Are press releases slowing dying?
August 19, 2010 - 5:15pm posted by Jolie ConnorNot entirely, but the press release we know in its traditional sense doesn't throw the same punch that it did decades ago.
Why? The internet has played a large role in how PR professionals work on the day to day. Specifically, social media has given online releases legs by allowing readers to post feedback and commentary, something that the traditional release cannot offer. Because of this and the time efficiency of submitting releases online, a shift has taken place towards the "social media release." PitchEngine, PressLift, PRX Builder, and MindTouch are services that allow for PR professionals to send embedded multimedia with their releases. Distribution is permitted through various channels, including social media and e-mail.
One PR professional stated, "When I first began my career in PR more than decade ago, we would e-mail or fax the full press release text to the press. What we see now are new methods of distributing the info, driven by social media. Rather than e-mailing a press release, PR people are sending journalists to custom landing pages created just for that specific announcement, contacting them via Twitter with a BUDurl link to the release, or even directing them to a YouTube video with a message from the CEO making the announcement."
What will happen to the tried and true press release? According to the website Mashable, chances are press releases will get shorter and link to more sources. If trends continue as they have in the past decade, future releases may be sent via text, video, microblog or podcast forms.
