This "press release is dead" talk never ends does it? I've read ALL the articles and always advise against the "traditional" version, mostly because I think it's lazy and uninteresting to today's reader. However, these" death of" posts and comments I read, the more I realize it's really just a question of semantics. Let me take a stab at a sharper, more meaningful description.

Now:  The Press Release as Swiss Army Knife
You know what's still cool about the press release? The utility. A person can convey a lot of meaningful information and content in a press release. Today, the press kit and the press release can be synonymous. Assuming the content is newsworthy, images, videos and the like all make a journalist's life better. It's easier on the newsroom budget to get plug-and-play images and videos rather than having to reshoot them in-house. The text press release used to be plug-and-play too, back when typesetting was a necessity. But let's be honest, that was ages ago.

Quick Fact: PitchEngine was conceived to solve this problem. It was a press kit packed into a link. Users could include high resolution images, videos and all the gravy that made their story cool. And, this could do it for free as opposed to the hundreds of dollars they'd been spending with wire services (I think the cheapest alternative was (and still is) PRWeb at more than $350 per release with video, images and links). We've grown to become much more than a press kit solution, but it's still one of strengths in the market.

So, when you set out to write your next release, regardless of the platform, think of the utility. If you don't have any assets to support your story, then you're probably doing a disservice to your readers. And, don't be tricked into thinking you have to spend big bucks to do it. You can do it for free using PitchEngine or on a blogging platform with just a little extra work.
 

Next:  The Press Release as a Finished Work
I'm a big proponent of Brand Journalism and Consumer-Facing PR, not just the same, old "marketing-speak" for the sake of our CEO or (client). You can read more about that in my earlier posts. The concept is to tell or "publish" your own story. You don't have to rely on a gatekeeper, or media outlet, to tell your story anymore. If you're not cultivating your own audience, it's time to start. Whether it's via Facebook, Twitter or a solid email list, you now have the tools to create your own media empire - even if it serves just a handful of people who care about your brand. Those are the people that will purchase your product, attend your event and evengelize your brand. When was the last time you or your client said, "That press release just sold 27 items at 100% margin?"

If you're still relying solely on wire services like PRWeb, PRNewswire and Businesswire - take a peak behind the curtain and make sure you're doing more than just pushing. You are the eyes and ears now, not just the voice of your brand(s). Note: Some wire services like, Marketwire, have addressed this by adding listening services like Sysomos to their quiver.

The trick is, creating the press release of tomorrow probably won't happen in a Microsoft Word doc pushed through a news wire. Why? Because that content has to be deemed "newsworthy" to legions of editors (or automated number systems) before it will be sent out to journalists who may or may not think it's relevant. This is where all of the free tools like at your disposal come into play, and more importantly, your ability to cultivate and communicate with your audience, or your clients. What's more, the traditional format of isn't conversational and it's debatable whether anyone even like sto read them - I'll leave that to the staticians at the newswires.

Why should you care? Because now is your opportunity to play a larger role with your clients. It's time some of those ad budgets gave way to PR and this is how you're going to get there.

Jason Kintzler
@jasonkintzler and on The Facebook