public relations…social media…commmunications…marketing. Repeat.

Signed, sealed, delivered…but not read. Gone are the days of using snail mail to deliver press release to your journo contacts. A new study conducted by PWR New Media found that 87 percent of journalists prefer press releases sent to them via email and 79 percent said they were more likely to cover the news if the release included a high-resolution image. So, what else can you include in this email to make it to the top of a journos “possible coverage” list?

When it comes to press releases, not only do journalists want them via email, but they want you to provide them easy access to relevant information. Here’s the breakdown:

• 91 percent: Access via link to background, bios and supporting info
• 87 percent: Hi-resolution, downloadable images
• 76 percent: Verbiage from a press release that could easily be cut and pasted

So, how important is social media to journalists?

According to the survey, social media use among journalists is on the rise. Journalists appreciate the use of social media elements in press releases. Here is the breakdown of what they like:

• 38 percent: Information about a brand’s social media platforms that made it easy to follow
• 25 percent: A social media bookmark, enabling sharing and archiving of the release
• 21 percent: A link to a brand’s RSS feed in a release
• 16 percent: “Tweet this” icons, making it easy to share a release on Twitter

So, are you doing what needs to be done to have your press releases seen by journalists?