Ask the Experts: 3 Predictions for Press Release Evolution

The actual anatomy of a press release has not really changed for decades. OK, so it has changed slightly; we are in the digital age of course. And with the digital age came the power of the blogger.

PR teams and journalists are now trying to enlist the help of these consumer influencers to maximize their campaigns. No different to normal press releases there are do’s and don’ts to writing them, to get you started here are a few top tips from the experts.

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Do:

• DO keep headlines short and punchy.


• DO invite bloggers to review your product.


• DO use spacing and bullet points to break up the text.

Don’t:

• DON’T write a thesis; keep it short and to the point.


• DON’T throw it at those outside of your industry.


• DON’T use jargon or over exaggerate your product.

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The way press releases are shared and gain exposure has dramatically evolved.

A decade ago, the focus of a PR team would have been on getting maximum exposure to increase SEO ranking, sharing minimum of one press release a week.

These days, delivering high quality, researched, content that has meaning to its audience is essential. It is completely acceptable to publish one press release a month, as long as you put that extra effort to understand your audience how to engage with them.

So this year be the next step in press release evolution?

We asked our team of marketing and PR experts to help us put together 3 predictions for 2015.

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Prediction #1:

Storytelling will be the path for brands to follow.

If you are writing a press release you cannot directly sell your product, you must first sell your brand’s story.

Your audience wants to engage with you as a brand, so storytelling is the creative way of presenting your company that makes it personal to potential and current brand ambassadors.

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Prediction #2:

Blogger influencers will hold the key to PR success.

The blogging world is a huge segment of the internet that is being under utilized by PR.

With over 200 million bloggers worldwide, and thousands of followers per blog, there is a goldmine of potential to be used here. By sharing your press release with targeted tools such as BlogsRelease, you create a powerful domino effect that can spread the news of your product way beyond one press release.

When bloggers find your content inspiring they could write about you on their blog to thousands of followers, often using pictures and links to enhance their post. This content remains forever on the internet and is even more influential because a blogger has recommended it.

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Prediction #3:

Social media will be the doorway to reaching your audience.

Once you have reached blogger influencers and inspired them to write about you, social media will be the doorway to getting this content shared.

Many people prefer to share content from blogs as it is often written in a more personal way that their readers can relate to. Tracking social media with tools such as Brandwatch is an excellent way to find patterns and trends that can help you in your next marketing campaign.

All three predictions are already being recognized in the PR industry and are set to be big movers next year. What are your predictions for 2015?

Ask the Experts: 3 Predictions for Press Release Evolution