The Lost History of the Press Release, and 12 Reasons The Press Release Still Matters

Are you looking for a way to build your brand recognition and get more customers, all while building trust with your target market, and increasing your conversion rate? If you’re looking to build your business quickly and effectively, then the Press Release should not be ignored! 

“If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.”

Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft

Effective marketing can be a mysterious puzzle with many elements that work together to make a wonderful masterpiece. This marketing masterpiece can lead to the kind of results that either makes or breaks your business. We all focus on social media and search engine marketing. Legitimate experienced marketing professionals on the other hand, understand the importance of combining traditional public relations with modern digital and print marketing to bring real success.

People don’t buy products. They buy compelling stories.

WHY DO PRESS RELEASES STILL MATTER? WE’VE GOT SOCIAL MEDIA! 

We’ve come so far from the era of the almighty paper. TV, radio, social media and blogs have taken over the entire universe, yet one marketing tool that has endured throughout the decades. The press release has overcome what seems like infinite technological advances, and innumerable changes in social norms that have seemed to reduce its relevance. Newspapers and magazines have been replaced by blogs. Letters, faxes, and snail mail have been replaced by email. The highly coveted Rolodex has been replaced by digital contact lists, and we’ve all lost our appreciation for the patience that productivity required back then.

In those days, if we wanted our businesses to take off, we created a newsworthy event, wrote the story, and delivered it to every relevant journalist in our Rolodex…and that was only after networking your butt off to accumulate strong media contacts over significant time. Today, the digital revolution has 10x our productivity so much so that we can probably almost build Rome in a day. The popularity of the mighty Press Release, unfortunately, seems to have fallen victim to the technology that’s blessed us with these new levels of productivity… or has it really?

The good news is that no matter what direction the world takes us, great media coverage will always be foundational to business growth. Public Relations will always be king! True marketing experts will always be on the hunt for story angles that will get them the kind of press coverage that only huge Fortune 500 mega-enterprises can typically achieve. Thankfully, the digital revolution has given us all access to this level of exposure. 

Digital marketing platforms have made it so much easier and more affordable for us to break through the clouds to access these higher levels of exposure we crave.

BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE PRESS RELEASE?

Press releases and media coverage have certainly not disappeared. They have merely taken a different form. Digital marketing platforms have actually enhanced the effectiveness of press releases in today’s digital world. What was once a means to build buzz and credibility, is still a phenomenal way to generate buzz and strong credibility for your brand.

Press releases now give us access to popular digital marketing & PR channels. Typewriters, envelopes and stamps have been replaced with Google Docs & e-mail. Rather than destroying the press release, technology has actually contributed greatly to its survival. Journalists use modern technology to provide the latest news to the public, and the press release will forever be their tool of choice.

THE BOTTOM LINE LOWDOWN: SHOULD YOU USE A PRESS RELEASE? Savvy marketing professionals use press releases to be featured in major media outlets, like NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, etc. True marketing professionals get the job done with a well-rounded marketing plan that almost always includes a well-written press release that gets them media coverage.

Get your free press release with The Traffic Junkies & create your Traffic complete marketing plan today. Click here & sign up!

Press Releases get you media coverage. Media coverage gets you credibility & exposure. Credibility & exposure gets you more sales.

So, you tell me if Press Releases are still effective?

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THE EPIC, BUT FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF THE PRESS RELEASE

(Click here to skip to the 12 reasons why press releases are still effective)

The first press release came to life as far back as the 28th of October 1906, even before the first radio broadcast. The first radio transmission came 2 months later, in December of the same year. The world has changed so much since then. As events unfold, people have relied on press releases from radios and print media to stay up to date. After the introduction of radio to society, people have found ways to make use of media in a more entertaining and inspiring way; these gave rise to the first radio news program, which aired in 1920 in Detroit. Radio and print then dominated the major channels for sourcing press releases.

For the next 10 years, radio and print media held a monopolistic stronghold in the world of broadcasting. Then came the introduction of television. The first television was invented in 1927, and the idea of using it as a means of broadcasting press releases was quickly implemented in 1930. This was a game changer! The dynamism that came with this invention can’t be appreciated enough. Because of the television, people could get accurate information on various categories of society’s affairs, including; weather reports, sports bulletins, breaking news, and documentaries. Television easily took over the game as one of the greatest media channels to get up-to-date information from the press. The technology for information distribution had changed twice in only 10 years. Journalists took over as the gatekeepers to the newer more powerful media tools, yet the press release was STILL the access code anyone needed to distribute their content to the masses. 

The press release has survived over a century of technological advancements, extreme changes in trends, and transformative sociological philosophies. 

It has proven to be more resilient than Brett Hart in a 1990s WWE world title fight! It has outlived all its predecessors and descendants alike. Why do we still question the eternal relevance of the almighty press release?
So let’s answer this question once and for all: Are Press Releases Dead or Effective?

The following are the 12 highlighted reasons why the press release will always matter:

1. Press Releases Are Great for SEO: If you’re looking to get your site closer to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs), then you might want to give press releases a try. Google and other search engines look for companies that are credible, and have a great reputation when choosing sites on the coveted first page of the SERPs. Who better to trust than a company featured by sites that Google considers trustworthy? Wink wink 😉
   
   This is where Press Releases shine! Their whole purpose is to get you featured by sites that will give you credibility.
   
   The good news is that you don’t have to be an SEO expert to benefit from press release syndication. Get your free Press Release and get started.
   
2. Press Releases Can Catch the Attention of Journalists Looking to Report News: High ticket journalists frequently visit Google News, Yahoo! News and other credible news outlets to find stories to publish on their coveted media outlets. Getting featured as a result of a press release can also get you featured in even bigger news outlets.
    
3. Press Releases can Attract Customers Ready to Buy: Your prospects and customers use search engines every day to locate products they’re looking to purchase. Duh! Press Releases can help you dominate Google. The best news is that our new customers can get a Press Release for free.
   
4. Press Releases can Position You As The Expert & Increase Your Conversion Rate: Whether we like it or not, your prospects must trust you before they decide to purchase. This is a foundational truth of business ownership. People buy from people and businesses they trust. What better way to increase your sales conversion than to leverage press releases to put your trust factor on steroids!
   
   One way to increase Trust can easily be inherited from the places that feature you. Be seen as an expert by being positioned as one in popular media. We’re giving our new clients press releases for free this month. Call us now.
   

 Press Releases are Affordable:  A well-written press release costs very little compared to social media and other typical digital media. Forget high costs, and release your business message to the public affordably.

“Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad.”

Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group

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1. Press Releases are Accurate: Skip the ridiculous unfounded rumors on social media and random mom-blogs. Press releases typically come with the kind of accuracy that can only come straight from the horse’s mouth. They’re often used to address a particular topic or to raise awareness, and the media outlets that publish them typically require a higher level of accuracy before considering publishing them. Press releases are accurate.
   
2. Accessibility: Thanks to modern digital outlets, press releases can be published almost instantly in electronic media. They can also be received and distributed super quickly for print. It’s easier than ever before to be published with big name news outlets like NBA, CBS, ABC and FOX.
   
3. Engagement: A well-written press release distributed to the right media outlets has the potential to rake in tons of engagement from their followers so you can stay ahead of your competitors.
   
4. Blogs, Streaming Media, Magazines, Newspapers, TV Stations & Radio Stations Need Content: Journalists are the original influencers, and will always be the kings and queens of the hill. We communicate with them via press releases. Journalists absolutely need content for the COUNTLESS number of media outlets in existence all around the world. Without journalists, the idea of a press release would have died before it ever got started! Journalists dedicate their time to gathering information, organizing that information into well-detailed articles, and making it available to their audiences. For credible journalists, most of the information they make available to us typically starts from a press release.
   
   Looking to be featured with the big boys? Call us! Let’s make it happen.
   
5. Press Releases for Political awareness: Not many people or businesses can claim to dominate media presence like politicians do. Not even the most well-groomed celebrity can rival the media presence of an experienced politician who understands the power of the press release. Who better to ask about the best way to communicate with the world than world leaders? The political sector is the perfect example as to the prominence of public relations via press releases. If anyone asks us, we will always agree that press releases will forever remain relevant to us.
   
6. Press Releases for Marketing: The press release still works for marketing! Major brands around the world often deploy press releases as a major part of their marketing strategy. It is very effective in creating awareness about a product.
   
7. Press Releases are Used in Social Media: Novice marketers sometimes think social media has made it more difficult for press releases to continue their dominance. On the contrary, however, social media has made it even easier to get press releases directly from the source. Brands, public figures, and organizations all use social media to publish press releases often to address their customers. Claim your free press release and ask us how!
   

BONUS – PR is Great for Educational Purposes: Because of the legitimacy and accuracy of press releases, many people use news outlets and major blogs for research purposes. Press releases will get your brand there. Where would we be without them?

Is the Press Release Still Relevant in the Digital World?

Although there are many ways to source information in the digital world, the presence and importance of the press release are still very hard to deny. Many modern forms of content dominate the digital world, yet they all, in one way or another, still rely on a press release to be effective. So the answer to this question is “Yes!” The press release is still vastly relevant in the Digital World.

What are press releases used for? 

Press releases are both useful and necessary in various sectors of our day-to-day activities.

We, as a society, trust our journalists. They keep us informed and help us to maintain order. They tell us what to expect in politics, sports, happenings around town, and the weather. They educate us, and warn us of imminent danger … and we believe them! This is why journalism is such a POWERFUL TOOL we can use for promotion. The press release is your access code!

The day-to-day information we receive from the media comes from a source that we all rely on every single day.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Live streams, infographics, videos, commercials, and other modern forms of content dominate the digital content world. Use this to your advantage and build your credibility in the most effective way possible.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Press releases have not been underrated because they are no longer relevant. Those who underestimate them merely do not understand their power. Take advantage of this powerful promotional tool while your competition sleeps. Create awareness of your brand with the bedrock of information: press releases.

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The Traffic Junkies is a marketing company that specializes in affordable marketing for small businesses. Let’s get started! Get your free press release and start your journey to success.