Step up Your Press Release Game with a Multichannel Approach

Take a moment to think about what you post on social media each day. Perhaps you use Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook. The accepted formatting of posts changes with each platform - hashtags here, stories and filters there. Each message you create is tailored for the specific people on those platforms. Are you showing the same care and attention to your PR messaging?

We get it, communication has gotten complicated. There are numerous channels to consider when spreading your brand’s message. Marketers have become increasingly savvy, ensuring that unique content is created for every platform and audience. We think it's time PR pros followed suit.

Your press release, while crucial to the media, does not excite consumers. But, it doesn't have to be that way! Your content should be crafted so that it appeals to consumers as well as the journalists you're targeting. If you appeal to a journalist's audience, then you're going to earn interest from both sides. Let's take a look at the Ad Council example in the image above. On the left is the traditional press release that was distributed to the media. That version is intentionally detached from a personal storyline while informative around a specific event. This is meant to provide the bones for a journalist to write a story. The version on the right speaks directly to that brand's target audience and prompts them to take action by assessing their diabetes risk (which was the desired outcome from their press release). The consumer-friendly title is short and engaging with a clear call-to-action button featured beneath the headline. This version gives brand loyalists and interested newcomers something worth sharing. The idea of audience-specific content seems like common sense, but we realize altering age-old press release tactics may be scary.

MultiVu is no stranger to challenging the status quo. Thirteen years ago we pioneered the Multimedia News Release (MNR). This landing page served as a container for a brand’s traditional press release but was lightyears ahead of its text-only predecessor. The MNR upped the press release ante with images, videos and call-to-action capability. This change was exciting for web users, proven through unprecedented levels of engagement and visibility over traditional wire alone. When PR fully embraced this change they reaped big rewards.

Today we face a new challenge. There are no more gatekeepers of news. Audiences have access to information continuously via their smartphones and they have thousands of places to get it. The MNR is a great way to attract and engage people, but using a press release as the bait will not cut it. A traditional release is perfect for our wire distribution but is out of place on an MNR. It's time to harness the unique strengths of the wire and the MNR by moving from the “one size fits all” press release to Smart PR, which focuses on customized content for each audience wherever they find you.

5 Keys to PR Success with MultiVu's Multichannel Solutions:

1. Craft your traditional press release and send to MultiVu. Our parent company and the global leader, Cision/PR Newswire, will disseminate your important announcement. In an era of suspect new sources, this step is crucial and gives your news the industry stamp of credibility. PR Newswire pioneered the wire business and its reputation with the media is exemplary. In fact, PRN is ranked one of the top 500 Most Important Sites on the Web according to Moz.com. Your press release will work in tandem with the consumer-focused text on the MNR, rather than be used as the catchall solution for everyone.
2. Our experts quickly craft a shareworthy story to be used on your MNR. This rewrite has the bones of your traditional release but tells a story that resonates with readers. We return this rewrite to you within 4-6 hours. You can use it on the MNR as-is, change it up or forego it entirely. No hard feelings.
3. MultiVu project managers and designers create a custom landing page for your campaign that includes your multimedia assets, eye-catching design, call-to-action, widgets etc. No templated assembly line here! Your branded landing page serves as your engagement “headquarters.” If your ROI goals include shares, likes, downloads and conversion, the MNR is a “must-have”. Lead gen forms, tweetable quotes, your brand’s social channels and more, can all live on your landing page. Some clients enjoy being hands-on and some want to “set it and forget it”. No worries! You can interact with our dedicated team as much or as little as you’d like!
   
   Are you thinking, “…but we already have a website”? Learn how company websites and landing pages are crucial to campaign success here: http://www.multivu.com/blog/2017/homepages-vs-landing-pages-maximizing-the-attention-span-of-your-audience.html
4. Strategic targeting, creative videos, livestreaming, SMTs, Times Square placement and more. We do it all. You need a multi-faceted, multi-channel campaign that can resonate with everyone and we can help. MultiVu can tailor a solution to meet your goals.
5. Analyze the data to identify trends and strategize next steps. Our superior media intelligence platform, the Cision^® Comms Cloud, ensures you can finally show the ROI of earned media; something PR pros have wanted for years. The Comms Cloud can provide deep insights into your audience and their behavior which help you improve upon your efforts with each and every campaign.

(Cision Comms Cloud)

The Bottom Line: Well-written press releases have their place in your overall PR-plan, but brands must offer value to each unique audience on whatever channel they find you. Tell a story that makes them care AND share by leveraging your partnership with Cision’s MultiVu and PR Newswire. Let's make one-dimensional content a thing of the past.

ABOUT THE EXPERT: Melissa Elsner

Melissa Elsner is the Director of Online Operations at MultiVu, a Cision company. She began her career here as a web designer before moving on to product development and operations management. Melissa and her team of project managers and designers work with clients to create strategic marketing and PR campaigns that attract and engage global audiences. They also created and maintain the MultiVu website.

Melissa is a diehard Giants fan that is still mourning the Eagles’ unfortunate victory in the Super Bowl. She is also a super-busy mom to two teen boys and a full-time student at Penn State University obtaining the business degree she should have gotten the first time around when she was pre-med at Columbia University. She strives to be a leader that empowers and supports her team to reach their highest potential while having fun along the way.