Embracing Multimedia for Modern Public Relations

For this month’s News with Edge article, Vicki LaBrosse has written about the power of adding multimedia assets to your press releases. Check out this quick clip of Vicki sharing a brief overview of the article with Amy Juers, and then read on for the full article!

Press releases have long been a vital tool in the arsenal of public relations professionals. They serve as the primary means by which organizations communicate news to journalists and the public. The goal is straightforward: deliver clear, concise information that journalists can quickly turn into news stories. However, the landscape of media and journalism has evolved, and with it, the role and format of press releases have also undergone significant changes. Today, simply distributing a text-only press release is no longer sufficient. To stand out in an increasingly crowded and fast-paced media environment, incorporating multimedia content, especially video, is essential.

The Changing Media Landscape

The media landscape began to shift dramatically with the advent of the internet and digital journalism. The proliferation of online news outlets, blogs and social media platforms transformed how news is consumed and disseminated. Traditional print journalism has started to decline, and with it, the old ways of pitching stories and distributing press releases have become less effective.

Journalists, now under pressure to produce more content in less time, rely on press releases not just as sources of information but as ready-to-use content. This places new demands on PR professionals, who need to provide richer, more engaging material that could easily be adapted for digital platforms.

The Rise of Multimedia Press Releases

In the digital age, attention spans are shorter, and competition for that attention is fierce. This reality has driven the evolution of the press release from a text-based document to a multimedia experience. According to industry research, journalists are far more likely to engage with and use press releases that include multimedia elements. Video, in particular, has become a critical component.

Why Video?

Video is a powerful medium because it is engaging, shareable and can convey complex information quickly and effectively. In the context of a press release, video can serve multiple purposes:

• Visual storytelling: Videos can bring a story to life in ways that text alone cannot. Whether it’s a product launch, a company milestone or an event, video can capture the essence of the story in a dynamic and compelling way.
• Increased engagement: Studies have shown that press releases with video content receive significantly higher engagement rates than those without. This is particularly true on social media platforms, where video content is prioritized by algorithms and more likely to be shared by users.
• Better SEO: Search engines favor video content, which means that press releases with embedded videos are more likely to appear in search results, increasing their visibility.
• Versatility: Videos can be repurposed across multiple channels, including social media, websites and email newsletters, amplifying the reach of the press release.

The Integrated Approach to Press Releases

A successful press release strategy often involves an integrated approach that combines text with a variety of multimedia elements. This might include:

• High-quality images: Photos related to the news can help to tell the story visually and are often picked up by journalists and bloggers to accompany their articles.
• Infographics: These can simplify and highlight key data points or trends, making the information more digestible and appealing to a broader audience.
• Interactive elements: Links to additional resources, such as detailed reports, white papers or product demos, can provide journalists with the depth of information they need to craft more informed stories.
• Social media content: Including prewritten LinkedIn, X or Instagram posts can help journalists quickly share the news across their social channels, increasing the chances of the release gaining traction.

The Future of Press Releases

As technology continues to evolve, so will the press release. We are already seeing the beginnings of interactive press releases that allow recipients to engage with the content in real time, from watching embedded videos to participating in live Q&A sessions. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are also on the horizon, offering entirely new ways for organizations to tell their stories.

While the core purpose of the press release remains the same – to communicate news to the media and the public – the tools and techniques used to achieve this have evolved significantly. In today’s digital-first world, incorporating multimedia content, particularly video, is no longer optional but essential for making a press release stand out. PR professionals who embrace these changes and leverage the power of multimedia will be better positioned to capture the attention of journalists and the public alike.

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