Mastering Press Releases: Transformative Strategies for Success with Mickie Kennedy

An industry survey press release consistently generates earned media. Mickie Kennedy says that when he coaches clients through this format, they typically receive eight to fourteen earned media articles per release. You send the survey to small trade associations, gather at least 100 responses, and build the press release around the single biggest surprising finding.

When journalists write original articles based on a press release, those articles link back to the company. Kennedy and host Matt Bertram both note that earned links carry full link equity, while shortcuts like link farms pass only partial or no equity. Original data and story-driven releases are what prompt journalists to link in the first place.

Kennedy says 97% of press releases on the wire yield no earned media because they are self-centered, listing product features without a story arc, use case, or original data. Journalists need building blocks for a story that will entertain or educate their audience, and releases that do not provide that are ignored.

Kennedy recommends incorporating a use case study showing measurable results, pairing it with relevant public data to illustrate industry stakes, and framing everything as a story arc rather than a feature list. This gives journalists the raw material to write an engaging article rather than a product announcement nobody will run.