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Definition

What are press features?

Last updated: Published by Ace Branding

What does a press feature mean?

Press features are editorial articles in publications that tell the story of a person, company or idea in depth. In the Press Features Guide by Ace Branding, a press feature means an article written about you or your company, based on your story, that appears inside an outlet under its masthead and stays online as a lasting public record.

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Definition card

Press features, defined in one paragraph

Ace Branding Press Features Guide

The definition

A press feature is a long-form editorial article about a person, company or idea that runs in a newspaper, magazine or news website. It explains who you are, what you do and why it matters, with more depth and context than a news brief. It is different from a press release, which is an announcement you write and distribute, and from an ad, which buys space for your own message.

At Ace Branding, features are written from a live interview with you, the topics depend on what you want to discuss, and Ace Branding says the article should provide real value to the reader rather than just putting your name in a headline.

Quality checklist

What makes a press feature credible?

A credible feature has a specific angle, concrete facts and figures you can stand behind, and lessons a reader can use. It runs in an outlet whose audience matches yours. It is accurate, because you checked every claim before you approved it.

It also lasts. A feature stays online and can show up when people search your name, which is why Ace Branding lists improving SEO and controlling the narrative on Google as one of the three core goals of digital PR, alongside brand awareness and brand credibility.

Formats

What types of press features are there?

There are four common press feature formats. Most thought leaders start with a profile, then add expert features as their story becomes better known.

  • Profile feature

    A story about you: how you started, what you built and what you believe. The most common format for thought leaders and founders.

  • Company or brand feature

    A story about an organization, its mission and its results, such as the Good Ranchers and UIGISC features in Ace Branding case studies.

  • Expert or advice feature

    An article built around your expertise, giving readers practical lessons or a point of view on your field.

  • Q&A interview

    Your answers to a set of questions, published close to verbatim. Useful when your voice is the selling point.

Comparison

Press feature vs press release vs ad

Three ways a name ends up in a publication, compared on the same points.

Press feature, press release and advertisement compared in the Ace Branding Press Features Guide.
PointPress featurePress releaseAdvertisement
What it isAn editorial article about youAn announcement in a standard formatBought space for your message
Where it runsInside the publicationSent to journalists or a wire serviceAd slots in the publication
Typical lengthLong-form storyOften around one pageShort
Main jobBuild credibility and tell a storyAnnounce newsPromote an offer

Read the full press release vs press feature comparison

Context

Where does the word press come from?

"Press" comes from the printing press. After Gutenberg introduced movable type printing in fifteenth-century Europe, mass-produced newspapers followed, and the people and outlets producing them became known as the press. Today the word covers newspapers, magazines, news websites and broadcasters, and a press feature is one of the most durable things the press can publish about you.

Back to the full guide on how to get press features

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FAQ

Questions about press features

What is a press feature?
A press feature is an article in a publication that tells the story of a person, company or idea in depth, rather than reporting breaking news. For a thought leader it usually centers on your background, expertise and point of view. Ace Branding writes features from an interview with you and publishes them in outlets from its network of over 800 publications. More in the FAQ
What is a journalism feature?
A journalism feature is a longer story that explores people, trends or ideas with context and color, as opposed to a hard news report about a single event. Features often open with a scene or anecdote and can run well after the news they relate to. Profiles, Q&As and trend pieces are common feature formats. More in the FAQ
What does "press" mean?
"Press" means the news media as a whole: newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and news websites, plus the journalists who work for them. The word comes from the printing press, the machine that made mass-produced newspapers possible after Gutenberg introduced movable type printing in fifteenth-century Europe. Today "getting press" means getting coverage in those outlets. More in the FAQ
What does the press include?
The press includes print newspapers and magazines, their websites, digital-only news sites, TV and radio broadcasters and, in everyday usage, influential podcasts. Ace Branding works with three parts of it: publications through press features, podcasts through podcast tours, and regional television through TV appearances. More in the FAQ
What's another name for the press?
Common names for the press are "the media," "the news media," "journalists" and "the fourth estate," a phrase that describes the press as a check on power alongside the branches of government. In PR, "editorial coverage" is also used for press features that appear as articles rather than as advertisements. More in the FAQ
What are the functions of the press?
The press informs the public, investigates and holds institutions to account, explains complex issues, gives a platform to voices and ideas, and keeps a record of events. For a business or thought leader, a press feature serves a narrower purpose: it adds third-party visibility and credibility that shows up when people search your name. More in the FAQ

Read all 50 press feature questions in the FAQ

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