Do press releases still work?

The basic function of a press release is to communicate information about your organization, be it a change in leadership, a new product or service offering, or the results of an award program. Most industry publications still value getting these updates and will post them on their website, getting your announcement in front of the reading public.

This alone makes a press release a good return on your investment. But did you know that sometimes a release will earn coverage beyond your expectations, alerting an editor to your in-house expertise and helping them fill slots in their publishing schedule? Here’s an example. The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) recently announced the names of its 2023 board members, including Steve Friess of Milestone Contractors, LP, the Chairman of the Board of Directors. After sending a press release about Steve’s new role—and mentioning his deep experience in the industry, including building out the concrete arm of a paving company—Steve was invited to be a guest on Roads & Bridge’s webinar series, Infrastructure Insider. (Watch the episode here.) Not only that, but Steve and the ACPA communications team, working with AOE, were able to line up other concrete paving experts from within the organization to be interviewed in upcoming Roads & Bridges webinars.

Packaging your news stories in a professional format and distributing them via appropriate media channels ensures that they get seen and considered by decision-makers within the industry…proving that yes, press releases are still a great way for your organization to stay in front of its audience!