How often should I send out media releases?
A client asked me this question recently.
I said it depends …
You have to drill down to why you’re keen to get news out, what is the news (is it really news – will it pass the ‘who cares?’ test?), who’s your target audience for starters. What’s the urgency, the call to action?
Why are you writing a media release?
Even better, should you be using a media release as the most effective way for your message to resonate with your desired demographic?
- Crisis communications, reputational damage, ‘breaking’ news story usually dictates regular – may be even more than daily – updates. for transparency, accountability and salvaging relationships. That’s what it’s all about. But a media release will probably not be the best way to do that if you’re a small business. Crisis time media releases are more for medium-sized corporates or government agencies.
- Your online store has just expanded its range of coloured bed sheets. Sounds like Instagram of Facebook could be the natural habitat for that news.
- Want to tell your clients about a new service you’ve added to your offerings? Sure, a media release for your local newspaper (if that’s your target market), a blog post (on your own site or if you can, guest blog on a key site that taps into the audience you’re keen to reach), even email direct marketing to trumpet this development.
Can’t really do a broad brushstroke about media releases or ‘pressies’ – they have their place. It’s not a matter of how often you send out one, but what’s the content you’ve got and what’s the result you want?
Should media releases be the only way you get your message ‘out there’?
Increasingly, there are multi-pronged and better ways for businesses to reach their tribe of followers. Check out my free one-hour-consult with a cuppa I’m offering for Central West NSW businesses until 1 December 2016. Please drill down past my list of services there to the offer.
Why not drive the traffic back to your website?
Make it the home for your best writing, your pithy blogs, slick videos about what you do – behind the scenes.
Consider that if you do issue a media release, not giving away the whole story, doing a bit of a tease and directing readers back to your website for more info.
While we’re at it, here’s a nigh-instantaneous way to grade your website (thanks, HubSpot website grader). It goes beyond just churning for stats on your site’s performance, how it features on mobile phones, SEO and security. It actually unpacks how it arrived at the grading so you can pinpoint where you need to turbocharge your site. Very nifty.
If only the issue of how often to send out media releases was as clear cut.