Over the decades the traditional news release hasn’t really changed that much. Thought leaders in the profession have modified the news release to be more relevant and useful, but in the age of multimedia, does the traditional release have much life left?
Many of our clients serve the construction industry, and during the past 18 months we’ve watched publishing companies enhance their online presence with robust websites and digital magazines that offer a more interactive experience. These new tools offer an opportunity for our clients to provide more multimedia options, such as educational and informational video and podcasts, when introducing a new product. But, it doesn’t stop there. Many of our clients are introducing informational e-books on industry topics and issues.
Trying to fit all of this information into a release can be daunting. In addition, delivering this information to editors without making them jump through multiple hoops and clogging up their e-mail has become a challenge. Discussions have taken place within the industry regarding the most effective way to deliver content to editors. One leader in this area is Shift Communications, who created the Social Media Release template. Originally designed to provide content to bloggers, the template has also spurred discussion on how to enhance the traditional news release. Business Wire and PR News Wire now offer multimedia delivery options.
Our agency is moving to a digital release format that will provide editors and bloggers with instant access to video, photos, podcasts, sales presentations, e-books and case studies. All with the click of a mouse.
So what’s a digital news release?
It’s an HTML based e-mail that includes the news release in the body of the e-mail with active links back to the client’s website. In addition, the e-mail will include live links to the following:
- Product videos on YouTube that can easily be imbedded.
- Links to high resolution product photos that can be downloaded using Flickr, PhotoBucket, etc.
- For easy editing, a link to a Word version of the news release will be provided and can be stored on the client website or on DocStoc.
- Links to relevant application stories and PowerPoint presentations (stored on SlideShare) that may provide more detailed information.
- Potential audio interviews with product managers.
- Link to detailed product specifications.
Best of all, the digital news release will have a small file size so we won’t clutter the receiver’s e-mailbox with large attachment files. The receiver can select and download the items that will appeal to their readers. Plus the whole process can help with search engine optimization (SEO) as well. By taking time to properly tag videos, photos, stories and presentations on the social media sharing sites, we also can help enhance search rankings and direct links to our clients’ websites. Not every release we distribute will have all of these assets — it will largely depend on the nature of the product introduction or corporate announcement.
So is the traditional news release dead?
I think its days are numbered as we move into a new generation that demands more content than just a text file. Each industry is different and the trends we see in the construction industry may not be occurring in others. I encourage companies to take a hard look at the need for more multimedia content and work with editors to fully explore their needs.
In the end, the traditional news release may be the ideal solution for your company and industry. Then again, it may be time for a change.
We feel it’s time for a change.
There is no disputing the fact that Web 2.0 provides a huge opportunity for marketers. Sharing content has never been easier than it is right now. As clients are recognizing the potential opportunities, it’s becoming increasingly common for them to want to jump on the viral video bandwagon. In a B2C viral video world, one could argue that the more exposure, the better. In a B2B world however, the old adage of quality versus quantity still applies.
