Why the printed press release is all but dead

The information bubble is to blame. The times when journalists lacked topics are long gone. You no longer have to be a journalist to be an opinion leader. You can gather loyal readers and spectators without a media title.

The new form of the press release

This shift on the one hand makes media relations more difficult, but on the other, thanks to technology, reaching the end user with our brand’s message is much easier. And the press release has taken on a new, disembodied, electronic social form.

The social press release shouldn’t resemble the traditional version. Its content should be useful, its form attractive. These two criteria are the keys to success.

Quality vs. quantity

A good press release delivers facts, figures, quotes, photos, videos, insights and information about a brand, product or event in an interesting way. These serve as the basis for a story.

One thing is clear—mass distribution of press releases is in rapid decline. Google is more and more restrictive about content duplicated on multiple channels. A list with a lot of links to sites where your release was published gives you a nice coverage report for your boss or client but tells you nothing about how effective your release was in making reporters interested in your story.