In business, an announcement is used to share important information with employees, customers, prospects, the media and other stakeholders such as investors. Announcements should be tailored to the audience for which they are intended and should be written in a professional format. Regardless of what your company is announcing, ensure that the details are accurate and that you are communicating the message clearly and succinctly.

Examples of an Announcement in Business

There are many reasons to issue an announcement in business, both internally and externally. Some examples include:

  •         Organizational and staffing changes
  •         New products or services being launched
  •         Changes in company direction or focus
  •         New departmental strategies and plans
  •         Events and conferences your company is hosting or is participating in
  •         New policies and procedures instituted in the workplace

The information that is shared within the announcement needs to cover all of the details your audience requires. For example, if you’re announcing a new product to your customers, be sure to discuss the benefits of the product, what kind of results it can achieve and the price. You’ll also need to let customers know if older products will still be available and for how long.

Structure Your Announcement

Each announcement should begin by stating the objective. Tell the readers what you’re going to announce in the document. Then, include the who, what, where, when, why and how of the topic being discussed. Don’t wait to tell the reader the important details at the end of the message. It’s best to start the announcement with the critical information. You can expand on the details in the rest of the announcement.

In a sample email to employees about a new process, for example, you can start the announcement by telling them whom the new process affects, what it entails, where they can find more details, when it’s going to be instituted, why they are being asked to follow this new process and how they can get started. When an announcement doesn’t include important details the readers need to know, it causes additional questions that can lead to rumors, false information or frustration.

Include a Call to Action

An announcement should include a call to action at the end of the message. This is a way for your business to invite the reader to take the next step. A call to action ensures that the message you are communicating through your announcement doesn’t get easily forgotten or lost in the sea of information employees digest on a daily basis.

In a sample memo for a new procedure for employees, for example, a call to action might be to read the full details of the procedure on the company’s internal website and confirm they have completed the task. Once employees have read the full procedure, they can sign a completion statement that says they are aware of the new rules in place. This way, the call to action clearly outlines what the employees need to do next after reading the announcement.

Calls to action for external announcements vary depending on the audience. A press release for the media may have a call to action to visit the business or call the marketing contact. A sale announcement for customers may have a call to action to make a purchase on the website.

Edit for Clarity and Accuracy

A business announcement should always be properly edited to ensure that there are no errors in the content. If you’re providing important information in the announcement, be sure that all the details you have recorded are factually correct. Double check any numerical figures, dates and times and ensure that you’ve spelled names correctly. Review the document to remove any grammatical or punctuation errors.