Press Releases - what are they good for?
By Melissa on May 31st, 2009 in General Thoughts |
In my earlier days in PR, press releases were a staple in any PR flack’s tool box. Much has changed in the last 5 - 10 years, and today there is much discussion / disagreement about the value of press releases - and if there is value in them?
Some marketing folks (and even those at the various wire services - surprise!) have suggested that more is better because it helps boost search engine listings. And heck getting more ‘good’ news (press releases rarely have bad news) out about your company - what can be wrong with that?
While I can understand the rationale behind this - more is not necessarily better because
- Wrtiting and editing press releases takes time - so why invest time in something that has minimal to no news value to boost search engine listings - there are other vehicles / tools to accomplish that.
- Plus putting an abundance of press releases out creates clutter, dilutes your message and has a numbing effect on stakeholders you may try reach when you actually do have news.
When written well and timed properly, press releases can be an effective way to get news out, and a variety of social media tools available today that can be incorporated into press releases to make them even more powerful.
For a few other interesting posts about the role of press releases today see here and here.