Once upon a time, securing coverage in newspapers and magazines was one of the mainstays of any successful public relations and marketing strategy. 

But in an increasingly digital age, many small businesses are choosing to forgo press releases, and are instead focusing their marketing plans on things like search engine optimisation and social media to get their products and services in front of their target audiences online.

This begs the question: Is there still a place for press releases in today’s digital world? The answer is yes! Here’s why.

Press releases still serve many of the same functions as they did previously in a more print media-based world. For example, they are useful to:

• Build brand awareness and brand recognition
• Enhance your company’s image
• Boost your visibility as a brand
• Increase your authority as a leader in your industry
• Share information with your target audience or other interested parties
• Bolster your site’s search engine optimisation efforts when published online

What this means is that press releases still play a very important role in public relations and marketing campaigns.

They also remain a very important part of the news cycle, as they continue to be one of the main sources that journalists consult when looking for the next big thing to report on. 

The only difference is that now, press releases are commonly being used to approach online press and digital media outlets, rather than just your conventional newspapers, magazines, and print media.

The other main thing to keep in mind is that what makes for a good press release now in the digital world is different to what made for a good press release previously. It is no longer enough to put together one or two pages with information about your company and a couple of quotes.

Instead, to be successful in today’s digital age, press releases need to incorporate digital elements too. In fact, research shows that press releases with images received 1.4 times more views, and press releases with videos received 2.8 times more views. 

The key is to make your press release interactive – for example, by adding:

• High-definition photos
• High-quality videos
• Links to additional content (e.g. your website)
• Social media sharing buttons

All of these things help to enhance the content of your press release, and make it stand out from the hundreds of other press releases that journalists receive. 

Best of all, including all this content in your press release means that your story is essentially “ready to go”. And don’t forget, if you’re able to save journalists time and make their job easier, then you have a much higher chance of successfully securing media coverage. In fact, research shows that more than 70% of journalists use supplied images and videos when working on articles.

In short, the press release is still very much relevant in the digital era, and is in fact something that you should definitely be incorporating into your business’s marketing and brand awareness campaigns.

Need help writing a press release? Check out our blog on how to craft a well-written press release here. Alternatively, click here to find out more about the press release writing services that we offer at Tomedia.