Tag Archives: multimedia

Press Releases With Multimedia Get More Views

Posted on November 27, 2012 by | 15 Comments
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Press releases that offer readers a variety of multimedia options (e.g. video, images, downloads) generate almost 10 times more views than plain-text messages.

A couple years ago, we looked at big chunk of press release data, and learned a lot about what drives results.  We’ve discussed press release writing tips and tactics – such as headline structure, release timing and embedding links – that contribute meaningfully to generating more readership and engagement for press releases.

But nothing – NOTHING – does a better job of driving press release reads than adding some sort of visual.   Today, we’re releasing the results of another survey of press releases,  and the benefits of adding visuals are clear – press releases with an array of visual offerings get almost 10 times the views logged by their plain-text counterparts.

Ten TIMES.

I think we can all agree that competition for audience attention is fierce these days.    In addition to competing for attention in the newsroom,  our messaging also needs to compel social media denizens to share, like and tweet the content.   Search engines also pick up signals from readers of your content that ultimately determine where the content lands in the search engine results page (SERP) that users see when they use Google or Bing to find something online.    Suffice it to say,  the press releases and other content we publish are now wearing just as many hats as we do.  And when planning a campaign, it’s important to think about that.  The press release you write to communicate with key media will also be seen by bloggers, analysts, employees and customers – both current and prospective.   Including multimedia content that captures and focuses attention on your message will give your content real competitive advantage in today’s crowded information marketplace.

Need some help getting started with planning visuals for upcoming campaigns?  Take a look at our collection of blog posts about Visual PR.  We’ve collected all sorts of advice from best practices for brands on Pinterest to scripting video yourself to creating infographics.

Author Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.

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Award-Winning (really!) Content Distribution with the ARC Engagement Platform

Posted on November 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

While content is the cornerstone of most marketing strategy, it does a brand little good if people don’t see it.  That’s why content distribution, and the content delivery networks that power that syndication, are the subject of a lot of interest these days.

If you know PR Newswire, you know that “content distribution” is our middle name.    At its core, PR Newswire is a content distribution powerhouse, delivering hundreds of messages – including text, images and video – daily, via ultra high speed internet, lightweight apps, social networks, RSS, satellite and e-mail.

Our team are constantly pushing the envelope on this idea of distribution, because, simply put, unseen content doesn’t do its job.  To be effective, messages must be seen, heard and experienced.  Behind the scenes, we’re busy building the next generation of content delivery mechanisms, including lightweight widgets that simplify multi-language syndication, and dynamic media players that deliver refreshed content automatically.

We’re doing a pretty good job, too.  In fact,  the dynamic media player is at the heart of our award-winning ARC Engagement Platform, a content distribution tool that marries branded HTML page and an embeddable, shareable, interactive media player.  The ARC enables PR professionals and marketersto easily create, manage, and update digital content and connect with their audiences through multimedia content, national distribution, social sharing and specific calls-to-action throughout the course of a campaign or messaging cycle.

We’re proud of the fact that the ARC has been recognized with a slew of awards this year, including:

Custom Content Council – Pearl Awards Gold Winner for Best Microsite

PR Newswire and Mullen Advertising were recognized for Mullen’s use of the ARC as the primary vehicle to drive the Men’s Wearhouse’s Fifth Annual National Suit Drive.  By creating a branded, content-rich hub, sharing ongoing campaign updates and incorporating specific calls-to-action to drive clothing donations and online fundraising, Mullen successfully converged their earned, paid and social media efforts and executed an integrated, content marketing campaign that exceeded campaign goals.

PR News Digital PR Awards: Digital Marketing Campaign (under 100k) & Ragan’s PR Daily

PR Newswire and Apple Vacations received recognition by PR News and Ragan’s PR Daily for the use of the ARC to execute a digital marketing campaign promoting winter getaways in the Dominican Republic.   Apple Vacations tapped into the power of  PR Newswire’s ARC to not only share a complete library of visual content of their own and of their travel partners, but also to support their SEO strategies and help them align their traditional earned media efforts with their paid media efforts.  PR News awarded the campaign an honorable mention in their Digital PR Awards and PR Daily is slated to announce the winners of their Digital PR & Social Media awards in January 2013.

Expo Magazine E.X.C.I.T.E. Award

The ARC has also proven to be a successful tool to manage a communications strategy throughout the entire life of an event.  Earlier this year, PR Newswire,  Freeman  and Exponation for their use of the ARC as a dedicated microsite for the 2012 Digital Signage Expo (DSE).  The ARC, which housed a suite of event-related multimedia content, acted as a comprehensive microsite for both event exhibitors and attendees. DSE was able to generate significant event exposure, while also sharing relevant, timely content as it became available to maintain interaction with its existing audience, as well as attract new audiences.  The 2012 DSE show was their most successful to date.  (See our digital event marketing case study for details.)

We know that multimedia content generates more views and engagement than plain text, which isn’t at all surprising, since humans are visual creatures, and because most search engines and social networks give visual content more weight (and thus, visibility).   So we’re continuing to forge ahead in developing new ways to distribute content and connect with audiences.

Want to learn more about the ARC?  See some additional details and request more information about it right here.

Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.

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Ask PRN: How to script a PR or marketing video

Posted on October 26, 2012 by | 7 Comments

Every Friday afternoon, we’ll answer a question we hear commonly from our customers about some aspect of public relations or marketing. 

Planning a family vacation?  It’s unlikely you’re just going to jump in the car or show up at the airport and literally wing it. Instead, you’re going to plan, pick your destination, make sure the kids are off from school, and book a hotel that has something for everyone in your clan.

Successful videos are similar in this regard. It’s essential to plan the trip you want your audience to take before jumping into a script— destination unknown.

Creating a good PR or marketing video campaign requires the same attention. It’s essential to plan the trip you want your audience to take before jumping into a script.

As a producer, I’m used to fast turnarounds where a client hands me his materials and  ideas and I whittle everything down into a script with b-roll and sound bite.  But as we in the industry are faced with more and more clients in search of content that evokes real emotion, rather than just a news report, I’m finding myself looking at the creative GPS, searching for the Valhalla of creative content.

Enter The Creative Treatment – a tool script writers have been using for years, and why? Because it works.  A treatment is a one page concise compilation of an idea– the itinerary for the video you will eventually create. The reason why it’s such a useful tool is because it allows you to present your idea to the client creatively without assembling a script that may not be what they’re looking for.  The treatment is a client check point, if you will.  Many of us have been in the position where we’ve sent our client a script or an edit we’ve worked on for days only to find out they don’t share our enthusiasm.  These things happen of course, and while the treatment doesn’t guarantee it won’t happen again, it does at least give everyone the ability to work out the kinks and get to the core of what is desired before getting too far along in the process.

The treatment consists of four parts (see example above) and with this we can present our ability to conceptualize a unique idea, respond to client needs, and be, hopefully, better producers.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one,” said Mark Twain.  It’s good advice for anyone building a content strategy.

CREATIVE TREATMENT

Type of Video (Webisode, Training Video etc.)

Prepared for: (Job name/client)

Background:

A short summary of the background information client provided on a call or with background materials

Objectives:

A bulleted list of the videos behavioral objectives aka the goal you wish to accomplish with this video…It can begin with “After experiencing this video our audience will be able to: and then the list

Strategies:

A bulleted list of what will be done in terms of structure, devices and techniques. For example: Create the behind the scenes feel using several GoPro cameras etc.

Creative Approach:

Finally the place to present your creative idea. Should be a one paragraph present tone narrative using detailed descriptions to set the tone and the style of your video. For example: We are bombarded with the sounds of a busy city street as the faces of its hurried inhabitants stop to stare in curiosity etc.

Like the idea of using online video, but need some help getting started? Our free white paper, Building Engagement with Online Video, is loaded with ideas and case studies to help you get your video projects underway.

Author Jill Wax is a producer for MultiVu, a PR Newswire company that specializes in multimedia creation, production and distribution.

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Tips for Using Photos for PR (#ConnectChat Recap)

Posted on October 8, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Every other Tuesday, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. EDT, ProfNet hosts #ConnectChat, a Twitter-based interview that covers topics of interest to media and communications professionals. You can also find recaps of previous #ConnectChats on ProfNet Connect. Interested in being a featured guest on an upcoming chat? Find out how.

Visuals are playing an increasingly important role in companies’ PR and marketing efforts. A good photo can increase visibility for your news release, and photo-sharing sites like Pinterest and Instagram are more popular than ever.

(Take a look at images people have pinned from PR Newswire press releases on Pinterest recently!  PR Newswire  press releases on Pinterest.)

So, what makes a good photo? What should companies be thinking about when looking to increase their use of photos in their PR and marketing campaigns?

Jill Ulicney, PR Newswire’s manager of photo products, answered these questions during a #ConnectChat in September.

In her role as manager of photo products, Jill oversees PR Newswire’s image distribution options, which include delivery to the media, online distribution, placement on the Reuters Sign in Times Square, and photo archival. She also manages PR Newswire’s assignment photography service, which provides customers with event coverage, executive portraits, and product shots. To view PR Newswire’s Photos feed on Twitter, follow @PRNphotos.

Following are highlights from the chat:

What kind of images are good for press releases?

Logos are important to include with press releases. They draw attention and add branding.

For product announcements, it is essential to add a product shot. Would you buy something without first seeing a picture?

Charts and infographics are also helpful and can convey a lot of ideas within one image.

Can you recommend any resources for creating charts and infographics?

Both Visual.ly and Piktochart have great infographic-creation tools.

What about for intangible products, like software or services?

For software, I would suggest using screenshots. For services, a logo is always helpful.

Any other types of images that are good for press releases?

When announcements mention executives, it’s a perfect time to include a portrait of the executive.

What makes a good executive portrait?

Executive portraits should be appropriate for the position and industry of the subject.

Professional photographers excel at portraits. They can suggest what to wear, how to pose, background, lighting, etc.

A tip from our staff photographer: Environmental portraits can have more impact than a traditional portrait and can give more context. For example, an executive of a restaurant chain can pose in a kitchen. Personality makes the photo stand out from hundreds of similar shots.

What are the benefits of using photos with press releases?

PR Newswire’s Web analytics show that adding a photo to a release can increase views by up to 1.8x. Distributing a photo with a press release results in broader reach than if the photo or release is sent alone. Press releases with multimedia content are shared more often than plain text releases via social media. Multimedia news releases have longer online life. They generate visibility for an average of 20 days vs. 9.4 days for a text-only release.

How many photos are ideal?

I always suggest using at least one. Use your logo if you don’t have other images handy. Research shows that sharing multiple photos in a Facebook album can result in a large increase in clicks.

What makes a good photo?

PR photos should be high-res, at least 300 dpi and nine inches on longest side. Clear images with good lighting and composition are key. Larger photos are preferred because an image can retain quality if it must be sized down, but quality is lost when enlarged. Mobile device cameras are improving, but photos from digital SLRs are still preferred.

Also, action shots are more interesting to viewers. Show the subject doing something instead of having them pose. Posed large group shots don’t always read well and are less likely to grab attention.

Professional photographers are often the way to go. They have experience getting the best shots and top-of-the-line equipment.

What are the typical rates for professional photographers?

Photographer costs depend on lots of factors: image usage, time, location, subject matter. For a half-day photo shoot (under four hours) and PR/editorial usage, photo-shoot prices are around $900.

Besides the photo itself, what else should PR pros consider?

It is important to remember photo captions to give context to your images.

What makes a good photo caption?

Major keywords should be at the start of the caption, which should not exceed 2,000 characters. Photo captions should hit the five W’s — who, what, where, when and why – and can include the URL for the company site.

What about photo SEO? Any tips for optimizing photos?

For photo SEO, descriptive captions come in handy. Use 3-4 keywords for the image name instead of using a vague image name straight from your camera. “IMG_0037.jpg” will not help SEO.

Don’t forget alt text for your images. Use 3-4 solid keywords as alt text to further optimize your images.

Are there any photos you can recommend as good examples?

This release uses an interesting action image to bring attention to the company’s product.

One more example: Here’s a great food image.

ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

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Inside PR Newswire: Meet the Director of Multimedia Engagement for MultiVu

Posted on September 21, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Tom Miale – multimedia guru and king of ‘cue.

To some, the idea of walking away from email, Twitter, and Facebook for an hour seems impossible. But Tom Miale looks forward to unplugging for a bit each day. He’s not doing mantras or meditating. Miale spends that hour doing research.

“I try to take an hour where I’m not distracted by email and social media,” said

Tom and his son (and fishing buddy) Nate.

the director of multimedia engagement for MultiVu. “I actively research new technologies, and I’m looking for ideas and products to help get our clients’ messages out there. Technology is changing our industry, and you have to be on top of it.”

Tom and his new daughter, Ellie.

Miale is an entrepreneur. He helped start up two webcasting companies right out of college.  It began simply enough: Miale saved his money and bought a computer. He’d always wanted to be a filmmaker, telling visual stories and finding the balance between audio, video and technology.

The moment he figured out that you could do it on a computer, “the video geek was born,” he said. Miale was immersed in the webcasting industry for a decade before joining PR Newswire in Aug. 2006.

Today, as the director of multimedia engagement for MultiVu, PR Newswire’s broadcast and multimedia division, Miale handles multimedia distribution. He was the creator of the Blogger Media Tour, which takes PR Newswire’s satellite media tour product and tailors it to bloggers.

Essentially, this allows a client’s spokesperson to be available to bloggers for live interviews. Some of the more popular PR Newswire multimedia engagement products include the multi-media news release and the ARC, an easily shareable and distributable engagement platform that functions like a container holding clients’ multiple multimedia assets, including video, audio, PDFs, and infographics.

Miale now is concentrating on working social distribution into all PR Newswire products.

“We’re making sure our clients’ content is distributed out to as many social channels as we possibly can,” he said. “In this role, I’ve become sort of the multimedia storytelling evangelist for MultiVu.”

This has led to many speaking engagements about multimedia – something that has surprised Miale, who never imagined himself a public speaker.

“I enjoy speaking at conferences,” he said. “I like being a teacher to the brand world. I wrote a proposal that got accepted with some colleagues that got into last year’s SXSW. This is a big deal for someone who never thought they would be a public speaker.”

While Miale likes being behind the camera, he’s also become quite comfortable in front of it.  In fact, you might know him as half of the TnT team, the “Tom and Tom” videos that are produced by PR Newswire. For the last couple of years, Miale has teamed up with PR Newswire’s blogger relations manager, Thomas Hynes, on a bunch of videos that began at SXSW.  The to collaborate on other videos throughout the year, too.

When he’s not digging into the latest technology, the New Yorker writes a food blog called I’m Not a Foodie.  Miale also stays busy with his family. All reside in and around Long Island, and Miale admits he “gets the shakes” if he leaves New York too long. He currently resides in Queens with his wife and two young children, who are almost 1 year and almost 3 years. They also have a dog, Oakley, who’s almost 4.

Christine Cube is a media relations manager for PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her @cpcube.

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What Types of Video go Viral on YouTube?

Posted on August 9, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Just like the varying types of media that communications companies work with today, there are also several ways in which this information can be sliced, diced and analyzed.  Thus, multimedia engagement can be discussed with infinite approaches.

In one of the latest efforts to get a handle on the topic, The Pew Research Center has just released a study on the most popular news footage uploaded and viewed on YouTube.  The goal was to examine some concrete features of the videos within the YouTube News and Politics Channel that went most “viral” each week over the course of a 15 month period (January 2011 through March 2012).  Some of the key takeaways include:

-          Regular people (not news outlets or journalists) posted close to 40% of the content

  • While much of this 40% was originally produced by a news outlet, a large portion of it was not sourced correctly, if at all
  • The most popular (“viral”) news videos focused on controversies, striking disasters or humorous occurrences
  • The lengths of the popular news videos range from less than one minute to over 15 minutes!
  • A large amount of the most popular news content was raw, unedited video

This really shows the differences between TV and online viewing habits.  Can you imagine watching a story that is longer than 2-3 minutes on TV news?  What about unedited, raw video?  Citizen journalism seems to be successful when it comes to unique and / or shocking news stories, but the consensus seems to be that more requirements are needed for proper news sourcing, beyond YouTube’s current attribution guidelines.

Another notable point is that while YouTube contains a large portion of popular online video and international viewership, it is not the only destination for news video, especially for U.S. audiences (only 30% of YouTube traffic is U.S. based).

It would be interesting to see what some of the viewing trends are on other YouTube channels, and perhaps on other online video hubs like Vimeo or Treemo.  The definition of “news” has undoubtedly evolved during the past several years, and with that, so has “journalist,” “branding,” “marketing,” and “PR.”

 Author Gena Sabin is the director of multimedia business at MultiVu.

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Brand TV: Using Video to Engage Audiences

Posted on May 2, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Read our free white paper on utilizing video in communications campaigns.

Today’s communication professionals are well aware that social media and video both have a major impact in marketing strategy.  The question that many of us ask is how these tools should be harnessed and when are they most appropriate?

In 2011, we hit an important tipping point: fully half of all web traffic was accessing online video. Clearly, audiences of all kinds are watching video and on any one of a plethora of devices that are available.  Did you know that as of the beginning of 2012, there are more mobile devices in existence than people on the planet?  That fact alone is mind-blowing. There are now an infinite number of combinations of platforms and devices where content can be viewed and experienced, along with the different browsers used along with them.  Ignoring the fact that this combination exists is, the biggest mistake that marketing professionals can make.

The Content Marketing Institute recently held a webcast that focuses on this hot topic entitled “Jumpstart Your 2012 Content Marketing Strategy with Video + Social Media,”  with a presentation from Steve Rotter, VP of Marketing for Brightcove, who declared that the best way for marketers to learn is through customer examples, starting with our own viewing behavior.  Audiences in 2012 “want options,” he said, along with “living room content everywhere.” As usual, I thought of my own short attention span, and translated that to mean that companies should keep their content short (2 minutes tops), entertaining and of good quality.

For more examples of how brands are using video, click the the image.

Branded video applications:

One tactic that was discussed was “brand TV” – the development and display of branded videos.  Considered a video engagement best practice, brand TV is a proactive format that is great for branding, education and it can also cut down customer service costs.

  • Kohler, a company known for making bathroom fixtures, has developed “The Kohler Network” their own TV channel on their web site.
  • Hoover uses video to address popular customer issues and provide instruction guides presented in short videos.
  • Citrix TV utilizes videos between 30 seconds and 2 minutes utilized in a “bite-sized” fashion.  This type of visual experience with a brand, according to Rotter, strengthens customer loyalty, which is a goal for all marketers.
  • Phillips, Oracle, McKesson and even the US Department of State utilize live video in some way, causing what Rotter labels the “halo effect,” making sure that people will come back to the site due to past live content.

It’s interesting to note that the most popular question from marketers typically has to do with YouTube, and how important it is in social media strategy.  While having a presence on YouTube is pretty much necessary these days, Rotter says to be careful when looking at the search stats on the site.  While it does garner a large amount of web traffic, the searches performed on YouTube are a lot more topically specific than Google.  A company’s own website is still very important. Thus, a “blended distribution strategy” is the ideal set-up, where a company has some video on YouTube, as well as their own site.  This offers more control over the entire user experience.

There are plenty of options for a marketer to consider when putting together their strategy, and it is quite evident that social media and video are requirements for that strategy.  It was astounding to me when 67% of the webinar audience claimed that their company “doesn’t have a mobile strategy.”  This is where the eyeballs are, and where even more of them are going.  Harnessing this fact by creating and distributing your content to work on these devices should be a priority.  As Rotter explained, “With video compared to standard web stats, you get more statistics and information about your user.”  That information is a fundamental requirement for all marketers.  As technology continues to fragment, conversion will become more complex.  It is our responsibility to build marketing strategies that keep up with these changes.

Author Gena Sabin is director of multimedia business for PR Newswire/MultiVu.

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Reaching & Engaging US Hispanics Online

Posted on April 17, 2012 by | 1 Comment

When it came to reaching U.S. Hispanics in the digital space, things were pretty tough early on.

In the 1990s, only 24 percent of Hispanics had Internet access, so there definitely was a digital and computer gap, said officials with Ogilvy who spoke during Social Media Week DC about reaching U.S. Hispanics online.

“Today, the Latino community is playing and engaging in social media,” said Kety Esquivel, vice president of digital influence at Ogilvy PR Worldwide.  Esquivel mentioned this provides a tremendous opportunity for those interested in reaching this growing audience.

Starting in 1997, things changed pretty quickly for the Hispanic audience with the popularization of instant messaging.  Two years later, Terra was launched and it became a very popular portal in Latin America, said Julio Valeriano, who oversees cause advocacy with Ogilvy.

Hispanics in the marketplace today represent $1.2 trillion in purchasing power. There are 6.4 million Hispanic homeowners, and Hispanics have the largest households with 3.6 people per home.

Contributing to this increasingly tech-savvy audience were huge milestones, including Friendster’s launch in 2002, MySpace and hi5 in Latin America in 2003, and Facebook in 2004.

Ogilvy officials said these factors really led to a boom of Hispanics in online media – a social revolution that led to iconic meetings like Latism and Hispanicize.

Esquivel pointed to SXSW, which this year has added a new award to Latinos in technology that “honors this very revolution.”

Nowadays, the numbers are growing by leaps and bounds:

  • There are 30 million Hispanics online. By 2014, it’s expected that 39 million Hispanics will be online.
  • Hispanics spend an average 29 minutes per day in social networking activities.
  • Seventy percent of online Hispanics are using Facebook.
  • Fifty-nine percent of online Hispanics are on YouTube.
  • Eight million Hispanics are on Twitter.
  • There are more than 1,900 Latina bloggers, compared with just 159 in 2009. (Source: Mamiverse, blogs by Latinas.)

The digital divide now resides between native-born and foreign-born Hispanics.

“Engage with the community,” said Esquivel. “Don’t just send messages out or just find out who to contact … we need to understand where the opportunities are.”

Phones are among the critical points of access to the Hispanic community, they said. Seventy-six percent of Hispanics own a mobile phone.

Valeriano said that five years ago, the recommendation would have been to reach Hispanics in Spanish. Now, it’s important to reach them in both English and Spanish.

Christine Cube is a media relations manager for PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her @cpcube.

Need help developing engaging multimedia content for your Latino audiences?  Multivu Latino is here to help offering broadcast and interactive services and media training designed for reaching the Hispanic marketplace.

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Socially active videos and how curation drives visibility

Posted on March 9, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Notes from the “Man vs. Algorithm: Online Video Curation Face-off” discussion at SXSW, featuring Marc Husvedt of Chill and Neetzan Zimmerman of The Daily What:

Sixty hours of videos are being uploaded to YouTube every minute. Thinking about it differently, a century of video is uploaded every ten days.  The sheer volume of video available online is why we rely on some forms of curation – simply put, people don’t have the time or ability to winnow through all that content.

There are three types of curation:

- Editorial – such as the Huffington Post or Daily What
- Algorithmic, as you see on YouTube or search engines
- Social, specifically, your own personal social graph

As an example, most of the algorithms used by YouTube (which is, at its core, a search engine, and employees numerous algos) fall under the categories of search and recommendation. YouTube are trying to help answer the “unarticulated wants” of site visitors, who want to be entertained, but don’t necessarily know what they want.

Neetzan Zimmerman of The Daily What (who, incidentally, is the guy who first posted the Rebecca Black “Friday” video, which is the most-watched online video ever), noted that while algorithms are great at crunching data, they are terrible at predicting what is universally funny. They don’t understand humor.

YouTube curates video for users a variety of ways, but one method – the “recommended videos” – but it accounts for 60 % of all views. The recommended videos are 200% more often clicked than top rated or most viewed videos.

Not surprisingly, NZ is pitched constantly, and in his advice to PR agents on pitching him is also some great advice on making a standout video.

Simply put, the video has to offer something unique. It must be amusing in a way that’s not pandering to the audience (e.g. trying to mimic Old Spice videos.) Good curators can see right through those tactics – and your audiences are curators (see “types of curation, above.) His advice: If you are trying to get a message across do it on your own terms, not in a way that you think would “work” for a site like the Daily What on purpose. It’s fairly easy to see through that.

Some other notes on pitching him:
- If a video is pitched directly by a PR agent, he immediately deletes it.
- If they try a bit harder by get creative in copy or the approach, he may look at if it introduces the content in a way that would be interesting to the Daily What reader.

Conclusion: when it comes to curation, we need both the human and machine elements.

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Infographics in Press Releases: Tips & Examples

Posted on February 21, 2012 by | 6 Comments

The issue of food waste disposal, made visually appealing by Emerson.

Let’s face it- we’re a visual society.  Since our earliest years, images have been capturing our attention; entertaining and exciting us.  They have been at the heart of storytelling, one of our first methods of expression, and a fundamental tool for education.  Through illustrative graphics, we learned how to read & write, add & multiply.  And so, the rapidly mounting use and influence of infographics by professional communicators, during an era when a minute -or even just seconds – of our audiences’ attention is highly coveted, should come as no surprise.

Late last year, PR Newswire analyzed press release data and found that the inclusion of multimedia significantly improves press release results. An infographic, which is more detailed than a photo and conveys information more quickly than a video, successfully extends the core message of a press release, bringing text to life by highlighting the important components.   Due in part to social media, information is so abundant it can make your head spin, so an infographic, as a diversion from plain text, gets right to the point, simplifies complex information and creates another opportunity to impact the reader in an instant.  All this considered, it is no wonder that multimedia news releases get more play.

As with any piece content, however, an infographic must be relevant, interesting and meaningful; it should not rely solely on eye-catching artwork.   Nor should the content be overwhelming; they can pack a big punch and carry a significant amount of information, but if successfully done, are displayed in a way that flows sensibly and is easily digestible.  An effective infographic both elicits an instant reaction, but also makes us think and want to learn more.

What I like most about an infographic isn’t its ability to concisely tell a story or the fuel it becomes to drive a message forward – (though both notable features), but the opportunity for free creative reign.  As soon as I’m tasked with writing a press release – and as a PR pro, you can imagine is quite often – I begin outlining the draft in my head – going through a checklist of elements that make it up:  concise, informative headline – witty, if appropriate; strong lead sentence and paragraph to catch my readers’ attention, while also providing significant insight to what will be covered; shareable quote from appropriate source, and so on.

The press release fits into a fairly standard format.  Infographics, on the other hand, allow us to detour from our usual template and color outside the lines.  This doesn’t mean we have to be “artists” or “designers,” but just requires us to revisit our early days and think a bit more visually.

And while infographics have a place in almost any message, they are especially great making data sets more appealing and instantly understandable, such as:

  • Packaging survey results that may otherwise be cumbersome in lengthy text format; 
  • Summarizing statistical data that can otherwise lose the fleeting interest of a reader;
  • Offering comparison research that will have a more a dramatic effect with visuals;
  • Messages targeted to multilingual audiences (images are a universal language, right?)

Examples:

Infographics can be used to illustrate a variety of subjects, and in addition to data, are also useful for expressing lifecycles, processes and flow charts.  Here are some recent examples we’ve spotted:

So, let’s get back to basics of dynamic storytelling and start communicating visually.

Related reading:

Tips for Creating & Using Infographics

Weaving Visual Cues into PR

Author Meryl Serouya is a marketing & communications associate for PR Newswire.   A version of this story titled “Infographics as Press Releases” ran earlier this month in Ragan’s PR Daily.

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