Press releases have been around for a long time – since October 1906 in fact, although less formalised PR initiatives and press statements have been around since the 1800s. And, whilst many PR and marketing fads have come and gone, press releases have lasted the course of time and are still widely used today.
Of course, things have changed a great deal over the years. Even as lately as 2009, when I was studying for a Diploma in Copywriting, the course materials were talking about faxing copy to journalists! I doubt many, if any, journalists still even have a fax machine… But the purposes, preferred structural format and many of the original benefits of press releases remain.
Let’s take a look at what press releases actually are and why they can be such a powerful weapon in your PR armoury. And if, after reading the below, you’d like to know more, why now sign up to my FREE webinar, ‘Perfect Press Releases,’ on Friday 20 March at 12 noon?
What is a press release?
A press release is a document produced in a standard format to communicate a business or organisation’s news to print, online and/or broadcast media. Whilst a more relaxed tone of voice is generally acceptable nowadays, press releases still tend to be written in a more formal style than other communications.
As well as the news itself, press releases include a section of ‘boilerplate,’ also called ‘Notes to Editors,’ which provides background information about the business and organisation. This isn’t normally published or broadcast, although journalists may choose to include some or all of it. Most press releases are sent out with at least one high resolution image, as well as the company logo.
These days, business owners, PR team members or PR agencies often email press releases to a relevant media list, which may consist of local and/or national press, trade publications and websites, TV channels, news websites and so on.
There are also press release distribution services, generally used by agencies and larger organisations, which syndicate press releases to pre-approved media list(s). There are costs involved in using these, which is why smaller businesses and organisations often research their own media lists and email press releases themselves.
Why are press releases so powerful?
Used alongside other communications such as social media, email marketing, blog posts, video interviews and so on, press releases can be a valuable way to communicate your news to one or more target audiences.
One reason for this is that people tend to believe what other people say about your business or organisation more readily than they’ll believe what you say yourself! So even if a journalist just copies and pastes your copy into their website or publication, the simple addition of their byline will add credibility to your news.
What are the other benefits?
There are many other great reasons to including press releases in your PR and communications strategy. Some of these are:
- They’re free! OK, so news syndication services come at a cost and you may choose to pay someone like me to do the copywriting and distribute the press release. But if you’re able to do this yourself, you could secure some valuable online and/or offline media coverage at no cost beyond a few hours of your time.
- They give your business authenticity and credibility. Further to what we noted above about the journalist’s byline, it also makes your business look good to be featured in well-known and prestigious media outlets. Sometimes, this goes beyond the press release if the content is of significant interest or relevance. For example, you may be asked to convert the content into an exclusive feature (or a journalist may do this for you), or to give an interview to a newspaper or magazine, or on the TV or radio. Great exposure at, again, potentially no cost!
- They’re great for SEO and boosting your online visibility. Using a distribution service, or just sending the press release out yourself, can result in backlinks from media websites to your own site, improving your domain authority. What’s more, if you make canny use of keywords, your news could end up appearing in the ‘News’ tab of the major search engines. This enhances your online profile and Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) rankings for these keywords.
- They sometimes go viral. Depending on the nature of your news, it could go viral on social media and other key channels. This is particularly the case with controversial or wild and wacky news content, or as a result of a related PR stunt which catches the eye of an influencer. Think back to when Greggs introduced the vegan sausage roll by sending out samples to journalists in iPhone boxes. Piers Morgan made one derogatory comment on Twitter (now X) and hey presto! A viral campaign was born.
- They offer long-term value. Unlike some other forms of online marketing such as social media posts and online ads, press releases have a long lifespan and can add value to your business months or even years after publication. This greatly increases their potential return on investment (ROI), making them a cost-effective way of growing your online presence and credibility.
- They’re critical in a crisis. When a crisis hits, responding quickly is essential for both protecting your reputation and preventing the spread of rumours and misinformation. Whilst social media is of course the fastest way to respond, a press release can be written and distributed in a couple of hours. This enables you to ‘own’ your news, state your official position clearly, and formally confirm the facts of the crisis and how you intend to deal with it.
Sign up to Perfect Press Releases
My FREE webinar will let you into the secrets of structuring and writing the perfect press release that gets you invaluable exposure and publicity for your business. In the 1.5 hour session, we’ll cover:
- Press releases – an overview
- Structural techniques and best practices
- Tips for persuasive writing
- Crafting your covering email
- Creating your media list(s)
- Dos and Dont’s.
There’ll be the opportunity to ask questions throughout the webinar and I’ll also provide some useful resources if you’d like to learn more about press releases. You’ll be emailed the slides and recording link after the session, so you can revisit what we covered.
To sign up for your free place, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/perfect-press-releases-free-webinar-tickets-1982494741138?aff=oddtdtcreator. The webinar takes place on Friday 20 March from 12 noon to 1:30pm. I’ll look forward to seeing you there!
PS. If you’d like to know more about how my copywriting services can help your business, please visit the Copywriting page on my website, or get in touch for a chat.