In the time it takes you to read this sentence, dozens of news articles, advertisements, and press releases are going to have popped up in your email, social media feeds, and favorite websites. Blink a few times, and you’ll miss one or two of them. Everything goes a mile a minute these days, but the good news is you can keep up the pace and stick out from the crowd if you present your message the right way.
Case in point – the press release. We’ve all read a press release in its most basic form, which, let’s be honest, often comes across quite boring. Halfway through a typical press release and you might find yourself wishing you’d gotten that extra shot of espresso in your morning latte. Suffice to say, it’s not exactly going to stick out and inspire readership in the noisy landscape we face today. Thankfully, it’s an art form that is evolving. It’s like someone, somewhere finally said “enough!” and began the trend towards a fresher, more compelling presentation of the press release that is now the norm.
What does this mean for you and your message? It’s all about universal readability. You certainly want your audience to take the time to read your release, but your audience isn’t going to be the first eyes to see it. Those eyes belong to the media outlets you are submitting it to. And if you think you see a lot of releases during the day, imagine how they feel. They’re likely three jolts of caffeine ahead of you at any given moment.
You have to motivate every reader that comes across your release. That’s what it all boils down to. If that media representative likes your piece, is truly enthralled with it and stops their busy day to give it a good read, the simple fact is that they are going to be more motivated to get it out quickly. This equates to both a timely release and a broader release from multiple outlets. And if it caught their eye, it’s certain to catch the eyes of your audience.
The way you do this is the best part – write a story. Create a narrative or a framework that gives your press release meaning and resonance. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely a lot more fun than just presenting a set of facts and calling it a day. This is exactly what we are passionate about. We love telling a story, and love figuring out what that story is even more. We’re narrative explorers, traversing the message of our clients, getting to know their brand and digging deeper to make it shine. You might as well call our PR team the Lewis and Clark team, because they go above and beyond to understand your story so that it can be told in an attractive, factual, and effective way.
There is still great value to the right press release. If you’re a veteran in the PR world like we are, you know that it’s a strong strategic vehicle for building awareness and driving preference. It’s not going extinct any time soon. But like most things that stick around for long enough, it’s gotten an update to keep it current. We’re happy to help you figure out how to give your next press release a power up. (In fact, we can barely contain ourselves!) Contact us today, and let’s make something truly compelling for your message.
