We’re looking at press releases. I’m recommending press releases, which are typically optimized for print, be given a mobile transformation. Because, I think, we’re trying to fit this 20th-century marketing tool into a 21st-century toolkit.
Press releases originated in the early 1900s when the primary communication medium, of course, was newspaper, which may have published the information word for word.
Now, more than 100 years later, digital usage generally and, mobile usage specifically, rules as smartphone and tablet purchases soar. So, why are we continuing to write press releases in newspaper style? Our 50-press release survey this week reveals headlines averaging 13 words and body copy 433 words in formal language.
How about an informal, conversational style and drop the boilerplate? Significantly fewer words can be read or scanned quickly on mobile. If the message is optimized for a smartphone and tablet, maybe more people will get the message.
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