Can We Take the Word ‘Press’ Out of Press Release, Please?

Sometimes clients have really exciting announcements….and sometimes, they don’t. All PR pros have been tasked with writing a press release for news that simply isn’t newsworthy. When this happens, our instinct is to “set expectations” (#Buzzword) for our clients, letting them know that we’ll try our best to get media coverage for them.

So, we go forth on spamming reporters’ inboxes with news that isn’t news in an effort to appease our clients. While trying to secure media is our job, I believe that as PR professionals we need to do a better job of educating our clients about announcements.

In my opinion, the disconnect between agency and client stems from the phrase “press release.” The word “press” indicates that press coverage is guaranteed when making an announcement. I can’t really blame someone who has never worked in PR before to think that. I mean, it literally says press.

So instead of scrambling to pitch the impossible, lets start off by explaining to clients the two main reasons for an announcement:

1- Putting a Stake in The Ground

Whether it’s doing it the old fashion way by putting a release on the wire or announcing news through an emerging platform such as Medium, there is value in company announcements even without traditional media coverage. We all tend to think in black or white and wins or losses, so an announcement without coverage is often viewed as loss. However, just getting your news out there and putting a stake in the ground is a step forward. It’s a way to build towards a bigger, more newsworthy announcement and put your client on reporter’s radars. When my clients put out a release that isn’t quite newsworthy enough I’ll share it just as an FYI with some of my relevant contacts. It’s a good way to keep reporters in the loop without jamming a release down their throat.

2- Generating Coverage

Of course, there are newsworthy press releases that we need to and should get covered for our clients. In these instances, we still need to be better at educating clients on a proper schedule for releasing news and giving us enough time to pitch reporters. When first starting off, your client might have tons of announcements they are excited to get out, but its critical to explain the importance of not over-saturating reporters with their news. Set a schedule with at least 2 weeks in-between releases and decide which are newsworthy enough to pitch and which should suffice as a piece of content on Medium, a blog post, or though the wire supported with social amplification.

I know it’s not easy to tell a client that their news isn’t always big enough for traditional coverage, but we aren’t just hired to drive media. We’re hired to understand the media landscape and give them the best advice possible. Being honest from the get go and explaining this process is much better than making excuses later. It will lead to a better client-agency relationship, which will lead to better results.