Greg Simpson, founder of Press For Attention PR, shares how the human voice can work wonders in gaining an advantage for your press releases.
I had a chat with a radio producer recently that made me realise something rather embarrassing about our industry. Most people aren’t even bothering to send images with their press releases. Images. The most basic visual element you could possibly include. And they’re skipping it entirely. But that revelation was just the beginning. What this producer told me next completely changed how I think about press releases.
The pile problem
Here’s what actually happens when your press release lands on a journalist’s desk. It doesn’t get binned immediately. It just doesn’t make it to the top of the pile. Think about that for a moment. With journalists receiving over 100 pitches per week and responding to just 3%, your beautifully crafted press release is competing in a brutal attention economy. The radio producer put it perfectly: “It’s almost like a cheat code to get you to the top of the pile.” What’s the cheat code? Audio.
Corporate speak vs real human voice
Let me show you the difference with a real example. Traditional written quote: “We are delighted to be appointed as chief widget provider for Acme Limited. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the team.” Pretty soul-crushing, isn’t it?
Now imagine hearing the same person actually say: “This is a big day for us. We’re incredibly excited. The entire team have been looking forward to this. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and it’s ultimately going to make a real difference to the business going forward.”
You can hear the difference immediately. There’s tone. There’s personality. There’s what I call the “give a shit factor.” You can’t fake that in written text.
The iPhone solution
Before you start worrying about studio costs and professional equipment, let me stop you right there. I tested this approach with a journalist using nothing more than my iPhone. We recorded it, exported the file, and that was it. You could add a £50 Lavalier mic from Amazon if you want to get fancy, but it’s not essential. What matters is taking the time to add real value and personality to what can be a fairly flat story. You’re bringing it to life with actual human emotion. The journalist’s reaction when we played it back? You could feel the effort, the energy, the emotion immediately.
Making journalists’ lives easier
Here’s the clever bit that most people miss. When radio producers get a story they like, they usually think: “I wonder if I could get them to comment live on the radio or do a recorded interview.” Most people run scared from that.
By including audio soundbites, you’re essentially creating that recorded interview yourself and giving it to the journalist to use if they wish. You’re solving their problem before they even know they have it. This approach works because multimedia press releases receive up to 77% more responses than text-only versions.
The complete media toolkit
Audio is just the beginning. The producer also mentioned supplementing releases with extra photos that can be stitched together with the audio overlay to create video content for social media.
Think about it. You’re giving them more ammunition to create a better story, a more all-around experience. Instead of posting a link to bland copy with one image, they can create engaging video content that actually attracts and engages their audience. With audio accounting for nearly 20% of daily media consumption, you’re speaking their language.
The relationship reality
Now, a crucial caveat. You’re not sending audio files to every journalist who’s never heard of you. This approach is about building relationships with people who understand you and trust you. You’re making their job easier by giving them content they’d be delighted to have. It’s the difference between being helpful and being a nuisance.
The ROI of extra effort
I know what you’re thinking. “Christ, now I’ve got to record myself and find extra photos too?” Yes, it’s a bit of extra effort. But extra effort is what delivers results.
If you’re looking at return on investment in PR, you sometimes have to make an investment rather than trying to do it as quick, dirty, and cheaply as possible. That approach gets you quick, dirty, cheap results. If any at all.
You’re not being asked to record a perfect studio version. You’re not doing a piece to camera. You’re opening your phone and saying what you really feel about your latest story. The human voice, straight from the horse’s mouth, will always beat corporate speak.
A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press For Attention PR in 2008.
He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective.
See this column in the August issue of East Midlands Business Link Magazine here.
