Press releases can be your friend in the digital age if you create them properly
Have you posted a press release online? Did it yield the results you wanted, or were the results lacking?
For those of you unsure of the success press release can have online, let me say first hand that they can have a positive impact when created and distributed properly.
I’ve seen press releases drive traffic to rapid conversion landing pages, generate conversions and even lead to back links and comments. I’ve also seen good press releases get shared throughout social networks and marked as “favorites” by Twitter users.
The three tips below will provide some focus for your press release endeavors.
Three tips for creating and sharing press releases online
#1: Don’t annoy audiences with your press releases – There is such a thing as over promoting and it can hurt your reputation with core audience members and journalists in your space.
Furthermore, if your press release is too promotional, some free press release distribution sites will not approve it. Therefore, you will be missing out on free dissemination and new potential audience members.
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#2: Make your press release newsworthy – A press release should capture the essence of the news. For instance, let’s pretend your release is about a new information product, like a free report, that was just released. In the release, excerpt a part of the free report so that journalists or interested audience members can get a direct feel of the content.
Every time I create a press release for a new free report, I include chapter titles, a chapter summary or main takeaways that will prove helpful for readers interested in the topic. This helps build more desire for the product, and leads to a greater chance of converting readers into subscribers or buyers.
To remain newsworthy within your press releases, avoid using the word “you”, as it’s typically used in promotions to gain attention and build connections. Keeping “you” out of a press release will help the release remain focused on the informational content.
#3: SEO your press release and share through social networks – The newsworthy topic of the press release provides the information of your audience and your keyword universe will help target them properly. Optimizing your press release for search engines will give you a better chance of ranking in Google News, especially after distribution from press release sites.
Sharing your press release via Facebook or Twitter can also help in getting your content to interested people.
The inspiration for this article came from a post on editorsweblog.org. The article discussed whether a press release was a friend or foe of journalists and provided some resources for journalists to use. One such resource was Noodls, which is a real-time aggregator of press releases that builds its archive through collecting press releases and accepting submissions.
In the digital landscape, I completely believe a press release is a friend when created properly. Nowadays, press releases can be incredibly targeted, distributed to search engines and journalists, shared through social networks and created with direct links to free a downloadable while including media-rich components.
If you want more help with online PR, this free report provides a list of press release distribution sites that can help your press release find a place in Google’s News section.
