I’m sure you’ve heard that the press release is either dead or dying. That it is an outdated method of reaching the press with tools like Twitter that let you publish your news yourself. A new survey shows that the press release is doing quite well.
While social media and putting out the word yourself is a good idea, it shouldn’t replace sending press releases to the media if you have newsworthy content. Even large companies that have incredible name recognition still use a newswire and still send journalists press releases (and bloggers).
A survey by the Oriella PR Network, an alliance of 15 PR agencies around the world including 750 journalists confirms this. Journalists say they want emailed press releases from PR pros — if they are relevant and assuming they have news value.
75% of respondents said that an emailed press release is useful to receive from PR professionals, assuming the content is “high quality and well targeted.”
Be sure to check out the graphic that shows other methods of reaching journalists.
Other points from the study: the majority of journalists like what they do even though though many have been laid off. The offline media world is shrinking (while online outlets are likely to grow). They’re worried about quality and profitability. 41% don’t think the online model is profitable.
Tip: In addition to sending out your press release through a wire service email it to a targeted list of journalists. That way you’re covering both the online distribution and reaching media directly.
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- Do Newswires Matter? (onlineprbook.com)
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One Response to “Study: 75% Journalists Still Prefer Press Releases”
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July 28th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Good post, it is reassuring to see the statistics show that press releases are still effective. Press releases are an influential part of our public relations strategy, and will continue to be as long as they are beneficial.
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