In getting your clients’ names out there, there are many
creative tactics and strategies that PR professionals can employ to reach additional
targeted audiences. In order to catch the eyes of a broader audience, the PR
professional has a range of platforms to pick from, and with ever-changing
technologies, the traditional written press release isn’t always going to do
the trick in informing the general public about a new or unfamiliar business.
As the use of certain technologies becomes engrained in our
lives, a recent article
on Fortune.com suggests that current audiences lack the attention spans of even
five minutes, which is sometimes less than the time it takes to read through
the standard one-page written release. Luckily for us and for our quick-paced
consumers, the video news release was created, and it has evolved to work to
our advantage in some cases.
Stemming from the use of PR professionals in the 1980s, the
video news release is just what it sounds like—a press release on film.
Including a news hook coupled with footage and client information, it seems
that these videos are just now booming due to the free social platforms that
are widely used. With 1.07 billion mobile monthly active users on Facebook and 271
million monthly active users on
Twitter, it is now easier than ever to reach the world through these
social sites, as opposed to generalized SEO engines or even through press
release distribution sites.
Not only are these releases important to Internet platforms,
but they are also helpful to broadcast professionals looking for filler, b-roll
and a news story with a good hook. Similarly to the standard press release, the
PR professional has the ability to distribute a video news release to hundreds
of broadcast outlets nationally or even internationally through file transfer,
but now they can use additional channels such as YouTube, which has the potential
to create viral content.
While it may seem that this idea is cutting edge, and you
may feel the need to begin on a video news release upon reading this blog,
video news releases are not always necessary for your client. Foremost, you should
ask yourself if you have a national or relevant news hook that involves your
client before creating the release. You need to decide who your target
demographics are, and if they are very narrow and specific, a video news
release may not be for you.
Additionally, not all of your clients have the ability to
release information in the form of a video. Many business to business
operations do not have consumer appeal that can easily be translated through a
video, and in this case, the standard press release is more beneficial. Also,
you need to think about what channels your audience is more likely to be
partial to. If your target outlets are mostly print, a video release is not the
best option for your client.
So before jumping to conclusions and assuming that a video
news release is a quick fix, take the time to analyze your client, research
your target demographic and determine how news-worthy your hook is. Weigh your
options and think about all of the possible ways you can spread your
information before you decide to take the plunge. If you do decide that a video
news release is the best option for your client, I wish you the best of luck,
and I hope it goes viral. Happy filming!
(Screenshot of video
press release from Groupie phone application)
This post was contributed by Emily Chandler
@Emily_PharrPR
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