Photo credit: Sascha Kohlmann
What’s the future of the press release? Some say the press release – or at least its traditional version – is dead.
Some PR pros say they’ve abandoned the old-fashioned press release in favor of 21st century tactics. Others believe the press release is still a central component of public relations, though it has taken on digital qualities. Proponents say the press release continues to enable PR to disseminate company news quickly to a large audience.
Anna Campellini, head of strategy at Vizy, an Italian company that creates video press releases for clients by crowdsourcing video makers throughout the world, says the traditional press release is dying. Press releases will become indistinguishable from other types of media, she told AdWeek. “It will become native content completely consistent with the environment in which it’s published.”
A video release for BlackBerry’s new classic model shows what she means. The video seems like a paid ad but was part of the product’s media kit.
The Rise of Video Press Releases
Video holds advantages over text press releases, AdWeek reports. Eighty percent of viewers will watch an entire video release, while just 20 percent read an entire text release. In addition, video releases have an average half-life of about 40 days, compared to nine days for text releases.
Creating and distributing multimedia releases typically entails higher costs and their benefits may be uncertain.
To test the value of multimedia releases, Business Wire, content marketing agency SEO-PR and technology company Get City Dealz compared the results of releases on three different New Orleans merchants.
The press releases with video attracted 55.4 percent more views and 6.1 percent more clicks than the text-only release. The release with a video had 5,059 views and 230 link clicks. The YouTube video had 69 views. The release with a photo had 3,406 views and 181 link clicks. The release with no multimedia had 3,255 views and 169 link clicks.
Overuse Devalues Press Releases
Overuse has diminished the press release’s value, says Alan Marcus, senior vice president at Shift Communication.
Some firms issue press releases constantly, perhaps every month or week, simply because they always have and believe the press release remains a PR staple. The constant deluge of press releases prompts journalists to question their value.
Press releases lost much of their SEO value following Google’s algorithm changes. They can now cause SEO penalties if overfilled with links.
Measuring effectiveness and proving the value of press releases to clients can be problematic. “After all, when was the last time a client patted you on the back for garnering press release pick-up on 350 websites?” Marcus asks.
However, the press release is not dead, he stresses. Press releases are tactical elements of PR, not strategies. In other words, the key is to define your objectives and strategies first, then determine tactics to meet your goals.
If you do have worthwhile news to release, try to announce it creatively, Marcus advises. For instance, instead of quoting a company executive in the release, consider live-streaming the executive’s comments through Twitter with Periscope.
Before distributing video in your news release, be aware of the extra production costs and distribution charges that may apply.
Bottom Line: Changing search engine algorithms and the growth of video lead some PR experts to question the value of the traditional text-based press release. Some believe the press release still has a place in the PR toolbox, while others believe the press release will soon be indistinguishable from other forms of content. Whatever happens, digital PR pros must continue to adapt to the evolving press release.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
