Press Releases: How They Pack a Punch
A press release is a short, compelling story written by a PR professional intended to earn media coverage by grabbing the attention of local journalists and news publications. The first press release was written and distributed by Ivy Lee in 1906, which covered a Pennsylvania Railroad accident. For more than 100 years, press releases have remained a quintessential publicity tactic.
You can’t help but wonder, however, if press releases are still necessary for today’s constantly changing media world. It might seem like social media is all you need— it’s a simple way to share important information with your audience, right? At Turnstone Creative, we see social media as part of the equation for a successful publicity strategy, but not the whole equation. Press releases remain extremely important to a brand’s image, and we use them for each client. We’ve gathered some compelling reasons why press releases remain a crucial publicity tactic.
You can build trust with your audience.
Press releases are viewed as trusted, up-to-date, and accurate sources of information since they come directly from the brand. If your brand consistently distributes accurate and trustworthy press releases, you can easily build credibility with journalists, existing customers, and potential customers. When your audiences trust you, they take your words at face value; this is valuable in a crisis. You're in a much stronger position if you can control your narrative in a negative situation, provide credible facts without spin, and earn your audience's trust.
You will establish strong relationships with the media.
Journalists receive hundreds of news submissions per day. Most of these submissions end up in the junk pile, but a few are selected as newsworthy because the stories are well-developed and interesting. Skillfully written and compelling press releases will help you end up in the “selected” group. Even if some press releases don’t get covered, journalists will remember your name if you consistently submit engaging stories that are relevant to their beat.
Another important benefit of press releases is that they can help you become known as an expert in your field. Media outlets will come to you for your comments and ideas on a story related to your industry if you prove that you’re knowledgeable and consistent in your press releases. Earned media doesn’t mean only one story based on one press release. It means many stories down the line, mentioning your brand because you’re known to have credibility and expertise. When journalists believe you’re an expert, their readers will believe it, too, giving you more brand recognition and preference among consumers.
Press releases can be turned into other content.
Well-written releases can be repurposed to create additional content for your marketing plan, including blog posts, social media posts, website content, videos, and more. The more relevant and timely the content you have, the better. A press release provides the whole picture, making it easy to pull out small parts for other content. Additionally, you can build SEO traffic. SEO is “search engine optimization,” which aims to improve your website’s position in web search results. Releases that use SEO best practices help search engines find, match, index, and rank your content.
They are cost-effective.
Press releases are exponentially more affordable than other forms of advertising and publicity. If you can write them in-house, they are practically free outside of the time dedicated to writing them. Distribution is free, too, since the point of a press release is to earn media coverage. This makes them a very sustainable method since you can send out press releases at a very affordable price for a long time.
They promote your brand image, visibility, and identity.
Branding and developing a strong image are goals every business strives to achieve. Press releases are a great place to start this venture; they provide a perfect spot to play around with your brand’s persona and see what fits. By sending out press releases in your brand voice, you are more likely to be recognized within your industry and receive a positive reaction. Additionally, press releases increase your brand's visibility in media coverage. If you write great releases, your stories will likely get consistently covered, putting your name in front of consumers’ faces. Being the first brand to come to mind when people think of your industry is priceless.
Press releases are a timeless tactic for publicity, and it is hard to beat the benefits of such a low-cost approach. At Turnstone, we have had countless client success stories thanks to press releases, and we are ready to help you build your brand next. Contact us here.
