This blog by Nikkole Couture was originally posted on PRsay.PRSA.org
We’ve been issuing press releases for well over a hundred years — since a train accident in 1906, to be precise. And yet despite a myriad of technological and social advancements, this tactic has changed little in the modern era.
We’re still employing the “inverted pyramid” of the printing press to compose them, we’re still using them as corporate equivalent of vanity plates for our websites, and we’re still sending them to journalists’ inboxes with a deep, self-serving hope they will magically turn into detailed coverage of our companies.
No wonder industry pundits have been sounding the death knell for this tactic for over a decade.
Without changing how we write, publish or use press releases, expecting ever-increasing returns borders on insanity. How long can something last when it doesn’t evolve?
The press release isn’t dead — but it has changed.
The good news? This tactic isn’t dead — but it has changed. Let’s consider how much it’s changed in order to drive better results for your business and improved message pickup.
The more content you include and the richer the story you tell, the better your chances of getting coverage.
Bridge the gap and put yourself in the journalist’s world
When you’ve got a story to tell and the CEO has set their sights on getting coverage, the natural inclination is to craft that release, and then blast it out to everyone: a massive list of relevant journalists, your website, your social channels etc.
If this is your approach today, then it’s highly likely it’s not working. Instead, consider instead putting yourself in the journalist’s world:
Provide better information — not just more.
Rather than just extending the length of your press release, remember it’s about providing better information, not just more of it.
And while that might have you scratching your head, the key to understanding what constitutes “better” information is to plug yourself into the news cycle swirling around your business everyday:
What have we learned?
Companies often want a press release when the message itself isn’t “news.”
We’ve come to think of the press release as a tried and true tactic to spread the word about our businesses—but remember, this isn’t the only tactic at our disposal.
You can always consider things like a blog post, social post, or an email blast. There is a wealth of options available today to tell your story — so while the press release remains a key part of our toolkit, it’s best deployed when the time and story align.
More than anything, if you want your release to be newsworthy, make sure it tells a story, is truly “news,” and makes it easy for a journalist to write about.
Great stories are hard to pass up — so even if it means waiting on that release until the stars align, your patience will pay off in greater impact.
Nikkole Couture is vice president of Go to Market, Intrado Digital Media. Learn more about Intrado Digital Media and their suite of PR solutions. You can also follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Notifed was founded in 2010 and quickly became a disruptor in Sweden and across the Nordics. From the beginning, our goal has remained the same: to create a truly unique platform for PR and marketing professionals; one that delivers deeper, more actionable insights from social data and earned media, and brings the entire communications workflow into a single platform. In April 2019, Notified was acquired by Intrado, a global leader in digital communications,