What I've Learned about Press Releases

Can I act a little dweeby and tell you I’m excited there’s a press release coming out today about this blog?  Knowing our VP of Marketing, she’ll also ask everyone at NewsGator to RT it on Twitter and update their statuses on Linked In and Facebook.  I will admit (even though it means I’m not cool) that I think it’s kind of fun.

 

The press release process was interesting.  Evidently press releases are not supposed to be novels.  Who knew?  So my long-winded reasons for starting this blog became much shorter and the word obfuscate was used.  Good word.  Though not a word I would use, especially about a blog where I talk about wanting to use everyday language.  (Granted, I did approve the release before it went out so it really means I wish I could use words like that.)

 

I think I was a poor subject for the patient folks at our PR firm.  Some of our conversations went like this (it may be slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect):

 

               PR:  “Tell me about your background.”

               Me:  ”Let’s pull up my LinkedIn profile as a reference for our discussion.”

PR:  “OK, I’m looking.  Hmm.  Anything you’d like to point out?”

Me: “I started out my career at InfoWorld when the Internet was just starting to get commercial use and we were trying to monetize it.”

               PR:  “Yeah.  Hmm.  I see you went to University in France.”

Me:  Oh good, am I finally becoming interesting to him?  Is this going to be in the press release?  “Yes, I was a French major so I spent some time studying in Nice.”  Should I tell him I met Prince Albert of Monaco while I was there?  Would that make me more exciting?

 

OK, enough of my dramatic writing skills.  I fear it was like pulling teeth for them.  Everyone at our PR firm is very nice but I have to think that when you are in that business announcing a blog is not the highlight of your day.  That’s OK, it’s the highlight of mine.  Thank you Beaupre.

 

The reason I bring this up is that I did give our PR firm “4 Tips for Getting Started with Enterprise 2.0” to include in the press release.  Because my writing style isn’t suited to a press release they cut them to 3 and made them more succinct.  I thought I’d share my original list and reasoning with you here.

 

1. Read Ross Dawson’s book Implementing Enterprise 2.0.  It’s a straightforward guide (without the typical buzzwords) that will help the everyday business person understand what they are undertaking.
2. Read the Nielsen Norman Group study, “Enterprise 2.0: Social Software on Intranets” (http://www.nngroup.com/reports/intranet/social/).  The cost is $298 for a single report or $598 for a site license and it is completely worth it (no, I don’t get a commission).  If you don’t know people at other companies who have already implemented Enterprise 2.0 solutions, this is the next best thing.  The Nielsen Norman Group talked with 14 companies who have implemented E2.0 solutions and then reported back on their drivers, strategies, tactical steps, and benefits.  Every single one of the 168 pages is a worthwhile read.
3. Of course there’s something better than reading about the subject and that’s talking with someone who has already gone through or is going through an E2.0 implementation.  The 2.0 Adoption Council is a collection of managers in large enterprises that are charting the course for E2.0 adoption in their organizations.  Membership is limited to large organizations but if you are in a large organizations check them out at http://www.20adoptioncouncil.com/Blog/.  Being able to bounce ideas off of other people in similar situations can be invaluable.
4. Lastly, and this will sound self-serving I know, get professional help.  You will save time and money in the end if you have someone who can help you set your strategy and steer you past the pitfalls to keep you on the road to success.  Ultimately, the sooner your E2.0 initiative is deployed and being used, the sooner you are meeting your business objectives – reducing costs, increasing productivity, whatever your goal.  Working with someone who has done this many times before is going to get you to that goal sooner rather than you having to figure it out on your own.

Comments

[Steve]

You were a joy to work with, Christy, and it's actually exciting that this blog can help organizations finally get to the bottom of how they can succeed with Enterprise 2.0 -- on the ground. For real. Too much obfuscation out there, you know?

[twitter.com/communitygirl]

I found it rather nice to read a press release about a new blog. It's how I found you so it did work! There's your ROI. I will be watching. As a fellow practitioner, I value practice over theory and look forward to your insights.
Best of luck!
Angela

[Christy Schoon]

Thanks Angela! I appreciate the words of encouragement.

[Christy Schoon]

Thanks Steve. I appreciated your help!

[Andrew]

How useful are these press releases? I can't imagine that reporters read through them, there are just so many.

I should probably do one for one of my sites..probably http://styleguidance.com just to confirm that thesis.

[Christy Schoon]

I can't speak specifically to the press attention Andrew but I did see a spike in readership as a result of the press release. So in my mind our PR firm did it's job well.