4460 Blog 4: Throwing Out the Standard Press Release

We’ve been writing press releases in class these past few weeks, and it’s led me to wonder. I know that social media and the evolution of technology has forced PR professionals to adapt to new formats. It stands to reason, then, that the press release would also undergo a change, right? There has to be a more modern way to get a message out there. We’ve seen new and more creative ways of advertising, so why not PR? There are a few unconventional formats for sending out client information now, and the PR pro will soon have to be proficient at all of these formats.

According to this article, PR pros should be utilizing their creativity when it comes to press releases. They should stretch the rules occasionally, and try things to see what works and what doesn’t. The article challenges us to never write a standard press release again, unless the client specifically asks for one. The article recommends certain methods, such as the email pitch, which we’ve learned a little of in class. There are also suggestions for using Twitter or Facebook to get out information normally found on a standard press release. The phone pitch is also suggested, to build a rapport with the reporter.

The thing that is stressed in the email release is background knowledge of the reporter. This is important for obvious reasons. If you’re going to pitch someone or send them important information, it’s best to know your audience, always. Twitter doesn’t seem like it would be very effective to me. The article says to take the key idea and tweet it, but sometimes the key idea needs more than 140 characters to get its point across. Blog posts are a great idea, both for the client and for the PR pro. They allow you to be as brief or as verbose as you want, cater to a specific audience, and maintain a familiar, easygoing tone. The only problem I can see with blog posting as a PR method is getting the audience in the first place. It seems to be more of an “if you write it, they will come” school of thought, but it also seems that networking is vital in this area.

Another important point in the article is that PR professionals get a chance to create content instead of just regurgitating it for others. With the new nontraditional formats, we can create videos, blog posts, almost anything we want to. We can support our clients in new and exciting ways, and the possibilities are constantly being revised.