Why the PR Industry Needs a Slap in the Face [Webinar Preview]

This is a preview of what will be discussed in the Press Releases Unhinged Webinar next Tuesday, Feb. 22: Not long ago, I consulted with a well-known PR firm here locally. It was a struggle to have them adopt the new rules that should be part of any modern PR campaign. Like old dogs, they were ... Read more

This is a preview of what will be discussed in the Press Releases Unhinged Webinar next Tuesday, Feb. 22:

Not long ago, I consulted with a well-known PR firm here locally. It was a struggle to have them adopt the new rules that should be part of any modern PR campaign. Like old dogs, they were stuck in their archaic ways and didn’t want to change.

Their problems, which are problems for many traditional PR firms, comes down to three things:

1. Making press releases real stories
2. Creating press releases for the search engines
3. Creating releases the media can use

Creating Shareable Press Releases

This is an actual lead from a press release written by a PR firm:

SALT LAKE CITY — MediConnect Global today announced that its myMediConnect personal health record (PHR) portal will be included in the recently extended Medicare PHR Choice pilot program, which allows Medicare patients in Utah and Arizona to have their own claims data automatically added to their PHR. myMediConnect is one of only four PHRs selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the program, which was slated to end in December, but has been extended through June 2011.”

After reading that, there’s no wonder most people hate to read press releases. All the acronyms, jargon, specific details of the company, etc., drown out the entire message. To be more effective, this lead should speak the story to the audience in one simple sentence. It should read something simple like:

SALT LAKE CITY — Medicare patients in Utah and Arizona can now have their claims and data automatically added to a personal health record.”

That’s the real story (I think), and that’s all that should be in the lead. If it was written this simple, and clear, the message would be remembered more. All the details can be put in it later.

Here’s a good example from Backcountry.com:

PARK CITY, UTAH (May 21, 2009) — Starting today, there’s HuckNroll.com, a store dedicated to dirt riders and our take-your-personal-best-and-shove-it-up-your-ass, meat-hucking, scab-picking habit known as mountain biking.”

This one may not have a great news lead, but it definitely has a lead that will cause people to show their friends.

Creating SEO Press Releases

When working with that PR firm, I asked them what keywords they wanted in a specific press release. Their response?

“We don’t have any. We’ll take any suggestions you might have.”

After doing a little bit of keyword research, I brought back some suggestions and told them how to have specific keywords in the release linked back to specific pages. Their response?

“We’ll worry about SEO after we get the release done.”

Say what?

A huge advantage for press releases today is the SEO value. If nobody reads a release (which is what that PR firm likely experiences with their complex leads) then at least you can have some search engine value. At least you can use it for link building.

Many PR firms just don’t get how or why to optimize a press release for the search engines. And they are missing a big opportunity. Without any SEO, they are just putting out press releases online that get lost in the quagmire of content.

Making Press Releases Real Stories

When I was a newspaper editor, there were times I had to find something quick to fill empty space just before deadline. Since I hadn’t written an extra story, I would go through press releases in my inbox to see if I could just put something in that space.

Press releases that were written like a story, were relevant to our readers, and took minimal editing, made the cut. I often used those press releases and published them as is.

However, those releases were hard to come by. Most were filled with jargon and complex details like the example above. Here’s an example of a good press release that could be inserted into almost any business section:

The rest of the release is cut off, but the lead, the quotes, etc., are written the way a publication would write it (in fact, it’s actually written by a full-time reporter, not a PR pro). It’s written as a story not a press release.

Press releases can boost your SEO, get your brand in front of thousands, and establish credibility and interest — if done right. I’ll go over more detail about how to create effective press releases in a webinar next Tuesday. It will cover: