What’s the status of the traditional press release? Looking at other content marketing, it’s going video – which means there’s potential for enormous exposure online. You can imagine that reporters and bloggers are more apt to view an engaging video press release than read boring blocks of text. So today, major brands are leveraging the taste for stunning, action-oriented imagery that mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have inspired.

What Is a Video Press Release?

A video press release involves the senses in a way that text-only press releases can’t. It’s a recorded video version of the same information but with sound and imagery bringing it to life. Media experts have found that over half of viewers take further action after exposure to an online news video. That’s quite an impact, and it’s one that many types of businesses increasingly are taking advantage of.

What Does a Video Press Release Look Like?

There are several ways to format a video press release. The choice of content depends on the product or service involved. Interviews with inventors or spokespersons, product demonstrations and customer testimonials are all effective. Still photos and support text can be added to round out the experience. Some companies even display their stock market details.

Most video press releases provide excerpts of detailed product information along with a link to learn more. An inspiring soundtrack, animated company logos and humor are also useful components. In general, the more engaging the audio and visual elements are, the more effective a video news release can be.  You can also embed video content in traditional releases at certain outlets so be sure to familiarize yourself with each wire service’s guidelines for video. And it doesn’t have to be exclusively categorized as a video press release, I mean after all, the personal recommendation have really become the new PR according to many.

Taking a quote from HARO owner and PR speaker Peter Shankman during a recent Internet Marketing Conference, talking about content and PR he said, “…now, with social circles, the sewing circle is back.” He was talking about how over the past few decades the sewing circles have went away, personal recommendations have gone away and that was replaced with PR and the press telling you what movie to see, what restaurant to go to. Well with video and smart content marketing strategies and a solid PR Firm executing strategy, you can bring back the personal recommendation by appealing directly to your customers with video.

Taking Pages from Music Industry EPKs

The music industry uses a specific form of video news release called an electronic press kit or EPK. Generally, this consists of a prominent audio track, sound bites, artist-narrated biographies, and music video clips or live performance footage.

Examples of an EPK can be viewed at YouTube.com and other content sites where expansive reach has produced huge success. The EPK’s basic concept holds great potential for a wide variety of other industries, brands and businesses.

Can the Video Press Release Work for Any Business?

Based on the results obtained by various industries, it probably can. Many video news releases created by prominent companies are pitched to major television networks, but there’s an increasing number published online, too – for consumer consumption, and sharing.

Toshiba and Easton Pharmaceuticals both have VPRs published on YouTube. FinancialMedia.com presents a variety of news releases on YouTube as well as their own site. The companies represented range from alcoholic beverage producers to oil companies like Geo Finance Corporation. The director of broadcast communications at General Motors states that VPRs account for 10 percent of the company’s press releases.  There was also the case of Orabrush securing WalMart distribution with among other things, a carefully crafted video and more recently the Dollar Shave Club’s video that was a huge success in creating awareness for a product whose press releases just couldn’t.