– PR to Thrive in 2009
– Newsflash: Venerable Press Release Crushes Naysayers
Unlike many others, I am looking forward to good things for PR in 2009. True, traditional media and even online media are struggling (the latter, based on ad spending, anyway). And the continued growth of social media is forcing us to re-evaluate our roles like never before, adapt and in many ways redefine ourselves.
I believe that, just like in the world of media, there will be a shakeout, and those who can’t adapt will wither.
Those who can adapt will find a world of opportunity. No one knows for sure when we will turn a corner in the economy, most signs point to an extended downturn. Certainly, the early part of 2009 does not look encouraging, and it may not be until late in the year or 2010 that we come out of this. It might even go on for years.
PR has proven to deliver outsized returns relative to other forms of marketing – studies have shown this. So it only makes sense that the budget buzz saw that is wielded in tough times will first target other much larger marketing line items.
In fact, money might shift from advertising and direct marketing to PR if we prove that the ROI is there. Demonstrating ROI will become critical no matter what your perch is in marketing. In PR, this will be our only hedge for those clients – primarily startups, many in tech – that have placed all their marketing eggs in the PR basket and have few other marketing-related expenditures to cut.
I am unconvinced about reports of the death press release. It does not seem to me that the volume of press releases is diminishing. I haven’t looked at the numbers, but I bet the press release distribution services are enjoying a healthy amount of traffic. And why not? Press releases continue to provide an excellent value. They are an enduring institution. Press releases are the thin line separating news from pure marketing – they provide a veneer of respectability, and continue to be the stimulus for much online discussion and debate.
If you have a good story and can express it in a way that is comprehensible, interesting and resonates (I know, big “ifs” as there is much marginal press release content) you can launch a release and justify its cost at just about any budget level: there is increasing value to be gained as you move from freebie and low cost wires, to major wires, to paying extra for the PR “elbow release” required to move beyond sending and praying and get real editorial coverage.
I was reminded of the utility and cost effectiveness of press releases during a weekly PR call with a client. She remarked that they would no longer advertise routine updates and events and instead use press releases to get the word out.
[A caveat to all this is that shifting too much away from other forms of marketing does not benefit anyone in the long haul – less ad spending means weaker media, and it is important to have a good mix in your marketing]
The search engines prioritize information that is carried in a press release wrapper. That is why I am unconvinced of the value of a social media release (SMR) that is published, rather than distributed, and is somehow supposed to be optimized to spread virally on social networks.
SMRs are more effort to create and take more time to navigate. Shortened attention spans these days place a tremendous premium on information that can be understood and acted upon quickly. The laudable goal to make press releases more engaging, informative and sharable is at odds with ways information is indexed by search engines and found online, and consumed once found. The complicated nature of SMRs is at odds with the need to be agile in communications.
In 2009 I think the major news distribution services will get better at handling the Web 2.0 accoutrements found in SMRs, and will continue to have an advantage in distribution. So my advice for 2009 is to issue releases through wires and leverage blogs to amplify the news (search engines also give priority to fresh blog posts).
PR has generally been about conversations and words. Here we have an advantage over advertising, when it comes to social media. Yet, in the online world, mutimedia rules, giving an advantage to shops that leverage various types of media and can be entertaining – traditionally the strong suit of advertising.
Look to the forward thinking PR shops to get better at Web development and multimedia, and ad agencies to get better at copy and conversations. Both will strive to find new and innovative ways to directly engage consumers through various types of websites, social media and social networks.
The drive to prove ROI, and the changing nature of the online world will drive innovations in Web metrics and PR measurement. Measurement will need to catch up, and become more about real time interactions and engagement, and integration with closed loop marketing systems.
Thos who can master social media and its rapidly evolving mores will reign.
Those who can do the same while proving ROI will reign supreme.
