Did you know that the humble press release has been around for more than 100 years? Yet despite its long history, there is a feeling in some PR circles that Press Releases may well be pre-historic and no longer in keeping with the trends and expectations of media and marketing.
As one of the leading PR agencies in the Middle East, we do believe in the power of a press release, but there is no denying that a press release for contents sake is unlikely to yield the results your clients crave.
The way we consume news has changed immeasurably over the last 10 years, so you would be forgiven for thinking that Press Releases are a little old-school. However, we believe that press releases do still hold value, as long as they do one thing, offer news that is actually EXCITING.
Here’s the reality. Journalists aren’t interested in a company announcing an investment if you are unwilling to provide hard details or data, they don’t want to hear about your product launch if it’s just a rehash of existing products or an extension of a current line. They don’t care if your CEO has commented in a press release if he isn’t saying anything interesting or exclusive.
Journalists are extremely busy, pressed for time and often the publication is understaffed. You cannot expect them to read a two-page release that meanders and has quotes from every stakeholder who wants to see their name in print. They want content that is easy to digest, interesting, and to the point!
So yes, press releases do work but we would recommend only sending out a press release if you are sharing real, relevant, and interesting news, and when we say interesting, we mean interesting to those reading it, not to those who have commissioned it.
This is not to say that we don’t recommend sharing written content, after all content is Queen. But in this age there are different ways of creating and sharing this content. Think about guest speaking on a podcast or being a guest on IGTV. Share news and updates via your blogs or guest blogging with likeminded individuals and brands. Profiling interesting people within your organisation and giving them opportunities to share your brand story is a very powerful way of building a connection with your audience. Get your product in the hands of real consumers and find real and virtual places you can interact directly with your target. Here at TishTash, we are constantly talking with journalists to understand what content they want to receive. We share details of top picks, based on the trends we are seeing, and present them with inspiring founders to help them write meaningful features.
In short, press releases aren’t dead but we are believers in only wheeling them out when they have something to say, if not let the humble release take a nice long break while you explore and experiment with different forms of content.
Learn more about how PR can help your business, here.
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