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ThurstonTalk publishes articles daily, sharing what it’s like to live, work and play in Thurston County. Each article is categorized on our homepage into topics, such as sports, history or activities. One category heading is LocalTalk. This section of our site is reserved for content created and submitted by our customers and community partners. It’s here that you can get the latest press releases and informative articles from local businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and other groups. Often, these stories share business milestones, upcoming events and tips you can use in your daily life.

washington center
The Washington Center for the Performing Arts utilizes the LocalTalk section to share upcoming performances and community events like their Washington Street Block Party.

We often are asked to share tips on what makes a great LocalTalk post. There are several key features that make LocalTalk articles more interesting and relevant to our readers. By following the tips below, your LocalTalk posts will look great on our site and better engage readers. Check out this list before submitting your LocalTalk to submit@thurstontalk.com.

Tips for Writing Great Press Releases for LocalTalk Section

Consider the Length

Articles submitted should be between 400 and 800 words. Of course, there is wiggle room in that number, but readers tend to lose interest if content stretches too far beyond the 800 word limit.  

Target a Specific Audience

When crafting an article for the LocalTalk section, remember your audience. You are writing for the broad ThurstonTalk audience throughout Thurston County. Choose topics that are relevant and of interest to the community. Sharing personal profiles, inspirational success stories, user friendly “tip” style articles or information people can use to plan activities and outings are some of the most successful stories we publish.

Write Shareable Stories

The most important tip we can give you is to write stories that people will share. Include mentions of other local organizations and groups (and hyperlink the names to their websites). When the story is published, you can share the ThurstonTalk URL with each group and they can, in turn, share these stories through social media. By crafting stories with a wide umbrella of interest, you expand the article’s reach and your organization or business’s exposure. Stories of individual triumph or achievement are shared by proud parents or employers. Articles celebrating a team triumph can be shared by each member. Community collaborations can be distributed by each group involved.

Provide an Engaging Photo for the feature photo

Photos should be landscape (horizontal) orientation and hi-res.

It’s very helpful to include cutlines (captions) with your photos. These will enhance the article by sharing additional information about the subject(s) in the photo. Remember — people are visual and they often will read the photo captions first. If these capture their interest, they are more likely to read the full article. Please also include any photo credit where necessary. When not included, we will include “Photo courtesy: ______.”

Photos should not be embedded within the document. Instead, attach the document and any photos to an email addressed to submit@thurstontalk.com.

Format Before Submitting

LocalTalk articles and press releases should be submitted as Word documents.  

We use AP Style. Please use this style when writing.

Always provide a title!

Remember SEO keywords for tiles, first paragraphs, photo captions and last paragraphs!

Keep your text formatting simple. When we upload to our website, we utilize a variety of text features that do not always translate from your document.

It’s Ready to Submit!

LocalTalk articles are typically published within a few days of submission. If you have questions regarding your post or find a formatting or photo error, simply email us and we’ll be happy to help.

ThurstonTalk is a digital media company sharing positive stories about people, places and businesses in Thurston County. ThurstonTalk offers content marketing and online options across our Community Social Network to advertise in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and beyond.  Advertise with ThurstonTalk to reach your target market, grow your brand, and measure results.

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