I have spent a heck of a lot of time this year talking and writing about digital and social media. But a conversation I had recently with Rich Jefferson, Sr. Director of PR at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, reminded me that even in this era of “new” media, the news release remains one of the most important tools in our arsenal.
Rich should know — his two-person PR team at AEM has distributed more than 100 news releases so far this year. So when the 20+ year PR veteran says things like “the news release is the most important, flexible, multi-faceted, communications tool we have going” or “the better the news release the better your business,” you know he really, really believes it.
And as AEM helps its members push for legislative support for funding to build the next generation of roads, bridges and rail through grassroots efforts like the Start Us Up USA! campaign, Rich says a news release-focused strategy has helped build a communications foundation that has put the association “on the map” during the past two years by creating a constant flow of news about the association in the media and online.
Key #1 is thinking beyond the journalist and segmenting your audience. “Not every news release is intended to generate coverage in the Washington Post,” he said. Some releases are meant to reach a smaller, more targeted list of trade media, for example.
Equally important in today’s online world, he said, the news release is a powerful tool for reaching your target audience directly. I couldn’t agree more — I frequently recommend SEO-friendly, multimedia news releases as a way to generate traditional and online coverage and reach audiences directly in a powerful way.
Having a library of news releases essentially creates your own searchable online database. And while Rich and I agree that the incorporation of key words can be a bit “clunky” from a journalistic standpoint, it is a great way to ensure people find your news via Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines — where most consumers and professional begin any search for information these days.
News Release Key #2 from Rich — be at the table where decisions are made and strategies are defined. PR people have to start “pounding their drums,” he said, letting executives know they should bring PR pros into strategic planning instead of just contacting the PR department or firm as an afterthought and having them draft a release. “Getting PR involved up front can not only streamline the process — it can lead to the creation of content that can generate profits.”
By the way, just because Rich advocates for frequent use of news releases does not mean he doesn’t believe in digital and social media as well. He is involved in many online communities and distributes news releases and other information via LinkedIn and other channels to ensure he is reaching his target audience as well as possible.
Rich’s News Release Key #3: As Gatorade says — “Be Like Mike.”
“What did Michael Jordan do to practice? He dribbled. He shot. He focused on footwork. The basics. That’s what a news release is. It is so basic, yet so important at the same time.”