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The
Web has changed the rules for press releases. The thing is, most old-line PR
professionals just don't know it yet.
Because
the rules for relating with the public have changed so slowly over the past
10 years (since the Web has allowed people to read press releases directly),
practitioners who learned based on the old rules have been equally slow to
change. In fact, most old-school experts have refused to change altogether.
It
is time to step it up and consider the promise that Web 2.0 public
relations holds. But be prepared to alter the way you think about press
releases.
The
Old Days
In
the old days, a press release was—shockingly—actually a release to the
press. Before the Web, the only reason you issued a press release was to get
the media to write about you. Here were "Ye Olde Press Release
Rules":
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Nobody
saw the actual press release except a handful of reporters and editors.
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You
had to have significant news before you were allowed to write a press
release.
-
A
release had to include quotes from third parties, such as customers,
analysts and experts.
-
The
only way your buyers would learn about the press release's content was
if the media wrote a story about it.
-
The
only way to measure the effectiveness of press releases was through
"clip books," which collected articles every time the media
deigned to pick up your release.
Well,
no more. The Web has transformed the rules, and you must transform your
releases to make the most of the Web-enabled marketplace of ideas.
Why
You Need to Learn the New Rules
Today,
savvy marketing professionals use press releases to reach buyers directly.
Many marketing and PR people understand that press releases sent over the
wires appear in near real time on services like Google News. But very few
understand the implication that they must dramatically alter their
press-release strategy if they are to maximize the effectiveness of the
press release as a channel for directly communicating with consumers.
The
media has been disintermediated. The Web has changed the rules. Buyers read
your press releases directly, and you need to be speaking their language.
This
is not to suggest that media relations are no longer important; mainstream
media and the trade press must be part of an overall communications
strategy. In some businesses, mainstream media and the trade press remain
critically important. And, of course, the media still derives some of its
content from press releases.
But
your primary audience is no longer just a handful of journalists. Your
audience is millions of people with Internet connections and access to
search engines and RSS readers.
The
New Rules of Press Releases
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Don't
just send press releases when "big news" is happening; find
good reasons to send them all the time.
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Instead
of just targeting a handful of journalists, create press releases that
appeal directly to your buyers.
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Write
releases replete with keyword-rich copy.
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Create
links in releases to deliver potential customers to landing pages on
your Web site.
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Optimize
press release delivery for searching and browsing.
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Drive
people into the sales process with press releases.
Reaching
Your Buyers Directly
Under
the old rules, the only way to get "published" was to have your
press release "picked up" by the media.
We've
come a long way. The Web has turned all kinds of companies, nonprofits, and
even rock bands and political campaigners, into just-in-time and just-right
publishers. Organizations—the new publishers—create press releases that
deliver useful information directly onto the screens of their buyers.
Until
recently, nobody ever thought of companies as publishers; newspapers and
magazines published the news. But that's changing.
Self-publishing—Web-style—has moved into the mainstream, and
organizations large and small are doing the publishing... via press
releases.
As
you are making this fundamental shift, what should you write press releases
about? Big news is great, but don't wait. Write about just about anything
that your organization is doing:
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CEO
speaking at a conference? Write a release.
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Win
an award? Write a release.
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Have
a new take on an old problem? Write a release.
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Add
a product feature? Write a release.
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Win
a new customer? Write a release.
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Publish
a white paper? Write a release.
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Got
out of bed this morning? OK, maybe not... but you are thinking the right
way now!
Think
Like a Publisher
To
implement a successful press release strategy, think like a publisher.
Marketers at the most enlightened organizations recognize that they are now
purveyors of information, and they manage content as a valuable asset with
the care of a publishing company.
One
of the most important things that publishers do is start with a content
strategy and then focus on the mechanics and design of delivering that
content. Publishers carefully identify and define target audiences and
consider what content is required to meet their needs.
Publishers
consider questions like these: Who are my readers? How do I reach them? What
are their motivations? What are the problems I can help them solve? How can
I entertain them and inform them at the same time? What content will compel
them to purchase what I have to offer?
Just
don't wait for the media to talk. If you craft and deliver your press
releases effectively, in today's Web context you will reach your
constituents directly. There's no doubt that in the Web economy, press
releases drive action and make those who create them successful.
David Meerman Scott - author of
Cashing In With Content: How Innovative Marketers Use Digital Information to
Turn Browsers Into Buyers.
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