The humble press release continues to be a popular type of content for communications professionals, and it’s the top piece of content that journalists want to receive from PR representatives, according to a report [download page] from Cision.
Indeed, 72% of the more than 3,000 journalists surveyed for the report said that news announcements and press releases are among their preferred resources from PR representatives. Majorities also pointed to exclusives for stories (57%) and original research reports such as trends and market data (55%) as being among their favored content types.
That focus on research and data is reflected in other results from the survey. When asked what the ideal pitch should include (in addition to it being relevant to their audience) for them to consider covering it, journalists were most apt to say that it would contain compelling data or statistics (54%).
Nonetheless, relevance is a critical topic when pitching journalists. When asked some of the ways that PR professionals provide value, a leading 63% of journalists said that PR’s value is in connecting them with relevant sources. Meanwhile, separate results from the report indicate that the leading reason why journalists reject a pitch is because it isn’t relevant to their audience or beat (86%).
In fact, the top complaint among journalists that would make them block a PR professional or put them on their “don’t call” list is spamming them with irrelevant pitches, which would turn off almost 8 in 10 (78%). Others would block PR professionals for pitches that sound like marketing brochures (59%), for providing inaccurate or unsourced information (56%), and for following up repeatedly (52%).
As regards follow-ups, 62% feel that PR professionals should follow up only a single time, with just 8% open to multiple follow-ups. A sizable 30% don’t want any follow-ups at all.
About the Data: The results are based on a Q1 survey of 3,126 media professionals, influencers, and bloggers across 19 markets.
