestimate their main source of news hooks — themselves. Internal processes, people, and their stories can be just as interesting to the media as a new product release.
HR stories are a must-have. Hiring and team development tasks can be turned into full media stories. The key is to move away from “we’re hiring a developer” and tell a story with real detail:
- “How we found an intern who, within six months, headed a separate division.”
For example, our agency once created a series of HR stories for a client in custom software development about how they built their support system. Publications appeared in business media and received positive responses. The client later shared that new customers came directly after reading those articles. Such stories work on multiple fronts: employer branding and building the company’s expert image.
Expert columns and commentary. Columns are the foundation of communications. We publish them monthly — because without regular publications, expertise doesn’t register. Clients and journalists often google speakers before working with them, and articles shape a credible media portrait. Ideally, publish 1–2 columns per month.
Employees as sources of news hooks. Leads, data scientists, DevOps specialists can act as speakers, commenting not only on narrow technical issues but also broader market trends.
Formats for commentary and columns:
- Reaction to industry news: “What does the new framework mean for the market?”
- Explanation of iOS/Android updates from a business or user perspective.
This strengthens the company’s image as an expert, not just another market player.
Anniversaries and dates. A good hook, but think beyond official anniversaries. Don’t stop at “Our company turns 10.” Find uniqueness. Examples:
- “5 years since we migrated our product to microservices.”
- “Exactly 1 year of our pet project on Go.”
- “10 years ago, our first product version launched — here’s what it looked like.”
These can be packaged in nostalgic formats: show the company’s journey, compare technologies then vs. now, highlight progress.
Data-Driven Angles: Becoming a Primary Source
In the media field, data gives weight. Numbers and facts are easy to quote and illustrate. If your company becomes the source, your value for journalists and clients grows.
Own research. Doesn’t need to be large-scale. Even a small product survey or audience poll can be a hook. Examples:
- “We found 60% of small businesses don’t use CRM because of interface complexity.”
- “70% of users prefer dark mode over light mode.”
One client (software for the domestic market) regularly surveys office workers — 1100–1300 people every two months. Topics: most-used text editor functions, preferred services, etc. Based on this, we prepare press releases, consistently picked up by top outlets. This positions the company as a primary source, especially in cybersecurity, and enhances expert credibility.
Research is also a tool for engaging real users — the company learns and understands them, while clients see the business is in touch with the market.
Market analysis via open data. If in-house research isn’t possible, analyze open stats and adapt for your niche. Examples:
- “App Store data shows which app categories are gaining users fastest.”
Here, interpretation matters. Media don’t always have time for deep dives; if you do it, you gain citations and mentions.
Regular analytics and digests. Monthly or quarterly digests work well. Short summaries of trends or user behaviors:
- “How gamers’ preferences changed in 2025.”
- “What online pharmacy users buy most in different regions.”
- “Which industries invested most in cloud services this year.”
Key point: consistency. If the media and clients know they’ll get fresh, relevant data from you, they’ll keep coming back.
External Environment Angles: Reacting and Participating
Fast-reacting companies always win: they enter the media field while the news is hot.
Industry events (beyond sponsorship). Presence matters, but active participation is better. Ideally, combine formats:
- A team lead mentoring at a hackathon: “Our lead helped teams build prototypes in 48 hours.”
- Conference talk: “How we migrated from monolith to microservices in 6 months — and what went wrong.”
Communications here are two-level: pre-event announcement (as invite/teaser), and post-event coverage (facts, numbers, participant feedback).
Case example: A financial-sector client had an expert who switched companies. After a pause, we revived his personal brand with columns, cases, interviews, and event participation. Result: strong response — media and organizers began actively inviting him. The success came from having already built his personal brand and publishing regularly.
Partnership integrations. Collaborations often spark more interest than product news. Examples:
- “We integrated with Service X — now users can pay in one click.”
- “We launched a joint project with a university: students test our product, we gain insights into the future labor market.”
Technical and Product Angles: Beyond New Launches
There isn’t always a major release or big update. But even internal infrastructure work or client cases can be strong hooks — if packaged well.
Client success stories. Best stories aren’t “what we did” but “what problem we solved, and what numbers we achieved.” Examples:
- “How we helped an online school cut lesson load time 3x and boost course completion by 20%.”
- “How a retailer cut logistics costs 15% by implementing one service.”
Concrete numbers and benefits matter. Media and prospects trust facts, not nice wording.
Scaling infrastructure. For the market, these facts signal growth. Show the story behind the numbers:
- “To handle growing audiences, we doubled server capacity.”
- “We moved to a new data center — now the app withstands 3x higher loads.”
Patents and certifications. Excellent hooks to show how you protect IP or meet high standards:
- “We received a patent for our machine learning algorithm.”
How to Package an Event
Collecting hooks is only half the job. To actually reach editors and audiences, material must be packaged correctly. Three core rules:
Rule #1. Don’t Wait for a Hook — Create One
Common mistake: waiting for something “big.” Hooks can be created from planned activities. Dedicate 1 hour monthly in planning to list hooks — base it on what’s already in your calendar (meetups, article releases, internal events, project dates). Fix them in an editorial calendar to always have a ready stream. This reduces stress and makes PR systematic.
Rule #2. Speak the Media Audience’s Language
Technical language works only for specialists. For wider audiences, translate facts into user benefits:
- Instead of “migrated to new stack” → “app now runs 5x faster.”
- Instead of “optimized database” → “orders now process in 30 seconds.”
Editors prefer texts they don’t need to “translate.” The simpler and more useful the hook sounds, the higher the chance of publication.
Rule #3. Prepare an “Expert Toolkit”
Always have an up-to-date pool of experts, their topics, and readiness to comment quickly. Minimum set:
- List of experts by field (DevOps, HR, security, finance).
- Short bios (150 characters) and topics they can comment on.
This toolkit works like emergency support: the media gets same-day commentary, and your company strengthens its expert status.
Quick Checklist for a Working PR Calendar
- Sit down monthly to fix all hooks in your editorial calendar.
- Test each hook for “user benefit”: how is it useful for the media’s audience?
- Prepare data and analytics — editors love numbers.
- Keep a list of experts and topics at hand.
- Double-check: can someone outside your company understand the hook in 5 seconds?