The Press Release
Reports of Its Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
By Anne Sweeney
The Press Release is Dead. PR's most time-honored tool will soon wind up in a virtual landfill, alongside video cassettes, Hostess Cupcakes and print newspapers. It's electronic all the way. Press Releases are an anachronism, and the tweet's the thing - your entire marketing message in 140 characters.
Most of the PR people who are expressing this view are of an age where they have not had enough experience with the "Old Media" to be declaring it DOA. The press release is not dying; it is evolving, expanding and interacting with "New Media" in many dynamic and effective ways.
Press releases should be written expressly
for journalists.
Unfortunately, some businesses have stopped sending or posting press releases on their websites, leaving the task of reaching out to media to their Facebook and Twitter pages.
But social media does not replace a website or an on-line press kit. Business editors, community newspapers, online news platforms, trade publications - all the outlets a business wants to reach - will look first to a website for current, concise information written expressly for journalists.
The operative words here are "expressly for journalists." The Five Ws - Who, What, When, Where and Why - still apply. A press release needs to be written differently from marketing copy. It needs to be newsworthy, succinct, factual and to the point. It should avoid editorializing, overblown adjectives, jargon and clichés like "unique," "cutting edge," and "paradigm." The good news is that your clients and partners will appreciate this direct approach, so the press release becomes a sales tool. Most important, links to your release will show up in search engines as will any media coverage it generates. That's an easy way to get you to the top of the Google charts, and fast!
Every website should have a Media Section with links to press releases with current and relevant information. There should be a press kit with a general release describing your businesses and services, a fact sheet and possibly releases on food, meetings, events, etc. These should be up-to-date. But all too often, businesses lack any kind of media outreach on their web pages, or worse, have releases on them more than a year old. A journalist accessing a site like this is not likely to do so again. And what does that say about your business? Nothing has happened since you appointed a new VP Finance in 2012? There's been no news about new products, sales activities and community projects since last Thanksgiving?
Press releases are key to gaining local news coverage and mention in relevant trade publications. Even if your business is part of a national brand, corporate communications will not provide that kind of media outreach unless you have a really singular story. Most important, the release posted on your web site, will be picked by search engines as will any media coverage you gain from sending it out.
Used properly, the press release is not an anachronism - it's the launching pad for all your "new media" efforts. E-Mail your release to a targeted, current list of local, regional and national business trade and lifestyle outlets. Post it on your business website with a URL that links to the release on the site. Here is where your press release will do double duty on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets. Post the link on your Facebook page with a quick comment and an attractive photo and it not only spreads virally but both the Facebook and the web link will show up on Google as two separate entries. Tweet the release out, or better yet, tweet out key statements in increments to extend the life of the release and spread it virally. That's really the key to social media - the rapid spread of information.
For example, let's say your Twitter Page has 500 followers. A number of them should be journalists who are familiar with your business and who cover lifestyle, finance, business and events. They will also be on your Media List. Suppose you tweet out news about a restaurant you are opening. The restaurant editor of a regional magazine picks it up and re-tweets it to her 2000 Twitter followers. Several of her followers pick it up and e-mail it to friends saying, "let's check it out." Or, the item is picked up by your state's top business paper with 100,000 followers on Twitter and even more on Facebook. They cross post to both sites. Do the math! You have over 202,000 potential readers of your press release and post.
The press release still has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Post the link on other Facebook pages with an audience that might be interested in your news. See if your posts would be welcome on the pages of your state's Department of Economic Development, the Chamber of Commerce, or the pages of various companies you do business with. These organizations should also be on your press release list.
A growing trend among short-staffed print and online publications is to make you, the sender, responsible for posting press releases, event announcements, and photos. At first, this practice was confined to smaller, local online news platforms such as Patch and topix. But recently, I posted four press releases on the business blog of our state's largest newspaper. I will still send the releases to reporters and columnists, but this ensures that the news is out there and ready to be picked up by search engines.
The press release will continue to evolve in format and utilization. It may well outlive some of the more trendy social media sites. The Old and New Media, working in synergy, will deliver much more together than separately.
Press Release Plus - Four Press Releases for $500
Anne Sweeney Public Relations offers businesses Press Release Plus, a cost-effective media outreach program that provides four press releases per calendar year for a flat fee of $500. The agency creates a template and media data base for each client and writes and distributes the releases. Releases can be posted on the client's website and social media pages and can be used as sales and marketing materials.
For more information on Press Release Plus, contact Anne Sweeney at 732-329-6629 or at annesweeneypr@gmail.com.
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Anne Sweeney is president of Anne Sweeney Public Relations, a marketing communications firm, offering targeted public relations services to the travel, hospitality, and restaurant industries and to businesses in the fields of retail sales, interior design, book promotion, art and antiques and health care.
The company is based in Central New Jersey's Princeton Corridor, a corporate and academic hub that is home to leading corporations, research and development companies, financial services firms, pharmaceutical companies and major universities.
Office: 732-329-6629
Mobile: 732-274-2994
e-mail: annesweeneypr@gmail.com
