I have a New Year’s
resolution for business owners: Embrace the changing role of the press release
and how it affects your company’s bottom line. Gone are the days where press
releases were a one-and-done pass to securing media coverage – with new
channels popping up every day and more businesses competing to be heard amidst
the noise of their respective industries, it’s rare that a journalist reads a release
and writes a story as a direct result of a traditional wire distribution
service alone. But despite their changing role, press releases can still be an
important part of making sure your story gets the attention it deserves –
they’re just evolving a bit. Here are five essential components any modern
press release must have to make it through today’s media storm:
1. Keywords are key: I always tell clients that nowadays, the main
benefit of sending a press release over the wires is for SEO ranking. However,
that one benefit is crucial for businesses and makes the effort entirely worth
it. It’s the right keywords that will set your brand’s page or news above the
rest and lead customers to you instead of your competitors. Google and other
search engines index new content based on the quality of keywords contained, so
take the time to do some research on what people are searching for in relation
to your press release. Google
AdWords has a great keyword tool that is simple to use.
Note: Wire services can
still be great and offer lots of benefits (including SEO help), but as they can
get quite pricey, we recommend picking and choosing which releases you pay to
distribute vs. which you do through free wires.
2. Make it newsworthy. Although search engine visibility is a
paramount goal, it’s important to ensure your content is still interesting and
truly newsworthy. We’re all biased toward our own businesses’ interests – it’s
human nature – but take the time to think about what other people will care
about outside of your office. Did you hire an experienced, Fortune 500-level
CEO who will be implementing a whole new customer service program? Go for the
press release and broad distribution. Did an associate vice-president get
promoted? Post the press release to your website.
3. Location, location, location: Even if they’re interested in your
story, most journalists are extremely busy and will not take the time to read
your entire press release, whether it’s included in a pitch or they stumble
upon it through web search. That being said, think strategically about how
you’re placing information. Have an important main point and CTA? Place it in
the first or second paragraph – think a 30-second read at the most – and the
last. This is where people are most likely to look for a summation of key
content. That way, even a glance can catch a journalist’s eye and leave them
wanting more.
4. The eyes have it: Photos, infographics, and video are
increasingly important additions to any modern press release. New media in
general is catering to a visually-driven consumer, and placing these aids in
your release is basically guaranteed to amplify your views. According to PR
Newswire, a press release with even one photo will get 14% more reads than
a text-only release. A release with a video and no photos will get 20% more
views than text-only, while a release with both a photo and a video will garner
48% higher consumption. If you really want to maximize the power of visuals,
interactive components like infographics and charts will skyrocket you to 77%
more views when combined with a photo and a video. If you really want to get
creative, make your whole press release an infographic. These are hugely
popular and very impactful, and a graphic designer can
easily whip one up to stay on budget.
5. Check yourself: Even if your press release covers the most
groundbreaking, compelling news of the decade, readers – especially journalists
– won’t take you seriously if it’s not well-written. Keeping your punctuation,
grammar, and clarity on point will help you better hold consumers’ interest and
respect your brand; prompting them to want to learn more and, with any luck,
further engage. A poorly written release will leave readers assuming you and your
company are unprofessional and will take the same care with delivering a
service or product as you did with your writing. At the very least, have a
trusted coworker who understands editing proof your work. However, working with
a PR firm will guarantee your press release is not only written well, but contains
messaging primed for connectivity.
6. Make a connection: Another thing that a successful press release
should have is well-thought anchor links. The words you choose to anchor link
can make a definitive impact on your press release’s search engine ranking, as
well as its general “clickability.” For example, say your release is discussing
your coffee shop’s award-winning lattes. For your intents and purposes, you’d
be much better off using “best lattes in San Diego” to link to the award site
or your company website over something like “award.” When people search for
“best lattes in San Diego” in Google, your site and release will be associated
with that term.
Press releases aren’t the
only thing that can make a business successful on the web and in the press, but
when combined with a careful strategy and solid media relationships, they can
be a fantastic tool when leveraged properly for today’s consumer. To learn more
about how the perfect press release and other PR and communications services
can help your business stand above the rest, visit www.wrightoncomm.com.
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