Media and Blogger Engagement Survey reveals top frustrations journalists have about press releases

Singapore – July 24, 2013 - Mynewsdesk and PRecious Communications released the Brands and Media Engagement Survey Report 2013 today, which found that 84% of the reporters surveyed agreed that media releases should be kept within 500 words.

“A good press release is one with an interesting angle written in proper English and limited to one A4 page or its equivalent,” said Roberto Coloma, Bureau Chief at AFP News Agency.

The survey, which included journalists and bloggers from across Southeast Asia also found that 75% of them get frustrated when not being able to get a hold of a press release’s indicated media contact.

Other key findings from the survey include:

• Interesting Angles. 100% of participants emphasized that having an interesting angle is more important than the information provided. They are more interested in how the story can capture their readers’ interest rather than being force-fed overloaded information without sufficient context.
  
• Headlines. 90% want press release headlines to get to the point within 10-15 words
  
• Contacts. 88% think it is important to leave email addresses and phone numbers on the releases
  
• Online Presence. It is in a brand’s interest to have sufficient online presence as 74% of the surveyed reporters habitually Google the brand or business featured on press releases upon receiving them.
  
• Engaging Visuals. 73% think press releases should contain more than just text. Images should also be made easily accessible to the media, with links that do not expire over time.
  

“While some of the findings might be harder to implement, I find it surprising that some brands still make it purposely hard to get connected – and through that missing out on opportunities,” said Lars Voedisch, Managing Director, PRecious Communications.

Close to 85% of the participants felt that press releases for products should focus on the differentiators and customer benefits instead of just features. “The other thing that we discuss especially with our clients in the B2B field constantly, is to focus on benefits over features of their products or services. It’s about impressing C-level audiences and not just getting applauded by your peers.”

Interestingly, along with having an interesting angle, getting sufficient information is also a top concern of all respondents in order to let them craft a full story. There is therefore the need to strike the balance of giving just the right amount of relevant information in a unique angle to encourage reporters to feature the press release.

“Journalists want press releases to be short, sharp and get straight to the point, but at the same time provide all the key facts and related assets - such as images, video, documents and contacts. The best way to achieve this is to use modern digital/social news releases and an online newsroom. That way you make it as easy as possible for journalists to get everything they need and maximise your chances of them covering your story,” said Adam Cranfield, Chief Marketing Officer, Mynewsdesk.

Other noteworthy findings from the survey include:

• 50% of the reporters prefer to be contacted in the mornings
  
• The preferred medium of receiving media releases is via email