Press releases enable diversity-friendly organizations and companies to get their diversity news out, to promote the work their people in the business or organization are doing, or to announce changes.

As opposed to the "traditional" press releases, which were used to announce news to the media, online press releases enable organizations and companies to talk to the public directly about their diversity initiatives.

The Society for New Communications Research Fellows released their best practices for online news releases in June of 2008, based on their study "Exploring the ROI of Online Press Releases." Among their findings:

• "Press releases are no longer just for media. Press releases are not just for traditional journalists and editors anymore. Bloggers and consumers have become prominent targets for press releases. These new audiences have different motivations and consumption patterns than journalists."

• Search-engine optimization is becoming standard practice. The importance of using keywords in the headline and body represented two of the four top tactics that respondents reported using when crafting their press releases.

A press release is typically a one-page document that explains the "who, what, why, when, where and how" about your information with emphasis on the "why anyone should care" details. DiversityInc Top 50 data shows that employees, customers and shareholders increasingly want companies to reflect their own diversity and that branding as a diversity leader is a critical factor in that.

To send a press release to DiversityInc, please e-mail editor@DiversityInc.com.

For press releases and other collateral material from top companies for diversity, visit DiversityIncBestPractices.com.