If you’re in the business of the new economy and you still use press releases as the mainstay of your public relations, don’t laugh — I’m talking about you.
Tech and telecom companies of all sizes and stripes are the driving forces behind the innovation that’s changing how we do just about everything. Apps, gadgets, constant connectivity — you guys embody the promise of a faster, more tailored, more communicative tomorrow. So why would you promote your work with an antiquated bullhorn?
There was a time when heavy reliance on press releases made sense; an era in which information was less mobile, and harder to obtain. Reporters in that age were actually helped by the sending of news items that would be covered and read in the relatively discrete jurisdictions of each local newspaper or trade rag. But, wow, was that a long time ago.
In today’s much more accessible market for information, a mass blast of the same story to dozens or hundreds of reporters — all of whom are trying to distinguish themselves in an enormous field by writing something different — is so backwards as to be positively bone-headed. Especially for the very industries that have created the expectation of micro-targeting.
But, please, don’t take my word for it. Consider recent comments from reporters who receive releases:
- Press releases turn an opportunity for coverage into “near certain failure.” Why You Should Consider Eliminating Press Releases. [NOTE: this source site is hiccuping as of 1pm today; hopefully it will be back up soon.]
- News releases “are a worthless bother.” Why the News Release is Worthless in Today’s Social Media Age.
- “Unless your client has won a Nobel Prize or an Oscar, I’m not going to write about awards.” #HAROcall Twitter Chat
Do you want to send your story out into that atmosphere? Of course not — so ditch the rote, “it’s kind of news” releases, and get into real creative PR, which is about sending the right information to the right person to score the kinds of hits that turn into buzz. Much more targeted and more selective press releases may be a part of that effort, but they are as different from a wire blast as a megaphone is from a smartphone. Which one actually suits who you are?
