{"id":8557,"date":"2018-06-05T18:07:09","date_gmt":"2018-06-05T18:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicityhound.com\/tips\/?p=8557"},"modified":"2024-04-25T23:41:44","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T23:41:44","slug":"5-reasons-not-to-abandon-press-releases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/tips-of-the-week\/5-reasons-not-to-abandon-press-releases\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Not to Abandon Press Releases"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Issue #1229 June 5,\u00a02018
\nPublisher: Joan Stewart<\/p>\n

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”<\/h2>\n

In This Issue<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. 5 Reasons Not to Abandon Press Releases<\/li>\n
  2. Journalists’ Top 2 Social Sites<\/li>\n
  3. Hot Media Topics for June<\/li>\n
  4. Hound\u00a0Video\u00a0of the Week<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    This Week in the Hound House:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    I switched from cable to Direct TV yesterday and can’t wait to record my favorite shows and fast-forward through the commercials. Geico commercials make my head explode, except the ones with the cute green lizard. But the absolute worst is Ruby Tuesday’s “Heat or Sweet” commercial, featuring the always annoying Rachel Dratch<\/strong> with that high-pitched voice that can shatter glass.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    1. 5 Reasons Not to Abandon Press Releases<\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    A recent survey of journalists shows that only 3 percent say they rely on press releases sent via newswires like PR Newswire and PR Web.<\/p>\n

    And 53 percent of U.S. journalists don’t rely on press releases at all. The survey was conducted by Muck Rack and Zeno, a communications firm.<\/p>\n

    Don’t let those results dissuade you from writing press releases. Here’s why:<\/p>\n

    1. They’re important collateral materials you can link to when sending a customized pitch.<\/p>\n

    2. They help other people, not just journalists, promote you.<\/p>\n

    3. They position you as the local expert and can get top ranking in search results.<\/p>\n

    4. When placed in an online media kit or your media room, they teach website visitors about your business.<\/p>\n

    5. You can reach consumers directly, bypassing journalists who aren’t interested in your news. No more media gatekeepers!<\/p>\n

    To do:<\/strong> Read more about how to access the survey results and why you should be writing press releases in my blog post “Don’t Abandon Press Releases, Despite What Journalists Say.”<\/a>\u00a0 If you have a question about releases, the comments section awaits. I’ll answer it.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0Journalists’ Top 2 Social Sites<\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Can you guess which two social media sites journalists prefer most often when looking for story ideas?<\/p>\n

    The survey mentioned above found that 37 percent of journalists expect to spend more time on both Twitter and Instagram.<\/p>\n

    If you guessed Facebook, you’re way off. A whopping 44 percent expect to spend less time in Mark Zuckerberg’s<\/strong> controversial playground.<\/p>\n

    Other interesting nuggets from the survey results:<\/p>\n

    –More than one-third of journalists go to social media as their “first” source of news.<\/p>\n

    –Clicks matter. More than 41 percent of journalists consider the potential “shareability” of a story when deciding what to write about. And 63 percent of U.S. journalists outside the U.S. track how many times their stories are shared on social media.<\/p>\n

    –49 percent of the respondents agreed that “I would be more likely to pay attention to a press release if it contained an infographic.”<\/p>\n

    To do:<\/strong> In exchange for your name and email address, you can download all the survey results here.<\/a><\/p>\n

    3. Hot Media Topics for June<\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Radio deejay Wayne Kelly<\/strong> is back with a list of story ideas you can pitch in June. They include:<\/p>\n