3 Reasons Multimedia Should Be Part of Your Comms Strategy

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. (As a writer, this makes me question why I didn’t go into photography instead, but I digress.) While this adage might sound like a tired cliché, it actually has a basis in scientific fact.

Like it or not, visual content packs more of a punch than text alone. For this reason, we continually advise clients to add relevant multimedia assets to their press releases. If you’re still not convinced that words alone won’t move the needle, I’m bringing the receipts (all right, the data) to help you understand why including multimedia is essential to any successful comms strategy.

A visual element is a forget-me-not

You might not remember what you had for breakfast yesterday morning, but chances are you’ll remember hundreds of photographs you viewed last week or elements of a movie you saw three months ago. Why is that? Because our brains have an incredible capacity to store visual imagery and recall it weeks or months later.

You can conduct this experiment easily on your own. Think about the content you’ve consumed recently on social media (if you’re not on social media, congrats to you and skip to the next paragraph). When you try to recall what you viewed lately, is it text or images? I’ll bet you remember pictures of your neighbor’s cute dog or your college roommate’s engagement photo more clearly than the accompanying text.

With an avalanche of content bombarding people’s eyeballs daily, it’s becoming harder for stories to make a lasting impression. By adding multimedia components to your written content, you are helping your readers’ hippocampus store the memory of your message for recall later.

Bringing in views and ‘likes’

I’ll cut to the chase here: Visual content gets more engagement than text alone, which is true of social media posts, blog content and press releases. While there are numerous reasons for this, I’ll share a few of the most pertinent.

• For one, visual content is processed much faster in the brain than lines of text, which explains why visual social media posts can rack up likes very quickly compared to text-heavy posts. According to research, Facebook campaigns with visual content receive 65% more engagement than those without. Additionally, tweets with visual content are 94% more likely to be retweeted than text-only tweets.

• Second, online users prefer video over any other form of content. As much as we writers think our content is endlessly engaging, data shows that the audience is in it for the eye candy. According to the research, adding video to a web page increases the time a viewer spends on a site, which is beneficial for SEO. So, if you add a video to a page, visitors are likely to watch it, thereby enhancing and amplifying your message. Additionally, including a video component also encourages users to dive deeper into the subject by consuming your entire written content.

• Finally, visual components serve as a guide for your written content. According to Social Science Research Network, 65% of people are visual learners, so when you provide multimedia assets with your content, you are helping most readers process your message more easily. Cision PR Newswire analysed levels of engagement for press releases distributed through our network and found that releases with various multimedia components resonated more with audiences and received higher levels of engagement than text-only releases.

Journalists Say It’s A ‘Must-have’

So you say you want journalists to pick up and write about your press release? We want that for you too, dear reader. However, if you fail to include any multimedia assets in your release, you might as well find a lamp that comes with a genie who grants wishes.

According to Cision’s recent State of the Media survey, the majority of journalists used multimedia assets in their published articles in the last year. Here is the statistical breakdown:

• 81% used images
• 47% included video
• 41% incorporated infographics

22% of journalists stated they wanted comms professionals to use multimedia assets in their press releases, undoubtedly making their jobs easier.

Journalists are busy and besieged by story ideas all day long. If you don’t make things easier for them by including relevant multimedia assets (including your company logo!), they will move on and decline to tell your story.

The Takeaway

It’s clear that adding multimedia will help your audience process and remember your content while increasing the likelihood of engagement from both readers and journalists. Because it can be challenging to break through the cacophony of online content, we encourage you to add multimedia to your written content to make it more digestible for your audience.

Contact us at [email protected] to see How PR Newswire Can Take Your Story to the Next Level

Is It Actually a Crisis?

Not every bump in the road is a full-blown crisis. There are ups and downs for any organization, and sometimes, drawing attention to an issue can make it worse. 

Before launching into full-scale crisis comms, it’s important to pause and ask yourself:

• Does this truly threaten our reputation or operations?
  
• Will public attention escalate the situation unnecessarily?
  
• Can we handle this internally without involving external stakeholders?
  

Be strategic about what you elevate to crisis level. Sometimes quiet, internal problem solving is the best approach. 

Principles of Effective Crisis Communication 

While each crisis is unique, some key principles apply across the board:

Move Quickly 

Quick responses can prevent misinformation from spreading and help you control the narrative. Be prepared to issue initial statements acknowledging that you are aware of the issue and what you’re doing to resolve it. Even though the clock is ticking, be sure you have alignment from the critical stakeholders before issuing these statements. To avoid some of the inevitable chasing to lock-in necessary approvals, consider developing a predetermined sign-off policy that can streamline this process in crisis scenarios.

Communicate with Transparency and Honesty

Openness builds trust. Trying to hide or downplay issues often backfires, leading to speculation, misinformation, and further damaging the organization’s reputation. Be forthright about the situation with clear, straightforward communication, even if it means acknowledging mistakes.

Be Consistent

All your communication channels should deliver the same core message. Mixed signals create confusion and erode trust. PR teams should establish key messages and make sure that everyone involved in the communication process is aligned.

Provide Real-Time Updates

Keep both external audiences and internal teams in the loop with the latest information. This reduces confusion and ensures everyone has accurate and up-to-date information. If appropriate, set up a webpage or location to reference as a single source of truth.  

Show Authentic Empathy

It’s crucial to show you genuinely care about those affected by the situation. Acknowledge concerns directly and focus your messaging on addressing stakeholder needs. Speak confidently, but don't lose the human touch.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare: Build Your Crisis Communication Strategy

Preparation is one of the most important factors in how your brand will weather a storm. 

Key Components of an Effective Crisis Communication Strategy 

• Identify Your Crisis Comms Team: Identify key players and points of contact in your organization who will be part of the crisis communications response.  
  
• Identify Risks: Conduct a risk assessment to pinpoint potential crises that could affect your organization. This proactive approach allows you to prepare tailored responses in advance. 
  
• Establish Communication Channels: Determine how you'll communicate during a crisis, including social media platforms, your company website or press room, press releases, customer emails, internal communication channels (email, Slack, Teams, Sharepoint, etc.), and traditional media outlets. (Note: Both traditional and digital media play crucial roles in crisis communications. Press releases and media outreach help disseminate information to a broader audience, while social media provides real-time updates and allows for direct engagement with stakeholders.)
• Craft Key Messages: Develop a set of core messages that align with your brand values and can be adapted to various crisis scenarios. 
  
• Train Your Spokespeople: Equip your designated spokespersons with media training and crisis simulation exercises to ensure they're prepared to face the public and press. 
  
• Create a Crisis Communication Toolkit: Compile essential resources such as contact lists, message templates, social media guidelines, fact sheets, and FAQs. Revisit this regularly to update as needed so it stays fresh and timely. 
  

For more on proactively preparing for a crisis, check out our Crisis Comms Checklist.  

The Crisis Communications Process: Before, During, and After 

Crisis communication typically falls into three phases: 

Pre-Crisis Phase 

This is where preparation is the focus: 

• Developing your crisis communication plan 
  
• Conducting regular risk assessments 
  
• Training your team 
  
• Building relationships with stakeholders and media
  

During the Crisis 

When a crisis hits, it's time to put your plan into action: 

• Activate your crisis communication team 
• Gather and verify information quickly 
• Issue initial statements 
• Keep stakeholders informed with regular updates 
• Monitor media and social platforms closely 
• Adjust your strategy as the situation evolves 

Post-Crisis Phase 

Once the immediate threat has passed: 

• Evaluate your response 
• Gather feedback from stakeholders 
• Update your crisis communication plan 
• Implement lessons learned 
• Continue monitoring for any lingering issues 

Keep Calm and Carry On 

Crisis communication skills are critical for every PR practitioner. Crisis communication is about more than just damage control. When handled effectively, a crisis is an opportunity to demonstrate your organization's values, build trust, and even strengthen relationships with stakeholders. 

For a detailed breakdown of crisis management, download the Step-By-Step Guide to Managing a PR Crisis. 

Find out how CisionOne can not only inform your crisis comms strategy, but also spot potential issues before they escalate so you can take action.