Why Press Releases Are A Valuable Part Of Your PR Strategy

PR agency Buckinghamshire- press release

When building and growing a brand, your business’ visibility, reputation, and public perception can make a huge difference in your level of success.

Trust, credibility and a strong identity are factors that have a big influence on consumers and potential clients.

Public relations (PR) strategies are a way to promote and manage perception and reputation. In the PR toolbox, several tactics and tools work together.

What tools are needed in a PR strategy?

PR works hand-in-hand with a marketing strategy to help create a strong and impactful brand. There are often overlaps; for example, social media can be used for both marketing and PR, depending on the type of content.

Press releases
Relationships with journalists and content creators, for example, podcasters
Social media management
Crisis and reputation management
Events, awards and conferences
Newsletters
Media monitoring

Are press releases still effective?

In a world where promoting brands is increasingly content-driven and focused on engagement, where does that leave the old favourite, the humble press release in 2026?

Although press releases have been part of the business world for over a century, since they were first used in crisis management for a New Jersey train crash in 1906.

By issuing a statement, Ivy Lee controlled the narrative of the tragedy, preventing speculation, blame and hysteria about the cause of the crash.

By sticking with the facts rather than hyperbole, a press release can let journalists get to the heart of the issue quickly. Due to this, they are still a very valuable tool today.

A Cision report showed that 68 per cent of journalists surveyed use press releases as a reliable source of content and information.

What are the benefits of a well-written press release?

Visibility

When a press release is picked up by an outlet, it reaches a wider audience and new demographics, getting your brand and its news in front of potential customers and clients.

Authority

Establishing your organisation or business as a thought leader and expert is another bonus of a solid press release. Announcing research, achievements and innovations via earned media can establish your organisation as the go-to for reliable information.

Crisis management

Not all crises are tragic, but they do all need managing to mitigate negative press. Press releases can control the narrative by giving the facts of the situation and addressing issues head-on.

The benefit of a proactive approach is that it creates a level of trust. For example, the public are more likely to back an organisation that can admit when it made a mistake rather than hide the error.

Cost effectiveness

Writing a press release and distributing it can be relatively inexpensive compared to big marketing campaigns with paid advertising and influencers. This means the return on investment is far more effective.

AI and search engine source material

Recent changes in how AI and search engines scan and use press releases means your newsworthy information will surface more frequently. Regardless of whether a press release is picked up by an outlet, search can find the press release on your website.

Targeting audiences

Building relationships with specific journalists, PR agencies and media platforms can allow you to target specific audiences, whether that is local to Buckinghamshire or further afield. Importantly, you can target those that are relevant to your sector, product or service.

This means your message gets seen by the people who are most likely to engage. Of course, the key to an effective press release isn’t just about getting it read by the right people; it needs to be readable, accurate, and most of all, newsworthy.

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Sarah A • July 2, 2026

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Public relations (PR) is not a new invention. In fact, the precursor to modern PR can trace its origins back centuries to the early days of mass media in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Of course, the world has changed considerably since then and the arrival of the internet forced the PR profession, along with many others, to evolve once again. This is when digital PR entered the frame. What is digital PR? As its name suggests, digital PR specifically focuses on reaching your customers in their online worlds. It’s not the same as digital marketing, but digital PR activities should tie in closely with your broader marketing strategy. Digital PR is all about starting conversations with your audience and making sure they see and hear from you in an increasingly noisy online environment. That means it needs to be carefully targeted to ensure it not only reaches the right people but that it also delivers the right message. In this way, it is not dissimilar to traditional PR, which involves placing clients in relevant print publications or broadcast shows to widen their reach. However, in the digital world, life works slightly differently. This means targeted campaigns are particularly important and the messaging you use needs to be adapted for different channels.