Will the Press Release Go By the Way of the Stone Age?
Or will it the press release adapt to the network age?
In the past, the press release was written almost exclusively for the news media. A former journalist, I can remember receiving press releases in the mail (some with hard print photos or illustrations, and even VHS videos!), over the fax, on disks, and even sometimes in person. Now that I’ve dated myself, let’s take a short walk down memory lane……
With the birth of the internet, press releases soon were distributed via email to the media, customers and other targeted audiences. Soon online news services were formed. Today, press releases are search engine optimized press releases. Not only are they used by the media for news stories, but now directly drive revenue. The paid newswire services have turned the press release into a social media press release by establishing partnerships with social media start-ups like delicious and technorati, making it easier for people to find news and information that may be interesting to them. Thanks to the internet, today’s press release is made to all kinds of stakeholders, democratizing the news distribution process.
What about blogs and podcasts? Some PR professionals are insistent that news distribution will be solely through blogs and podcasts. For a company, blogs and podcasts will build their company’s presence, reinforce it’s brand, and drive up revenue. But talk to the media, and you soon learn that they don’t want that to happen. Blogs are good sources of public opinion, and additional information regarding a certain topic. Podcasts: the media does not have the time, nor luxury, to watch numerous podcasts and have to glean information out of them for their stories.
So, will the press release go by the way of the Stone Age? No. The press release is here to stay. It’s just evolved a bit and plays a bigger role in the growth of companies, and how business is done around the world!
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