Fun fact: The first press release dates back more than 100 years, when a train derailment in 1906 prompted the Pennsylvania Railroad to distribute a fact sheet to reporters. Ever since, PR professionals and their clients have been debating the elements of the ideal press release. 

To this day, the press release is an essential tool for sharing your brand’s latest news, announcement, or product launch with the media. However, relying on a press release as your sole means of external communication – or even the cornerstone of your media relations strategy – is a mistake in the modern world.  

Your press release is simply one component of your media strategy. The actions you take before and after a release is distributed, as well as the additional content you create to support your news, can make all the difference in your media coverage.  

First, Understand the Role of a Press Release 

Your press release serves an important purpose: To provide the media with accurate, structured information that will inform coverage of your news. However, in today’s media landscape, a press release alone usually isn’t enough to generate coverage. It’s absolutely necessary to publish a release, but it’s the bare minimum component of your larger media and content strategy.   

From videos to photos to spec sheets to interviews with your executive team, reporters often need a comprehensive set of materials to consider covering your news. Your media outreach strategy also factors into things, such as deciding whether to offer embargoed pre-briefings, hold a virtual or in-person media event, and selecting the right timing for your announcement to avoid being overshadowed by competing news.    

Ultimately, your work begins with research. To reach the right reporters with the right assets, you’ll need to understand your media targets and the audiences they serve. 

Research Your Ideal Media Targets 

Simply hitting “publish” on a newswire service isn’t a great strategy. While it’s vital to publish your release on a newswire service so that your announcement is easily accessible at any time, it’s unlikely a reporter will see your release and get to work on an article.  

You’ll need a whole lot of direct communication with those reporters first. You’ll also need to target the reporters and outlets that will reach your buyer personas most effectively. 

To best pinpoint the right audiences and media targets, start by asking yourself: Who’s my ideal audience here? Who will drive our growth by buying or taking interest in our new product? How can I reach them? Which media outlets will understand the value of our news? 

In many cases, the answers to these questions point directly at trade publications, publications targeting specific job roles (CIOs, CTOs, and other key decision-makers), and non-traditional media platforms. Especially for B2B audiences, highly targeted coverage represents a direct connection between storytelling and sales engagements. 

Build Your Arsenal of Assets 

As you’re developing your media strategy, it’s important to remember that the additional multimedia assets you provide to reporters can significantly boost your chances of coverage. 

Compelling images and videos have become an absolute must, as the majority of consumers are now looking to video as a primary source of brand and product information. Furthermore, they’re more likely to share videos with their own personal networks and other key stakeholders in their company than any other form of content. 

Think of high-quality image and video assets as ways to bring your news -- and your brand identity -- to life in a way that a press release simply can’t. If your media outreach is successful, it also provides reporters and editors with compelling visual assets that they can include in their coverage.   

Keep the Media Momentum Rolling 

To keep a steady cadence of coverage and buzz, consider clever ways to continue promoting your news and your brand long after your initial announcement.  

This can take shape in many ways, from creative social campaigns to lead-generating webinars to guest podcast appearances for your key spokespeople. Think of these post-launch activities as new entry points and engagement opportunities for your key audiences.  

On the media relations side, one momentum-builder is something we like to call “rapid response.” In addition to proactive and targeted media outreach around your initial announcement, our media relations teams stay on top of trending media stories that could be newsworthy hooks for coverage of your own brand.   

Make Sure All Your Efforts Are Working Together 

Many organizations approach their earned, owned, paid, and shared media strategies in a somewhat siloed fashion. Different teams and partners are often focused on different pieces of the puzzle, which can result in inconsistent messaging and brand experiences across the board. 

A major brand announcement provides an opportunity for all these elements to work in unison toward the same goals. Thinking beyond the press release means amplifying the same messaging across owned content such as blog posts and webinars, shared content such as LinkedIn thought-leadership pieces from your CEO, and paid opportunities in relevant outlets and industry events. 

Your earned media strategy also provides creative opportunities for growth and audience engagement. The modern earned media landscape includes podcasts, independent journalists on Substack, and expert content creators on YouTube alongside traditional print, digital, and broadcast outlets.  

That means there is a world of opportunity out there to amplify your brand and its news in creative ways that expand your audience reach (which also underscores the importance of media training for your key spokespeople). 

Unleash the Power of an Integrated PR and Marketing Partner 

Developing and executing a comprehensive media strategy that aligns your earned, owned, paid, and shared efforts takes quite a bit of work. Having an experienced partner to help you every step of the way – or focused on just the areas where you need the most assistance – can make all the difference in your success. 

Our team has 25 years of experience driving media results that elevate your brand success. Contact us, and let’s talk about how we can take your media coverage and your brand awareness to the next level.