Why You Should Include Multimedia in Your Press Releases
Stop writing your press releases—at least, not the way you’re used to.
Too many people focus only on the writing: How do I write a catchy headline? How do I write a magnetic announcement? But in today’s online world, your story needs more than just words.
Why? Because people’s attention spans are short, your text-only press release can barely stand a chance.
Scanning is the new reading. Online, people expect a visual experience. A striking image alongside your text can hold attention. But it’s not just about images. Incorporating a mix of media can bring your press release to life.
Let’s take a closer look at why multimedia makes all the difference in press releases.
#1 Multimedia Grabs Instant Attention
Journalists are buried under mountains of press releases every day. And yours? It’s just one of the hundreds.
To stand out, you need visuals that grab their attention right away.
A well-chosen image that tells your story at a glance can make them pause and take notice.
Photos that pop, bold infographics, or even a tempting video thumbnail can be the deciding factor.
For example, Oris Health used a video to promote their eco-friendly toothpaste tablets. The video thumbnail immediately catches your eye and invites you to click and learn more about the product, making it more likely to stand out among other releases.
Visuals aren’t just there for decoration; they also help journalists quickly grasp the core message of your press release, making it easier for them to engage with the content.
Trust me, this is how you rise above the noise.
#2 Multimedia Leaves a Lasting Impression
Imagine clicking on a press release only to discover that it’s just block and block of text. Not to mention, that it’s a dry announcement.
Now, compare that to one with stunning visuals—like the vibrant image of award-winning Chef Sean Connolly, masterfully plating a seafood feast for QT Singapore's new signature dining experience.
It’s night and day. Visuals instantly pull you in and create a deeper connection with the story being told.
That’s the power of visual communication.
It’s effective and memorable. According to studies, people tend to remember about 20 percent of what they read as compared to 80% of what they see. In an age where attention spans are shrinking, visuals help ensure your message sticks.
Besides, we are becoming a visually mediated society. The beauty of creating strong visuals is that they aren’t limited to just the press release—they can also be shared across social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and beyond.
This leads us to another reason to incorporate multimedia…
#3 Multimedia Boosts Your Reach
Press releases aren’t just for journalists anymore.
These days, you can share them across various platforms like PR websites, blogs, and again, social media. And yes, your customers are reading them too, not just the press.
That means customers and the public are reading, engaging, and sharing your news. The more your press release gets passed around, the faster your message travels, reaching more people than ever.
And let’s be honest: visuals make this so much easier. Photos, videos, infographics—they’re way more shareable than just blocks of text. People love engaging with visual content, and they’re far more likely to share something that looks good.
So, when you add multimedia, your press release isn’t sitting idle. It’s getting shared, reaching unexpected audiences, and stretching far beyond its initial release. That’s how you get your message out there quickly and effectively.
#4 Multimedia Enhances SEO
Visuals aren’t just great for catching attention and being shared; they also work wonders for your SEO.
Search engines love multimedia. Including images, videos, or infographics in your press release gives search engines more content to crawl, which means more opportunities for your release to rank higher in search results. The more engaging content you include, the more chances you have to show up in relevant searches.
Plus, visuals keep readers on your page longer. The more time they spend watching a video or exploring an infographic, the better it looks to search engines. That extra time signals that your content is valuable, which boosts your ranking even more.
#5 Multimedia Improves Accessibility for All
When you add multimedia to your press release, you're making it more accessible, not only across different platforms but also to a wider audience, including those with disabilities.
For instance, adding captions to videos makes the content accessible to people who are hard of hearing. Including alt text for images allows visually impaired individuals to understand the visuals using screen readers. This ensures that your message reaches everyone, no matter their abilities.
A great example of accessibility in action is Google’s blog, where they’ve added a text-to-speech option. It gives readers the flexibility to listen to the article instead of reading it, making it especially helpful for people with visual impairments or for those who simply prefer to listen.
Not only that, multimedia also helps those who might struggle with reading long chunks of text. A well-placed infographic, video, or even audio snippet can break things down and make the information more engaging and understandable for everyone, regardless of learning style.
In short, making your press release accessible isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a smart move that ensures you’re connecting with a larger and more diverse audience.
#6 Multimedia Breaks Down Language Barriers
When you add visuals to your press release, you're speaking a universal language. No matter what language your audience speaks, images, videos, and infographics can help get your message across without the need for translation. A compelling visual can communicate ideas quickly and clearly, even when words might get lost in translation.
Think of a product demo video or a well-designed infographic. These visuals can make your press release understandable to people from different countries and backgrounds. It makes your message more inclusive, reaching a global audience who might otherwise struggle with a text-heavy release.
Take Extra Gum’s ad, for example. The ad tells a heartwarming story with hardly any words. It’s all about connection, emotions, and those small, meaningful moments. The visuals carry the message so clearly that it works for any viewer, no matter what language they speak. This shows how multimedia can break down barriers and communicate a message that resonates with everyone, no translation needed.
#7 Multimedia Makes Complex Ideas Simple
Just like visuals break down language barriers, they’re also perfect for simplifying those complicated ideas that could easily confuse your audience. If your press release is full of technical details or heavy data, multimedia can help make things a whole lot easier to understand.
Multimedia press releases are a win for both journalists and consumers. Journalists get all the information they need in a format that’s easy to digest, while your audience can enjoy content that’s engaging and clear. Whether you’re explaining product features or diving into dense data, visuals can help break it all down.
For instance, take a look at Ford's renewable energy infographic. Rather than overwhelming the reader with paragraphs of text and complicated data, this infographic distills the core information into easy-to-understand visuals. It presents important statistics and commitments in a way that’s visually engaging and simple to grasp.
And since press releases typically have a length requirement, multimedia gives you the flexibility to say more with fewer words. Journalists can quickly get the main points, while visuals fill in the rest, making the story complete without overwhelming them.
#8 Multimedia Makes Journalists' Life Easier
If you didn’t know, having multimedia actually takes a load off journalists.
No one enjoys dealing with press releases that come with bland stock photos or, worse, none at all. When that happens, journalists have to spend their already limited time searching for or creating visuals themselves, which can be a real headache, especially with tight deadlines.
By including helpful visuals—like headshots of key people, infographics that explain data, product photos, or diagrams—you make their job easier. The more relevant visuals you provide, the better. Journalists won’t have to hunt for extra content, and your story becomes easier for them to cover.
At the end of the day, providing multimedia makes your press release a more appealing package, giving it a much better shot at getting picked up.
How to Effectively Incorporate Multimedia in Your Press Release?
Now that we’ve covered why multimedia matters, how can you seamlessly integrate it into your press releases?
Using a platform like MarketersMEDIA Newswire makes it simple to incorporate images, videos, and more into your press releases.
Whether you’re announcing a new product, sharing important company news, or showcasing a success story, MarketersMEDIA helps you deliver your message effectively. With a multimedia press release, you’ll have all the tools to get your story noticed and shared across platforms.
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