Has it been a while since you wrote your last press release? If you were around before the days of the online press release, you may still consider this PR tactic as outdated and mostly dead. However, things have changed, and the press release now has a versatility it’s never had in decades past. 

Links

This is one of the easiest elements of digital culture you can incorporate into your press release. It’s one of the simplest ways to round out the point you’re making in the piece so readers feel like they get more of a complete story.

For example, if your release is about the environmental impact your company is making in the area, you can link to resources that show why it’s important. Or you can link to news stories that show what progress your company has already made.

Naturally you’ll want to also link back to your website, which you should absolutely do. However, go a step beyond and link to some of your other material. Hopefully you’ve written about the subject of your press release before on your blog. Why not link to it so readers will better understand what you’re talking about?

Embedded Video 

Nothing gets your point across like a fun short video. If it’s creative enough, it can capture your readers’ imaginations quickly and lead them to check your company out in the future. See if there’s a way you can incorporate this into your online press release.

For instance for your environmental release you can cobble together a short animated video that shows the damage other companies have made in the area. This could be juxtaposed with how your company is helping to fix this problem and steps you’re taking to being green.

Make sure to give the blog/news site/whatever you’re submitting to options, though. They might not be willing to use the video as it doesn’t fit their format or any other reason. If you make it a dealbreaker, then you won’t get printed.

Space 

Have a little bit more to say than your average print press release? No worries – this is going on a website, and the rules for space are much more relaxed. If you want to expand your paragraph on littering, go for it!

Of course you can’t go completely hog wild. If your press release is 5,000 words the chances of you making it anywhere are severely lowered. You still have to take readability and the low attention span of Internet dwellers into account.

So it’s still a good idea to stick to a 500 word count maximum no matter the subject material. But beyond that you can usually tell when a piece has gotten away from you and is no longer interesting to anybody, much less the general public you’re trying to convince.

Do you release digital press releases on a regular basis?

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download a free copy of the PR Checklist – a 24 point list of Press Release Dos and Don’ts here: http://www.ereleases.com/offer/prchecklist.html