Five alternatives to the traditional company announcement
The press release is still the most common format for making an announcement, but it’s no longer enough. Relying on a single, static announcement format in a fast-moving, multi-channel world does not work for audiences that no longer consume information in one place, in a single format, or at any one moment in time.
News appears in feeds, conversations online communities and increasingly AI-generated summaries.
But press releases still have a role. They’re valuable for regulatory or investor announcements, formal partnerships or M&A activity and also for creating an official, indexed record of company news on websites, annual reports.
What else works alongside, or instead of, a press release? Here are five alternatives that are proving effective for modern technology businesses.
1. Voice of the CEO
A company update delivered through a founder or CEO’s voice, particularly on LinkedIn is a great alternative, because people trust people more than brands.
The CEO can add context and personality, explain the ‘why’ behind the announcement in his/her own terms and in more detail. They could talk about what this news means in broader terms, what they’ve learned on the journey. It turns the announcement into more of a human story, which arguably is more engaging and shareable.
On LinkedIn and other channels where readers can comment, the format invites conversation rather giving a one-way broadcast.
2. Short-Form Video
Increasingly, announcements will land better the shorter they can be. Short-form video, whether on LinkedIn, your website, or other owned channels allows you to simplify complex ideas quickly, show your product or technology in action and crucially humanise your brand through voice and tone. For technology brands, this is powerful.
Short-form video aligns with how we all consume information. Quickly, visually and often on the go.
3. The power of numbers
A good announcement is about telling a story and often one of the most effective ways to bring an announcement to life is through data. This is nothing new, but it does give media something to build on, not just repeat and that is what can give a story longevity in a fast-moving media landscape.
It also positions the company as a source of insight and that distinction matters for building relationships with key media.
4. Community-Led Sharing
With so many channels that encourage community building and two-way dialogue, your audiences can often tell your story for you.
Encouraging your community to share their perspectives through posts, comments or user-generated content can amplify reach and add authenticity.
5. Ongoing narratives
Some of the most effective tech companies today don’t rely on announcing milestones, they will document the journey from the beginning. This could include product development progress, lessons learned along the way, challenges.
In creating an early, ongoing narrative, it means that by the time you reach a major milestone, like a launch or funding round, your audience is already invested. This is particularly effective on platforms like LinkedIn, where consistency and authenticity outperform one-off updates.
You could argue that avoiding mass press release distribution is a lesson we were taught many years ago, but it does still happen. With such a huge swathe of media targets to go after and AI tools to help with distribution, cutting corners still happens and over-distribution remains one of the biggest inefficiencies.
The most effective announcements today don’t look like announcements at all. You are aiming for your news to appear in conversations, as insights or stories. With that shift in thinking, the press release may not be obsolete, but equally it isn’t a catch all, but one item in an ever-expanding PR toolbox.
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Image credit: istock Tero Vesalainen
