3 Reasons Why Using "For Immediate Release" Is Stupid

 

Let me also preface this by saying that I DO understand what you are hoping to accomplish with FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.  And back when the dudes above where ripping tips from the wire and sprinting to get it to print, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE told 'em "this needs to go out now!"

You know that it really doesn't work like that anymore, right?

If you don't believe me then take some time to really get to know one of those journalists you're constantly roundhousing with releases.  Know what you'll find?  Ten times outta ten, not only is your release not getting looked at, it's probably way too late to begin with...

3 Reasons Why I Think For Immediate Release Is Stupid

• You are assuming that whomever you are sending this to doesn't have anything else to release.  This is terrible because it couldn't be any further from the truth.  Like I said, make some time to sit down and talk to a journalist.  They are literally inundated with releases, more than ever before. Cut-backs have most performing more than one job.  Your last second release is a literal asshole line-crowder.  And nobody likes a line crowder.
• There is a 99% chance your release is about something salesy and not really of news to the general public.  I'm totally guessing here so feel free to slap me upside the head in the comments, but take a good look at your release.  Is it really news?  Seriously.  Look at it.  Is it really news?  Or is it some remade version of an event announcement that you hope the "press will get wind of and give you some free mention in the paper"?  If the latter is indeed the case and I'm in the small percentage of journalists that take your FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE seriously enough the look at the rest of the release, guess what?  I'm probably never gonna look at another one of your releases...ever.
  
• There is an 84.2% chance you haven't done crap else to get folks to your event.  For Immediate Release is desperate as hell.  Mostly because you are probably sending the release out at the last second, so - in a desperate attempt to get this out NOW, you slap FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE at the top.  Here's a nutty idea:  How about you put some of the promotional burden on yourself and do something else to promote your event?  And no, I'm not talking about what you do for the 4-6 weeks leading up to the event, I'm talking about what you do all the damn time.  Do you blog regularly?  Do you publish any other sort of content?  Is it regular practice for you to host events? 

Here is the deal, and I'm going to be bold here so bear with me:  unless you have built great two-way relationships with certain members of the local press DO NOT spend your time crafting and blasting a spray-and-pray FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE press releases.

They won't look at it. 

Try this instead.  Next time you are hit with the urge to vomit a press release, count to 10, pick up the phone, and then ask a local journalist out to lunch or coffee.  While you're at lunch, don't even talk about your event - just get to know her.  If said journalist is too busy, drop off some food/coffee or mail them a little note with a gift card attached.

Then, after you've done this with a few journalists in your area, get them all together for a networking event at your place - no pitching at all from you - just an event to get everyone together.  

By sort of flipping the media funnel and approaching the relationship this way, you'll get to know their needs - essentially helping you hyper-target your releases and actually getting a few of them to print.