Not that long ago, press releases were considered by PR professionals to be passé, particularly in our digital times when news can be disseminated over social channels. But nearly as quickly as they became unfashionable, press releases experienced a resurgence.
Why? One big reason is that they’re considered to be credible information sources—something vital in the wake of increasing cynicism about the veracity of online information (think overhyped claims and “fake news”). To that end, a Cision study found that 44 percent of reporters trust press releases more than any other type of content, while only three percent said they trust blogs and social media the most.
In the same study, reporters also indicated they prefer a jargon-free release, with 45 percent desiring a clear news angle or “hook.”
Press release + media pitching = formula for success
So, writing and distributing a clean, easy-to-read press release must get you all the coverage you want, right?
Not so fast. Simply writing a press release and then throwing it on a newswire service isn’t enough to ensure coverage, which is why personal outreach to targeted journalists to intro the release is key. This is typically initiated in the form of a “pitch,” often via email—in fact, 93 percent of journalists prefer to be pitched to in this manner first. A good pitch will entice the journalist to read your release and then maybe accept your follow-up phone call.
With 57 percent of top-tier publications receiving between 50 and 500 pitches per week, it’s important the pitch that accompanies your press release be a strong one.
So, what’s the point of a newswire service?
Even with the need for personalized pitches tailored to match the interests of targeted journalists, newswire dissemination is still important for most releases for two reasons:
- It simply isn’t possible to pitch to everyone, so putting a press release on the wire makes it available to all the service’s subscribers—journalists, bloggers, etc., and potential customers. This expands reach.
- Your company’s online visibility is also increased since newswire content is syndicated in multiple places and is searchable via the Internet.
The strategy behind which newswire to use (or whether to use none) can be complex and is also dependent on who you’re trying to reach, how “big” your news is, and what you’re willing to pay. National distribution over one of the major newswires can run $1,000 or higher, for example, while others can cost just a few hundred dollars or less.
Press releases aren’t just for hard news
It’s “PR 101” to disseminate a press release when there’s big company news, such as a major product launch or key partnership. However, for optimal impact, companies should issue a steady stream of press releases to reflect that they’re active in the market, which sometimes requires looking for topics to write about. We generally recommend at least one press release per quarter and sometimes even one per month to our clients, depending on their activity level.
In addition to the aforementioned “big news,” here are a few lesser-known subjects for a press release:
- Personnel hires
- Product awards
- Customer wins
- Customer successes using your technology (revenue growth or cost-savings statistics are like gold)
- Recap of company achievements (we often do these recaps at end of year)
- Availability of a free resource, such as a white paper or industry report
- “Soft” releases that let executives provide thought leadership on market hot topics or trends
Press releases are a great way to show that your company has forward momentum—and with the right media strategy in place, they can often be parlayed into real estate in the publications read by your target audience.
If you’re a B2B tech or healthcare services company that wants to get more “in the news,” Carabiner can help. Our veteran team of media strategists and writers can develop a strategy, write compelling releases and pitches, and conduct media outreach with the goal of securing coverage.