Why Are Press Releases Important and Still Relevant?

 

 

Your company just landed a major client, launched an innovative product or reached a growth milestone. How do you share this news with the world? As a PR professional, you have many communication options, but the press release remains a powerhouse tool. Yet in our always-on, digital age, you may need to re-learn why press releases are important and how to leverage them for maximum impact.

The Evolution of Press Releases

The importance of press releases has evolved over the years, but they’ve always been essential. Press releases first emerged in the early 1900s as a way for companies to communicate directly with journalists. They were usually typed on a typewriter and mailed to the newspaper’s office. From these humble beginnings, press releases quickly became a standard part of PR strategy, with companies using them to announce everything from new products to management changes. 

As technology advanced, press releases evolved to digital formats shared through email and web-based distribution services. Today's press releases can include images, videos, infographics and interactive elements that bring stories to life. Distribution has also transformed, with press releases now able to reach global audiences in seconds. The core purpose to share newsworthy information remains the same, but their form and reach have expanded—and so have press release benefits.

Why Are Press Releases Important Today?

Press releases serve as a direct line of communication between your organisation and the journalists who can amplify your message. Whether they work with traditional media outlets like television, radio and newspapers or digital channels like blogs, websites and social media accounts, journalists and influencers still rely on press releases to discover stories and verify facts. 

Reporters understand why press releases are important because they offer something that many other channels don’t: official, verified information from the source. By sending a press release, you're creating content that can be discovered online, shared across platforms and referenced by reporters who are looking for cold, hard facts among all the online noise. Press releases are also a valuable tool for search engine optimisation (SEO), particularly for smaller companies that benefit from the high domain authority of major press release distribution sites.

Press Releases vs. Other Forms of Publicity

To better explain the importance of press releases, it’s helpful to understand how they relate to other popular publicity channels. While each form of communication has strengths and limitations, they all work together to form an effective PR strategy. 

Social Media

Social media platforms offer immediate, direct communication with your audience, allowing you to share news in real time and engage in two-way conversations. As part of a solid shared media strategy, these channels can amplify your press release by breaking down key points into shareable content. However, social media posts lack the credibility and permanence of press releases, and they can be easily lost in crowded feeds.

Paid Media

Paid media gives you guaranteed placement and control over how your message appears, whether through traditional advertising or digital channels like sponsored content. It can help ensure your press release reaches specific target audiences that might otherwise have missed it. The downside is that consumers may trust paid media less than earned media, viewing it as self-promotion. 

Events

Events, whether in-person or virtual, create memorable experiences that bring your brand to life and provide opportunities for direct engagement. Events can be expensive to organise, however, and their reach is limited to those who attend. Event press releases play a crucial role in expanding that reach, announcing the event beforehand and summarising key takeaways afterward.

Key Features of Modern Press Releases

Modern press releases go far beyond simple text announcements. When you incorporate the following key features, you’ll capture attention, drive engagement and make it easy to see why the press release is important, even today.

High-Quality Images

High-quality images transform your press release from plain text into a visually compelling, attention-grabbing document. Including relevant photos of your product, event or personnel helps journalists visualise your announcement and provides them with assets they can use in their own coverage. Include multiple high-resolution images that can be downloaded separately to maximise your chances of getting coverage. 

Video Clips or GIFs

Video clips bring your news to life with movement, sound and personality that static text can't convey. Including a short product demo or executive interview can increase media interest and provide broadcasters with ready-to-use footage. Multimedia distribution platforms like PR Newswire make it easy to embed videos directly in your press release or include downloadable files. 

Other Multimedia

Beyond images and videos, press releases can include infographics, audio clips, interactive charts and other multimedia elements that make complex information more digestible and drive engagement. Press release platforms allow you to attach or embed a wide range of multimedia files, giving you creative freedom that wasn't possible with traditional paper releases. 

Easy Social Sharing

The ability to easily share a press release on social media turns your audience into amplifiers who can spread your news with just a click. With tools like PR Newswire's SocialBoost, you can provide journalists with pre-written social media posts that maintain your messaging while making sharing easy. Seamless integration between press releases and social media is one of the biggest reasons why press releases are important in digital PR.

The Future of Press Releases in the Digital Age

Press releases will continue to evolve with new technologies that make them more interactive, personalised and measurable. We're already seeing AI tools that help optimise press release content for different audiences and platforms, ensuring your news reaches the right people. Press release analytics are also becoming more sophisticated, allowing PR professionals to track how press releases influence brand perception and business outcomes.

Interactive elements will likely become more common, with features like embedded polls, 360-degree product views and augmented reality experiences. Distribution methods will also advance, with greater targeting precision and the ability to deliver personalised versions of your press release. As these technologies mature, press releases will become even more effective at cutting through the noise and delivering your message to the people who matter most.

The bottom line? While format and distribution methods will continue to evolve, press release importance isn’t going anywhere. 

Maximise the Importance of Press Releases for Your Business

Even in today's fast-moving digital world, the importance of a press release is undeniable. When you incorporate modern elements like multimedia content, social sharing features and targeted distribution, you’ll maximise your results and truly understand why press releases are important. 

PR Newswire offers the industry's largest distribution network, helping you reach media outlets across more than 170 countries, yet also target down to the local level. From multimedia news releases to social amplification tools, our solutions make it easy to create press releases that stand out. Ready to take your press release strategy to the next level? Contact us today.

FAQs

Are press releases still relevant in digital marketing?

Yes, press releases remain highly relevant in digital marketing. They provide official, credible information that can be discovered through search engines and shared across digital channels. Press releases also help build backlinks to your website when they're published on news sites, improving your performance in search engines.

Are press releases necessary?

While not everything that happens in your organisation requires one, press releases are still important for news that you want covered by the media, like product launches, company growth, leadership changes, major awards or recognition and financial results. Press releases can also improve your search engine rankings by increasing your brand's online visibility and relevance.

What are the advantages of a press release over normal advertising?

A big reason why press releases are important is that they offer third-party credibility that customers may trust more than traditional advertising. When a journalist covers your news based on a press release, readers view it as more legitimate than a paid advertisement. Press releases and other earned media are also often more cost-effective than advertising.

How do press releases help with SEO?

Press releases boost your SEO by creating backlinks when they're published on news sites, increasing your brand mentions across the web and generating fresh content that can rank for relevant keywords. When distributed through services like PR Newswire, they can also boost your brand’s presence in search results because they’ll be indexed across multiple sites. All of this signals to search engines that your brand is relevant and trustworthy, two of the biggest criteria for ranking. 

The importance of a press release isn’t automatic. To get the best results, PR professionals need to choose compelling stories, incorporate multimedia elements and craft persuasive calls to action—and that’s not all. For more in-depth advice, download our Definitive Guide to Writing an Engaging Press Release.

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